Advice for starting Support Groups

OCD-UK is fully committed to supporting individuals or groups who wish to start a new OCD Support Group for sufferers, carers or both.

Using various online resources and our own experience we have put together this page that should cover every aspect of starting a new Support Group.

We hope these pages will prove useful but if you have any other questions or want us to add something to this page then please don't hesitate to Contact Us and we will do our best to help.

 

What support groups can do

Support Groups are run in local communities to provide mutual aid or support in dealing with a variety of issues, including OCD. These groups are unique in that they may be started by anyone regardless of training, experience, or credentials and unlike charities they can be started without the need to fulfil certain criteria.

Support Groups are there to:
Provide a confidential and a non-judgmental outlet for sharing experiences and ideas with other sufferers or carers who have / or are going through similar experiences.

Provide the opportunity for people to help each other through the sharing of knowledge and experiences.

Offer resources, speakers, information, and literature.

Provide the opportunity for the formation of new support relationships like buddy-buddy schemes.

Support groups are NOT there to:
Diagnose or make psychiatric evaluations.

Offer treatment or cures.

In any way take an active role in the treatment of an individual.

 

Are you sure about starting a group?

Many groups never materialise, or disband quickly because the group founder is not ready for, or is unaware of, the ongoing commitment required to start and sustain a Support Group.

Do NOT start a group if:
You can't commit sufficient time in your life to devote to the group and its administration. Many people underestimate the time commitment required to manage a group successfully. It takes an initial commitment to setup, organise and publicise the group, followed by a continual investment in time to oversee the running of it.

You don't have the understanding and co-operation of your family or significant others in your life. Your group involvement will at many times take precedence over the concerns of your immediate personal life and unless anticipated, can put relationships in jeopardy.

You can't, or don't want to, share authority and responsibility.

Do start a group if:
You are prepared for a long term commitment.

You don't need personal recognition for your efforts.

You have a sincere and genuine concern to help people with OCD.

You have the support of your family or partner.

 

Assess the need

If there is already an OCD Support Group operating close to you then it could make your job difficult to attract new members.

Visit the other Support Group first. If it feels good, is encouraging and hopeful, then you may want to ask if you can help in that group.

There's no reason to duplicate efforts and every Support Group can use a helping hand, provided that you support the philosophy and goals of the group.

 

Where to begin

Once the determination to start a new Support Group has been made, what is the next step?

It is often very helpful to contact and seek the advice of others in the Support Group field.

Check the Community, Neighbourhood, or Metropolitan sections of your newspaper for announcements of similar groups (even for other conditions) and their meetings. Contact a group leader and see if you could visit the group and see how it is run.

OCD-UK can also put you in touch with other OCD Support Group leaders.

Schools, Universities, Colleges, Churches or other Religious or Spiritual organisations can often provide you with a location, as can community centres.

Go to the library and check out books on your subject, do research on the internet. Many books and websites will include a list of organisations and useful resources for you to contact or use as group materials.

 

Tasks

There are three organisational components that make up a successful group: Administration, Facilitation and Management.

Each of these components requires a significant time commitment.

Administration involves:
Handling all contacts.

Keeping the Support Group books, records and financial records.

Contacting speakers and arranging schedules for future meetings.

Preparing Press Releases and Announcements promoting the group.

Facilitation involves:
Greet members as they arrive and introduce them to other members.

Have the skill to make sensitive or well-timed remarks to draw members out.

Be constantly alert to each member's involvement or lack thereof.

Management involves:
Keep records of the date, time, and attendance of each meeting.

Telephone new and prospective members when appropriate.

Help the facilitators set up the meeting room and refreshments.

Attend each meeting and aid in the group networking.

 

Format

You will need to decide the format for your meetings that you will use.

Meeting Agenda examples:
Open discussion, leaving the floor open for anyone to talk.

Guest Speakers with Q and A session.

Reading transcripts from self-help books.

Arranging buddy-buddy setups.

Success story focusing.

Different topics each week. eg. OCD and medication; How OCD affects families; CBT; alternative treatments etc, etc.

 

Open questions

These are questions that you can ask the Group to get other members talking, they are also positive and/or goal oriented.

Example questions:
Tell us one thing that you've done in the last month that you're really proud of.

Share with us a success that you've recently had.

What coping tip has worked best for you?

If you could have done one thing differently, what would it be?

What's one suggestion you could offer about working with your doctor / therapist?

 

When and where

You will need to decide how often you hold your meetings. The common practice is to hold monthly meetings but the choice is of course yours.

You also need to consider the length of meetings and time, daytime or evenings, 1 hour or 2 hours etc.

Location is also an important factor, your venue should be close to public transport and allow easy access to car parking.

The room should also be comfortable, with movable seating, warm (not bright) lighting, enough space to allow for refreshments and reading material.

Another consideration is room accessibility, for people with disabilities or the elderly (ex: ramps, handrails, barrier free).

 

Group promotion

Your Groups success will be determined partly by how many people regularly turn up, so for that reason promotion is really one of, if not the most important considerations.

List of possible places to promote your Group:
GP Surgeries.
Schools.
Work Noticeboards.
Local media (newspapers, TV, radio).
Community websites.
OCD websites, such as OCD-UK.
Public Libraries.

