Contents

• What Is a TIP?
• Consensus Panel
• KAP Expert Panel and Federal Government Participants
• Foreword
• Executive Summary
• 1 Groups and Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Overview
  • Introduction
  • Defining Therapeutic Groups in Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Advantages of Group Treatment
  • Modifying Group Therapy To Treat Substance Abuse
  • Approach of This TIP
• 2 Types of Groups Commonly Used in Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Overview
  • Introduction
  • Five Group Models
  • Specialized Groups in Substance Abuse Treatment
• 3 Criteria for the Placement of Clients in Groups
  • Overview
  • Matching Clients With Groups
  • Assessing Client Readiness for Group
  • Primary Placement Considerations
  • Stages of Recovery
  • Placing Clients From Racial or Ethnic Minorities
• 4 Group Development and Phase-Specific Tasks
  • Overview
  • Fixed and Revolving Membership Groups
  • Preparing for Client Participation in Groups
  • Phase-Specific Group Tasks
• 5 Stages of Treatment
  • Overview
  • Adjustments To Make Treatment Appropriate
  • The Early Stage of Treatment
  • The Middle Stage of Treatment
  • The Late Stage of Treatment
• 6 Group Leadership, Concepts, and Techniques
  • Overview
  • The Group Leader
  • Concepts, Techniques, and Considerations
• 7 Training and Supervision
  • Overview
  • Training
  • Supervision
• Appendix A: Bibliography
• Appendix B: Adult Patient Placement Criteria
• Appendix C: Sample Group Agreement
• Appendix D: Glossary
• Appendix E: Association for Specialists in Group Work Best Practice Guidelines
• Appendix F: Resource Panel
• Appendix G: Cultural Competency and Diversity Network Participants
• Appendix H: Field Reviewers
• Appendix I: Acknowledgments
• SAMHSA TIPs and Publications Based on TIPs

This publication was produced under the Knowledge Application Program (KAP) contract number 270-99-7072 with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Karl D. White, Ed.D., and Andrea Kopstein, Ph.D., M.P.H., served as the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Government Project Officers. Christina Currier served as the CSAT TIPs Task Leader.

Suggested citation:

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 41. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 15-3991. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005.

The opinions expressed herein are the views of the consensus panel members and do not necessarily reflect the official position of SAMHSA or HHS. No official support of or endorsement by SAMHSA or HHS for these opinions or for the instruments or resources described are intended or should be inferred. The guidelines presented should not be considered substitutes for individualized client care and treatment decisions.