Revive and Refresh

GROUP PROTOCOL

Population
Adult inpatient forensic/long-term mental health patients

Frame of Reference/Model

PEO model

Frame of Reference Rationale

This protocol takes into consideration the person, environment and occupation by
promoting healthy habits within the restrictive environment that the patients are
currently in. This population often has difficulty engaging in healthy coping strategies
which in return limits performance in occupation. Thus, this intervention aims to help
patients achieve optimal occupational performance.

Focus of Intervention
Stress management, social interaction, and coping strategies

Purpose To engage patients in low impact yoga to encourage healthy stress

management techniques. This intervention will also introduce a
creative way to identify healthy coping strategies.

Outcome 1. Each patient will participate in yoga

Criteria 2. Each patient will identify at least 4 coping strategies
3. Each patient will make 1 fortune teller
4. Each patient will practice using their fortune teller with a
partner.

Leadership Facilitative
Style & Group
Structure
Supplies, Yoga mats
Equipment, Roku for music
Costs Paper (pre made into fortune tellers)
Markers
No cost

Precautions Fall risks

Description of Session

Format and 1 hour

Estimated Time Begin with yoga then transition to fortune teller activity

Introduction Introduce ourselves and have the group members introduce

themselves. Explain general overview of the group and that we will
be addressing stress management today.

Activity 1. Start relaxing music on the Roku

2. Instruct patients through yoga flow (one will demonstrate
poses from standing position and one will demonstrate
poses from a seated position)
3. Explain that we are going to be making stress management
fortune tellers and show them how they work
4. Explain that we use yoga as a coping strategy when we are
stressed and then ask them to identify strategies they use
(or would like to use) to manage their stress
5. Have patients write their individualized strategies on their
fortune tellers
6. Encourage them to practice using their fortune tellers with a
peer in the group
 Grade UP:
● Have them self identify all coping strategies
● Have them decorate their fortune tellers
Grade DOWN:
● Give them examples of coping strategies to choose from
● Write the strategies on the fortune tellers for them

Sharing (within Patients will share coping strategies they use with the group in
the activity) order to facilitate discussion.
● What are some coping strategies that you are using?

Processing ● Did you like the activity?

● Did you learn something new about healthy ways to
manage stress?

Generalizing ● Will you be able to use the strategies on your fortune tellers
for other situations when you’re feeling stressed?
 Application ● Can you think of a situation that you can implement a
coping strategy?

Summary Today we identified different coping strategies that could work for
you and incorporated them into a fortune teller you can keep and
refer back to. We also practiced a common stress management
strategy of yoga.

References
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Coping-Strategies-Fortune-Teller-Craft-
2954346?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_campaign=Coping+Strategies+PIN+AD&pp=1

Reflection
1) What went well?
Surprisingly, the discussion went fairly well! This population is “grouped out” and often
struggles with participating in meaningful and productive conversation. The discussion
Brenna and I had with them went well as they all shared different coping strategies they
use as well as new ones they learned from the handout provided/each other. The yoga
session prior to the discussion also went well and each patient was actively engaged.

2) What didn’t go well? What would you change if you ran this group again? What
changes did you make on the fly?
One thing I would change is I would not pre-make the fortune tellers. The group of
patients we had today was very high functioning. When discussing this with our
fieldwork educator we decided to grade the activity down since we did not know the
level of functioning the patients were at. Next time, I would have the patients for the
fortune teller and make it in its entirety. This would target fine motor skills, which would
be challenging for some due to shaking from the side effects of their medication.

3) What did you learn about yourself as a therapist from running this group?
I learned I am becoming more comfortable with silence. After each question, I would
wait until one of the patients spoke up. After each comment I would also wait for another
patient to chime in and if they did not, I would call on one of them to share. Prior to this,
I was very uncomfortable with silence and would always chime in or give the answer
away instead of letting the client/pt reflect first.
4) What would be some ideas for the next group session with these clients? What is
your plan going forward?
Next time, I would engage them in more of an exercise as opposed to yoga. Many of them
identified exercise as a coping strategy but they do not have the means to do this. The
environment is limited in this due to risk. Going forward, I would continue to demonstrate and
discuss different ways to cope or set goals because most of the individuals in the group are
former substance abusers. This would hopefully give them more tools to cope or keep
themselves busy instead of turning back to drugs.