| Course | PAC 420 Group Therapy |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Group proposal |
| Length | About 1,106 words, 7 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 420 Module 3
Built to Last Ten Weeks: Planning, Screening and Preparing a Closed Group for Parents in Early Recovery
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 420: Group Therapy
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Built to Last Ten Weeks: Planning, Screening and Preparing a Closed Group for Parents in Early Recovery
At Lake Erie Recovery Center, the composite outpatient program used in these papers, parents in early recovery have said that the general process groups rarely touch what weighs on them most: guilt about what their children saw, fear of child protective services, the strain of parenting while sober for the first time and the challenge of explaining recovery to a child. Eight parents asked whether a group could be formed for them. This paper proposes one, a ten-week closed group, and describes how members will be selected and prepared. The program, the parents and the proposed group are invented, though the guidelines and studies behind each decision are real.
Planning Decisions
Bernard et al. (2008) set out clinical practice guidelines for group psychotherapy, drawing on research and clinical experience. They addressed the decisions a leader must make before a group begins: its purpose and type, membership criteria, size, duration, whether it is open or closed, how members are selected and how they are prepared. They recommended that leaders select members who share enough to identify with one another while bringing enough diversity to learn from one another, avoid placing a single member who differs markedly from the rest, keep groups small enough for interaction and prepare members before the first session. They also emphasized setting clear expectations and agreements about attendance, confidentiality and contact outside the group.
Why Members Leave
Yalom (1966) studied patients who dropped out of outpatient therapy groups within the first twelve meetings. He identified several reasons. Some dropouts faced external pressures, such as work schedules, transportation or crises, that made attendance difficult. Some felt they did not fit, differing from the rest of the group in ways that left them isolated. Some found the intimacy of the group threatening, or were distressed by others' problems. Some had not understood what the group would involve, reflecting inadequate orientation. Others left because of conflicts with the leader, because a provocative member drove them away or because of subgrouping. Yalom concluded that many dropouts could be prevented through careful selection and preparation.
Preparing Members
Piper and Perrault (1989) reviewed studies of pretherapy preparation for group members, in which members receive information and orientation before their first session, through interviews, written materials, videos or practice sessions. Preparation generally improved attendance, reduced early dropout and increased members' participation in early sessions. Its effects on final outcomes were less consistent across studies. The authors concluded that preparation was worthwhile, especially for addressing the anxiety and misunderstandings that lead to early dropout.
The Proposal
| Element | Decision | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Address parenting in early recovery: guilt, repair with children, routines, stress and relapse risk | Need identified by parents; not met in general groups |
| Members | Parents with children under twelve, one to six months into recovery | Shared situation for identification; some range of experience |
| Size | Six to nine members | Room for interaction, per Bernard and colleagues |
| Length and format | Ten weekly ninety-minute sessions, closed after week one | Cohesion and a structured sequence |
| Structure | First half on a topic, such as repairing trust; second half open discussion | Combines skills with process |
| Rules | Attendance commitment; confidentiality; no contact with members' children; come sober | Clear expectations from the start |
| Measures | Attendance; cohesion questionnaire at weeks three and eight; parenting stress at start and end | To evaluate the group |
Practical Barriers
Because Yalom found that external pressures drive early dropout, the proposal addresses parents' practical barriers directly. Sessions will meet on Wednesday evenings, after school and work. Child care will be provided on site by a staff member and a volunteer, so that parents do not have to choose between the group and their children. Bus passes will be available. Members who must miss a session will be asked to call, and the leader will follow up.
Screening and Preparation
Each potential member will meet with the leader for a forty-minute screening and preparation interview. The leader will explain the group's purpose, structure and rules and ask about the person's goals, current recovery, parenting situation and any involvement with child protective services. The interview will assess fit: a parent in acute crisis, in active use or with an open investigation that makes open discussion unsafe might be better served first in individual counseling. The leader will discuss confidentiality and its limits, including that the leader is a mandated reporter of child maltreatment. Members will be told what a typical session looks like and that feeling anxious at first is normal. People screened out will be offered alternatives and invited to a future cycle.
Ground Rules and Confidentiality
The group's agreements will be discussed in the screening interview and again in the first session, so that members help shape them. Members will agree to keep what others say in the group confidential, while understanding that the leader cannot guarantee that every member will honor this. They will agree not to come to group under the influence, to call if they must miss a session and to avoid romantic or business relationships with other members during the group. The leader will explain her own duties clearly: she is required to report suspected child maltreatment and imminent danger, and she will tell members if a report becomes necessary. Being honest about these limits at the start makes it less likely that a member will feel betrayed later.
