Case Study
Patient Demographic: Client s Age: Client 1: age 12 Client 2: age 14 Client 3: age 14 Client 4: age 16 Client 5: age 13 Client 6: age 16 Sex: Males Gender: Males Sexuality: Varying Ethnicity: Multiracial Relationship Status: Single Counseling Setting: Juvenile Justice Facility Type of Counseling: Group Counseling Presenting Problem: Involvement with the Justice System That Includes Various Mental Health Disorders and Crimes Diagnosis: Imprisonment (Z65.1)
Mental Status Exam: Mental Status Exam: All of the clients appear to maintainappropriate hygiene, and they are all oriented to person, place, time, and situation. They are all somewhat reserved with regard to going into deeper topics, but theyparticipate f
Presenting Problem: You are a licensed counselor working in a juvenile justice facility for teenage males. The group comprises six males that are required to attend as part of their incarceration with the expectation that it will shorten their sentences. The purpose of the group is to work on emotional regulation and to work together to share common experiences and identify goals that can be helpful in preventing reincarceration. During the intake session, you explained the purpose of the group and started with an ice-breakeractivity. The clients participated in the ice-breaker activity that required you to redirect them back to the activity several times because they would joke and get off task. You attempt to go a little deeper by encouraging your clients to start talking about what happened to get them incarcerated, and they appear to be taking pride in the reasons they were in juvenile detention and making fun of those with lesser sentences. You redirect the clients to another topic.
Other Contexts:    ully. Family History: Several clients report coming from a single-parent home, whereas others are from a two-parent home. All clients report that they have siblings. Several clients reported having parents that were or are involved in the justice system.  One goal of the first session is to set a positive tone for the group

Question: One goal of the first session is to set a positive tone for the group. Which of the following would support this goal?
(A): Explain group rules to ensure structure so that everyone can participate equally.
(B): Get everyone to share.
(C): With this specific group, speaking with authority to maintain control of the group and therefore ensuring that the group members know they do not have to fight for control.
(D): Support the clients with feeling comfortable expressing frustration with the facility.

Correct Answer: Get everyone to share.
Explanation: Getting everyone to share encourages participation and also makes everyone feel like they are part of the group. You would not want to do this in a forceful way because each client has the right to choose if they will participate, but getting everyone to participate would further the group process. Explaining group rules establishes that the group is about rules and boundaries and not about being open. Although rules are important, this is not a helpful way to start. You should be in control, and a level of control can help members feel more secure; however, speaking with authority would likely feel off-putting to this group due to their setting in the facility. Allowing space for your clients to discuss their frustrations regarding the facility might be helpful in the future, but this would not start the group off on a positive note. Therefore, the correct answer is (D)
Competency: counseling skills and interventions