1. Treatment Group (with education session)
There will be three Treatment Groups, with 12 -15 women per group. These groups are small to allow extensive individual participation. Each group will meet twice a week for 1.5 hours each time (Mondays and Thursdays).
The first 30 minutes will be an educational session, followed by a one hour group treatment meeting.
The skills to be taught include learning how to
- recognize that one makes choices to use drugs
- reframe one’s thinking in order to change one’s behavior.
- recognize personal and environmental triggers for substance abuse
- identify resources to use when one is facing a trigger
- change one’s living situation to have a healthier, more supportive living
environment
Each group will be facilitated by one of the two fulltime social workers and assisted by one of the two University of Tennessee (Knoxville) College of Social Work MSSW interns.
There is a $15 fee per participant per group meeting ($30 per week total), with a fee waiver for those without financial resources. This fee is deliberately low because these women are probably financially strained. Yet, it is important to have a small fee (1) to help support the program and (2) to enhance a participant’s motivation, since the fee constitutes an investment of her scarce resources.
A healthy snack will be provided.
2a. Women’s Talking Circle [Closed Session]
Each Treatment Group has its Women’s Talking Circle correlate group which meets for 1.5 hours on Tuesdays at the same time as its respective Treatment Group meets (on Mondays and Thursdays). This group will meet for all weeks of the month but one (this one meeting per month will be opened to female family members and close friends).
This Women’s Talking Circle is a closed session, meaning that this group is limited to the 12-15 group court mandated participants.
This session also begins with a thirty minute educational session on topics such as
- women-men relationship building
- parenting
- job training
- education strategies
- life skills
Each educational session is followed by an hour length Women’s Talking Circle.
The Talking Circle is a method of talking from the heart.
An special object, such as a talking stick, is passed around the circle from woman to woman. When a woman holds the stick, she has the floor to speak she wishes, although always in a respectful manner. The woman is invited to speak what is on her heart and for a long as she needs. She learns that she can be heard without interruption. She has time to think, feel, and express herself – to be heard.
The other participants learn active, supportive listening without interruption, since until the woman holding the talking stick passes it, she may not be interrupted. What is said in the group remains in the group in order to help make the group a safe place for disclosure.
2b. Women’s Talking Circle [Open Session]
This Women’s Talking Circle will meet on the last Tuesday of each month. It will be run like the closed Women’s Circle with a few changes.
- Open to female family members and close female friends, which
promotes healthy support for the participants within their family
- No educational session because of the larger size of the group and the
goal of letting as many women speak as possible.
- As there will be more participants, the length of time for sharing will be
approximately 5 minutes, unless a woman has a deep need to share at
greater length. If this happens, her need will be honored.
3. Resource Network
The Resource Network has two forms:
(1) Resource room for community resources for participants to use:
physical bulletin board, small library, and a file system developed and staffed by MSSW interns and/or volunteers from the community.
WIN participants will be encouraged to contribute to resources as well as avail themselves of the resource
(2) Website with links for services, education and connection with community.
Designed and maintained by a web designer with input from the social workers, the student interns, and the WIN participants.
At least one computer for WIN participant use in the office.
Student interns will help WIN participants learn how to access the
website and use it for help in addressing their needs.
The goals for the Resource Network is to help WIN participants in meet their own resource needs, beginning with the most basic and working up to life-enhancing resource help.
Some of the tasks which WIN participant are encouraged to undertake in order to meet their needs include (where appropriate):
connecting with supplemental governmental programs
- finding job training opportunities
- going on interviews
- getting and keeping a job
- working toward getting their children back from foster care
- finding good and affordable childcare
- finding counseling
- returning to school
- obtaining physical and mental health assistance
4. Community Quilting Project
Each Friday night, the participants from all three groups, along with invited female family members, will get together from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm to participate in an on- going quilting project. This will take place in a local community center or Church (donated space).
Women from the community who are quilters will be invited to volunteer their time to
(1) direct the quilting project
(2) teach the participants and female family members how to quilt
(3) help participants connect with strong, experienced women in a non-
threatening, steadying, and enjoyable way
(4) will fosters friendships, support, and sharing
Donations for materials will be sought from fabric stores and various charity groups.
Finished quilts will be given to the women participants or sold to help raise funds for WIN (the participants will decide).
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