66th Annual Conference

Saturday, February 21

Morning Workshops

9:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Workshop 79

Making Space for Psychotic Folks:  Radical Inclusion in Harm Reduction Groups

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Addiction and Recovery SIG

Chairs:                

Anna Berg, M.S.W., Staff Therapist, Harm Reduction Therapy Center, San Francisco, California

Perri L. Franskoviak, Ph.D., Community Programs Manager, Harm Reduction Therapy Center, San Francisco, California

Jamie Lavender, M.A., Program Coordinator, Harm Reduction Therapy Center, San Francisco, California

Harm reduction groups hold inclusion as a core value.  This workshop will focus on including people who are often shunned, encouraging them to find their voice, and challenging non-psychotic group members to find acceptance.  The leaders will demonstrate how, after they have established cohesiveness, they work with the whole group to target issues, including life stress, drug abuse, aggression, and interpersonal boundary violations.

experiential-demonstration-sharing of work experiences-didactic

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Better understand dual diagnosis, with a particular focus on people with untreated psychosis;

2. Design a group structure that makes it possible for people with very different levels of interpersonal functioning to participate;

3. Identify key interventions to bridge diverse group members;

4. Name key interventions to minimize conflict and aggression, and maximize cooperation and cohesiveness; and

5. Plan how to work therapeutically with drug abuse in chaotic, marginalized communities. 

Course References:

1. Little, J.  2001.  Treatment of dually diagnosed clients.  Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 33(1), 27-31.

2. Ormont, LR.  1992.  The group therapy experience:  From theory to practice.  New York:  St. Martin's Press.

3. Winnicott, DW.  1958.  Hate in the countertransference.  Chpt. in Through Paediatrics to Psycho-Analysis, p. 194-203.  New York:  Basic Books.