Press releases:
Notify local newspapers, television and radio stations, with a press release. Hopefully, press releases will accomplish two goals - a listing of your Group in the events calendar and an article about your Group. This is the best way to reach most people.

Follow-ups:
One of the biggest failings of most Groups is an unanswered telephone line or an unreturned call or email. If you advertise a number, make sure that number is answered by a person or an answering machine and all contact is followed up.

 

Ground rules

Ground rules for Support Groups are important. These may be drawn up before the first meeting, but it is important that they are discussed and agreed upon by all participants at the first meeting and at all subsequent meetings.

Suggested ground rules:
Ensure that ground rules are set so that everyone will have a chance to speak, but will not be under obligation to do so and that nobody tries to interrupt another Group member.

Everyone agrees that any and all information disclosed in this Group is private and totally confidential.

All expressions of feeling, including laughing and crying, are allowed with the exception of physical violence.

Members should feel free to get up and move around during the course of the meeting should they feel the need to do so.

 

Welcome letter

At your first meeting it is a good idea to hand out a welcome letter and maybe send one to anyone that enquires about your group. It can be small A5 or A4 size, just a single sheet.

It is also useful to include a disclaimer pointing out that the group is not there to offer medical advice.

The main reason is to make sure that everyone has the contact information but it could also include:

Content:
Contact Information (Telephone, Email, Web Address).

List of resources (websites, books).

Address and map to the location.

The groups aims.

Disclaimer.

Example disclaimer:
XYZ Support Group is not a medical authority nor does it offer medical advice. In all cases, we strongly encourage that you discuss your medical treatment with your own GP.

 

First meeting

Arrive early and ensure there are plenty of chairs and maybe place posters pointing to the right room.

Welcome everyone and introduce yourself.

Hand out the Welcome Letter.

Start on time.

Officially open the meeting and introduce yourself and briefly about your OCD, and set out the aims of the group.

Read out the ground rules.

Keep the meeting simple.

At the end close the meeting with details of the next meeting.

Thank everyone for coming and collect their contact information just in case there are any changes in the next meeting time and date.

 

Potential problems

Some problems which may occur with any support group are out of your control. Others relate to the group and/or an individual participant and can be handled or diverted if caught in time. Being aware of the following potential problems may reduce the impact of their occurrence.

Too few people.
If you have too few people, those who attend may feel obligated to talk even if they are reluctant. A meeting can be a struggle. You may want to explain that in these circumstance each member will be given more time to share stories and interact with each other.

Too many people.
When more people show up than expected it can be an indication of the Group's effectiveness, but it can cause problems. There could be too little time allotted to each member resulting in a rushed, 'cramped' meeting. If this happens, split the group into two with a mix of old and new members. Have a more experienced person within the group take over the second group.

The Dominating Member.
This is the member who takes too much time, asks too many questions, or dominates the topics under discussion. You can reduce the likelihood of this happening by reviewing the ground rules before each meeting, setting a clear agenda and diplomatically intervening where necessary to ensure others in the group participate effectively.

The Imposing Member.
The Imposer feels that his or her coping skills or general solutions are absolutely correct. Comments like "Here's how to handle that", "This is what you need to do now" will tip you off. You can usually prevent 'imposing' by catching the first occurrence and saying something like: "Well Xxxxx, it sounds like you found something that works for you. Now, what are some things that worked for the rest of you?"

The Suicidal Member.
It is inevitable that OCD sufferers who are scared and/or feel that there is no hope may have thoughts of suicide.

As a support group leader, you have to be prepared for this moment for it may happen either in a meeting or in a phone call. We suggest that you learn of local and national resources so that you can immediately direct anyone to a professional. The Samaritans is a good place to start.

Don't panic, in many cases the individual will be just reaching out for help and needs a shoulder to cry on, often just by listening to the person talk, that person will relax and the talk of suicide will subside. It is vital that you do listen to the person even if it takes an hour of your time and NEVER cut the person off because your busy.

Burn Out.
Group leader burnout can happen to even the most enthusiastic leaders. You'll know the symptoms. You've started living OCD and taking OCD phone calls during most of the day and some of the evening. You might get knots in your stomach when the phone rings. You start getting too involved in the lives of your participants such that your own life begins to suffer. This happens when you let your time and commitment get out of control.

A good idea is to share the workload with someone else in the group.

 

Resources

Other resources and support to aid you starting and running a Support Group.

Books:
The Courage to Lead: Start Your Own Support Group - Mental Illnesses and Addictions by Hannah Carlson.

Effective Support Groups by James E. Miller.

How to Lead Small Groups by Neal F. McBride.

Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership by Carl George with Warren Bird.

The Support Group Sourcebook by Linda L. Klein.

The Support Group Manual: A Session-By-Session Guide by Harriet Sarnoff Schiff

Back to Top ^ | Homepage | E-mail this page to a friend
OCD-UK is a non-profit making charity and not associated with any other organasation.
Medical information is provided for education/information purposes only, you should obtain further advice from your doctor. Any links to external websites have been carefully selected, however we are not responsible for the content of these third party websites.
Copyright © 2004-2008 OCD-UK. All rights reserved.
WC3 XHTML 1.0 Validated | WC3 CSS Validated | Sitemap | Accessibility