WELLNET
Ó Copyright Nexus Groups, 1 Dec
2005. All Rights Reserved. May be copied by Members of Wellnet for their
protection.
Nexus Groups is a not-for-profit community-based entity
registered in Sydney, Australia in 1971. Along with the Australian Wellness
Association (Inc), a body incorporated in Victoria in 2002), Nexus Groups is
supporting the evolving of WELLNET.
The wisdom on the Laceweb website has been drawn from the grassroots people of the East Asia Oceania Australasia Region. Consistent with their way, this wisdom is freely available on this Wellnet Internet site. Now a simple secure process has been set up, so people may contribute financially if they so desire. You may send a tiny amount or as much as you desire. Donating details at the bottom of the page.
A BRIEF OUTLINE
WELLNET is a community-based network evolving and
supporting friendly community nurturing of social, emotional and psychological
wellness. Evolving in Victoria, Australia and spreading to the Australia Top
End, WELLNET is linking and supporting nurturers throughout East Asia, Oceania
and Australasia. People yearning for wellness and those able to share caring
support are welcome.
WELLNET is also a group of people experiencing social,
emotional, and/or psychological crisis who are supporting and nurturing each
other in mutual help. These are people who may be:
a) In
Victoria, WorkCover/Transport Accident Commission claimants with ongoing and
unmet social, emotional and/or psychological needs
b) Consumers
of health, allied health, and welfare services
c) Survivors
of man-made and natural disasters,
d) People
experienced in supporting others to be able to engage in social,
emotional, and psychological mutual help
e) Grassroots
natural nurturers in the region
f)
Others in social, emotional and/or psychological crisis
WELLNET attends to, recognises, supports and nurtures
social, emotional, and psychological aspects towards wellbeing.
WELLNET is resonant with Fraser House, the first therapeutic
community in Australia set up in 1959 in North Ryde Hospital on the Sydney
North Shore. Fraser House was a primary influence in setting up peer-run
psychological, social and emotional mutual-help groups in Australia.
WELLNET is also resonant with the social, emotional,
and psychological mutual-help group called Nexus Groups (which later became
Connexion). These are both not-for-profit charities that were evolved by
ex-Fraser House people. Nexus Groups was registered in October 1971 in NSW.
WELLNET’S Constitution is modelled on Nexus Groups’ Constitution.
Some of us in WELLNET are or have been
claimants/patients; some of us have worked with such persons; some of us have
been both.
We recognize that a human being in emotional, psychological
and/or social crisis may need the help of his or her fellow humans.
We recognise that we have resources and capacity to support ourselves, and each
other towards wellness.
Similar to
Victorian Workcover’s Clinical Framework, WELLNET operates on the bio-psychosocial
paradigm. Wellnet way recognises the person in their fullness including the
social emotional and psychological.
Seeing WELLNET as a
mutual-help organization, we have formed ourselves into a collective to:
a)
come to know ourselves and each other
b)
form support and friendship networks
c)
support each other in reconnecting with and engaging in life activities
d)
increase our understanding of psychological/social/emotional crisis and
human relationships
e)
explore how we can transform to wellness
f)
support each other in living with and reducing pain in all of its forms.
There are some professional workers and
ex-professionals helping WELLNET who have valuable experience and knowledge to
bring to use. They work according to the WELLNET philosophy where the
professional is in a co-caring relation with the client. WELLNET draws its
philosophy, frames of reference, process, and values from Fraser House (refer
the ‘WELLNET Framework’ in the third section of this document).
People in social/emotional/psychological distress
often withdraw from life and activity as a defence, and also often have their
gifts and possible contribution negated by self and others. WELLNET supports
such people reconnect with life and activity through supporting them tapping
their social/emotional/ psychological resources and gifts and using their
contribution. Anyone who agrees with our aims is welcome to join us in putting
them into practice.
Drawing on our philosophy of mutual respect and
mutual support towards wellness, we of WELLNET are starting to work in the
following areas:
1) Evolving and sustaining
local social emotional and psychological mutual-help support networking
2) Building up a network of
people in the community who can lend support to people in social emotional and/or
psychological crisis.
3) Evolving local places where
people can connect together connected to place
4) Supporting each other in reconnecting
with and engaging in life activities
5) Providing a phone service
where we can be called for support, information or a sympathetic ear
6) Having an office open 6
days a week where people can drop in and talk
7) Organizing people willing
to visit any in social emotional and/or psychological crisis at any time
8) Researching and informing
people about social emotional and/or psychological crisis
9) Contacting professional
service providers who may want to enter into patient co-care relationships
where WELLNET provides social emotional and/or psychological support
through self-help and mutual-help processes
10) Providing training to professional and other
members of WELLNET in WELLNET Process
11) Exploring the possibility
of having WELLNET and professional members of WELLNET recognised as
authorized Workcover Providers
12) Contacting sympathetic
individuals and organizations who can be of use to people who come to WELLNET
13) Exploring the possibility
of obtaining operating and maintaining mini-buses for mobile groups, emergency
groups and home visits on the Fraser House model
14) Providing a WELLNET
magazine and internet site for information and education
15) Raising the necessary funds
to finance the above work, the organization was registered as a charity in
(date)
(Abbreviated)
This abbreviated Constitution
is adapted from Nexus Group’s Constitution.
A full constitution is available containing the full set of
administrative clauses.
1 NAME
The name of the organization shall be WELLNET.
