COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH FEATURE
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Over time , we have found that there can be around a 50 per cent drop-out rate , so it may be helpful to over-book the session in consideration of this . Drop-out occurs for various reasons – perhaps the individual doesn ’ t feel ready for a group yet , they may have technical issues that day , or they may have other commitments that week .
Our sessions generally last for around an hour , with six sessions in total within a group cohort . Group sessions involve having a warm-up / ice breaker – such as an interactive quizz , discussing feedback from the previous session , discussing the main content for that week with activities , setting homework , and finally a warm down exercise , which is normally a relaxation technique .
There is an opportunity at the end of a session for service users to stay on the call should they have any concerns that they want to discuss on a one-to-one basis with a facilitator .
Homework that is relevant to the session , such as utilising a sleep diary or watching a useful video , is emailed to service users after the session .
For those that did not attend a session it is still worthwhile to email afterwards to provide resources following the group , and give a follow-up call to check if they need support .
Upon completion of the group , a certificate of completion can be emailed to participants ; this can be created on Microsoft Publisher and sent as a PDF .
Consider functionality It is important to ensure that your microphone is working , and using a headset is advisable . Ensure you use utilise appropriate lighting and camera angle and consider using an Ethernet cable to ensure there is a stable internet connection .
Be considerate of those who use hearing aids – lots of feedback can be very distressing , so ensure you know how to mute others , and explain this to the group .
Plan beforehand who will take record of attendance and share notetaking . Have a co-facilitator monitor the chat box , in the event that other group members may be having difficulties while you are leading the session .
Having a PowerPoint on the screen can be helpful to anchor the session . There can be processing and lag issues when on a group video call , so ensure the PowerPoint and videos are loaded and ready before the group members enter to avoid delays .
When playing a video , ensure ‘ share computer audio ’ is selected , so that the sound plays for everyone . Having subtitles
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