Measuring Whether the Group Works
The group's success will be judged on several measures. Attendance will show whether the planning and preparation kept members engaged. A brief cohesion questionnaire at weeks three and eight will show whether members feel connected. A parenting stress measure at the first and last sessions will show whether the group eased one of the burdens that brought parents to it. Members will also be asked, at the end, what helped and what should change for the next cycle.
Recruiting With Parents' Input
The eight parents who asked for the group will be invited to review the topic list before it is finalized. Their suggestions, such as a session on talking to children about recovery and a session on dealing with family members who do not trust them, will shape the curriculum.
Conclusion
A group for parents in early recovery meets a need the general groups do not. Bernard and colleagues' guidelines inform its structure, Yalom's study of dropouts shapes screening and practical supports and Piper and Perrault's review supports preparing members before the first session. A closed, ten-week group of six to nine parents, with child care, clear rules and measures, is built to keep members through to the end.
References
Bernard, H., Burlingame, G., Flores, P., Greene, L., Joyce, A., Kobos, J. C., Leszcz, M., MacNair-Semands, R. R., Piper, W. E., McEneaney, A. M. S., & Feirman, D. (2008). Clinical practice guidelines for group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 58(4), 455-542. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.2008.58.4.455
Piper, W. E., & Perrault, E. L. (1989). Pretherapy preparation for group members. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 39(1), 17-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.1989.11491146
Yalom, I. D. (1966). A study of group therapy dropouts. Archives of General Psychiatry, 14(4), 393-414. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1966.01730100057008
What the PAC 420 Module 3 instructions ask for
Planning and forming a group is the third module of PAC 420, and the assignment usually asks for a group proposal: purpose, membership, structure and how members will be selected and prepared. Follow Aspen's Module 3 page in your course; the program is invented. State the group's purpose and the need it meets. Settle who qualifies, how many will attend, how many weeks it runs and whether newcomers can join after the start, giving a reason for each choice. Use practice guidelines and research on dropout and preparation. Plan screening and preparation interviews. Set ground rules, including confidentiality. Support each decision with an APA 7 citation, and plan how you will know whether the group is working. Address practical barriers such as child care. Involve potential members in shaping the topics.
How the PAC 420 Module 3 example is put together
Eight parents at Lake Erie asked for a group of their own. Bernard and colleagues' International Journal of Group Psychotherapy guidelines inform decisions about selection, size and preparation. Yalom's Archives of General Psychiatry study of dropouts, which found members leaving because of external pressures, deviance from the group and inadequate orientation, shapes screening. Piper and Perrault's review in the same journal as Bernard supports a preparation session. A seven-row table lays out the proposal: purpose, members, size, length, format, rules and measures. A screening interview covers fit, goals, practical barriers and expectations, and child care during sessions, bus passes and follow-up calls address the external pressures Yalom found behind early dropout.
PAC 420 Module 3 rubric: what earns full marks
Group proposals earn credit for a clear purpose, reasoned structural decisions and attention to selection and preparation. This example ties each decision to guidelines or research, such as a closed format to build cohesion and preparation to reduce dropout. Yalom's dropout findings directly shape the screening questions. Practical barriers, such as child care and transportation, are treated as part of planning, since external pressures drive early dropout. The proposal includes measures, so the group can be evaluated. The screening plan respects people who are not a good fit by offering alternatives rather than simply excluding them. Parents' own topic suggestions shape the curriculum.
PAC 420 Module 3 help: mistakes that cost marks
Group proposals often describe a purpose and stop there. Make each structural decision explicit, from whether new members may join midway to size, length, meeting frequency, who qualifies and the ground rules, each with a reason. Use guidelines and research on selection, dropout and preparation. Plan a screening and preparation interview. Address practical barriers, which are a leading cause of early dropout. Set confidentiality rules and explain their limits in a group. Plan measures of attendance, cohesion and outcomes. Offer alternatives to people screened out. Avoid forming a group around a topic without asking whether potential members want it, and recruit with their input. Explain the leader's duty to report in the screening interview.
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This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PAC 420 Module 3 questions, answered
What does PAC 420 Module 3 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 420 covers planning and forming a group in this module, so a group proposal with purpose, membership, structure, screening and preparation is typical. Read your Module 3 prompt.
Why do members drop out of therapy groups early?
Yalom found reasons including external pressures, feeling different from the group, problems with intimacy and inadequate orientation to how the group works.
Does preparing members before a group help?
Piper and Perrault found pretherapy preparation generally improved attendance and early participation, though effects on final outcomes were less consistent.
Where can I find a free PAC 420 Module 3 sample paper?
The whole proposal is above: a ten-week closed group for parents in early recovery, with a proposal table and a screening and preparation plan.
What size should a therapy group be?
Practice guidelines generally favor small groups of about six to ten members, large enough for interaction and small enough for everyone to participate.