COVID-19 Virtual Group Facilitation Guidelines

Aggression Replacement Training® Virtual Group Facilitation

Given the current condition of Covid 19 many community based organizations are not permitted to meet face to face with clients and students. We have experience facilitating virtual groups and the following provides guidance as far as set up and facilitation.

Set Up

1. Sites will need to assure they are using a HIPPA/Hi-tech compliant platform. Zoom, Skype for Business, Goto meeting all have products that will meet that requirement.
2. Sites will have to discuss with families the group, confidentiality and the provision of a quiet space for their child to participate. Most use their bedrooms and with a closed door
3. Sites will have to assure participants have the ability to use a device that has a camera and microphone. We’ve even had participants use their phone and it’s worked out fine.

Facilitation

1. For fidelity purposes, the facilitators need to assure that they can see and hear the clients. The facilitators will then be able to assign steps to the participants, have them read aloud and provide feedback for each role play.
2. When role playing assure that the participants are visible so facilitators can see the main actor using movement and pointing to their heads for the cognitive change.
3. When modeling assure that the participants can see the facilitator.
4. As far as engagement, the facilitators need to stay on task regarding the steps. It is easy to drift as you can’t pay as close attention to body language and cues as you can in a face to face group.
5. If there are only 2 or 3 participants you can always conduct two role plays for each participants.
6. Also given the virtual natural of these groups, if there are multiple sites, you may combine sites to get more participants. My only suggestion is that there is one facilitator from each site.
7. For the group material, we would suggest having open files so they are readily and presented on the facilitators screen so the participants can follow along.
8. Sites that have agency trainers have access to the uscart.org agency trainer portal and can download materials for presenting i.e. anger control chain, dilemma discussion, etc.