2 MEMBERSHIP
a) All WELLNET members may
extend the help of WELLNET to any person in need of help
b) WELLNET Members may remain
completely anonymous or use first names only if they desire to do so
c) No member will aid or abet
any other member in any crime or act of anti-social behaviour
d) Any member arriving at
meetings drunk or drugged may, on a group decision, be expelled from the
meeting until sober
e) All members must endeavour to
be at meetings on time so as not to disrupt the group once it is in progress
f)
People without close relatives or friends may on group decision, become
members, but the group's aim is to involve families and family-friendship
networks
g) Any member who does
anything considered detrimental to the group or its individual members may on
group decision be banned entirely from the group, and can apply for
re-admittance after no less than 3 months
h) Visitors to group meetings
may only attend three meetings before applying for membership
i)
Subscriptions for membership or WELLNET newsletter will be set by the
Committee as necessary, now at $XX.00 annually.
4. OFFICE BEARERS
a)
The office-bearers shall consist of a President, Secretary, Treasurer
and such other officers as shall be decided by the members of the Organization
at the Annual General Meeting. The office-bearers and the other members of
Executive Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
Any casual vacancy occurring among the office-bearers may be filled by the
Committee, and the person so appointed to fill such vacancy shall hold office
for the unexpired term of the member so replaced.
b)
Professional people i.e. Doctors, Psychologists, Sociologists,
Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Osteopaths, Psychiatrists, Lawyers, Priests,
Politicians, and the like will not be eligible for election to the
Executive (Management) Committee, but may be referred to the Honorary Advisory
Resources Committee. Office-bearers and Executive Committee members will be
elected only from within the general WELLNET membership and this sub-clause may
not be altered.
c)
To be elected to the Executive Committee a person has to be a financial
member of WELLNET and must be nominated by the group which they have been
attending.
5. PROCEEDINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive
Committee's function is to maintain lines of communication with all people and
bodies working in the field of social emotional and psychological well-being
from within a bio-psychosocial paradigm so that WELLNET people may have
first-hand information on developments in this field, and to manage the
business administration and to set policy for the WELLNET Organization – always
within the ‘WELLNET Framework’.
10. QUORUMS
At meetings of Members a quorum shall consist of five
(5) members, and at an Executive Committee Meeting shall consist of three (3)
members. If a quorum is not present within half an hour of the time set down
for a meeting to commence, then the meeting shall be adjourned to the same time
and place seven days later or to a place and to a time within one month of the
date of such meeting, to be determined thereat. If at such adjourned meeting a
quorum is not present, then those members attending shall be deemed to be a
quorum, provided the number of such members is not less than three.
11. PROCEEDINGS AT WELLNET GROUP MEETINGS
a)
WELLNET run two types of member meetings, Big Group (19 –180) and Small
group (up to 18 people). When more than 18 people want to attend Small Group
their numbers may be split between two or more Small Groups. Each meeting will
be of one-hour duration followed by a 30-minute supper and general discussion–
a total one and a half hours. Strict time keeping is adhered to so that
meetings do not keep extending in length.
b)
A group Chairperson will be elected by the group at each meeting to
chair the next meeting in accordance with the ‘WELLNET Framework’.
c)
A group chairperson's duty is to see that as many members as possible
have a chance to discuss their concerns, unless in the chairperson's
opinion there is an urgent or critical situation that the group wishes to deal
with; also a chairperson must check any side conversation which may disrupt the
group, and make sure that a chairperson is elected for the following week. A
chairperson may after warning a member, order him or her from the group for
that meeting only.
d)
All personal problems discussed at group meetings will remain strictly
confidential and must not be discussed outside group meetings. Any person
inquiring of a member may be invited to attend a group meeting and state their
reasons for inquiring.
e)
All WELLNET meetings end with a short process review in accordance with
‘WELLNET Framework’.
12. GROUP LEADERS, ADMINISTRATIVE MEMBERS OR
COMMITTEES
Each local group shall elect their own group leader,
administrative member or committee, whose function is to maintain lines of
communication with the Executive Committee and to make sure a different group
chairperson is elected each week at his or her local group.
13. NOTICE OF MEETINGS
Big Group and Small Group Meetings will be held
weekly wherever possible. Where these meetings are held consecutively the half
hour supper and discussion takes place between the meetings. Executive Committee
meetings will be convened at the discretion of the President or Secretary.
14. ASSESSMENT OF MEMBERS
Suitably
qualified members of WELLNET may carry out the following standardised outcomes
measurement of members with their consent:
3. Life
participation restrictions on a wellness continuum
Subject to
the measured person’s consent and direction these measurements may be passed on
to professional care providers and to Workcover, the Transport Accident Commission,
Health Insurance bodies and other bodies.
17. MINUTES
The Executive Committee shall cause minutes to be
made:
a)
of all appointments of office-bearers and members of the Committee.
b)
of the names of members of the Committee, general members and visitors
present at all meetings of the Organization and of the Committee
c)
of all proceedings at all meetings of the Organization and of the
Committee.
d)
Minutes shall be signed by the Chairperson of the meeting at which the
proceedings were held or by the Chairperson of the next succeeding meeting.
e)
Minutes need not be taken of Big Group and Small Group.
20. HONORARY ADVISORY OR RESOURCES COMMITTEE
a)
The Honorary Advisory or Resources Committee shall consist of those
qualified and professional people who will lend their support to WELLNET groups
and advise on matters of group development and therapeutic values consistent
with the ‘WELLNET Framework ‘.
b)
No member of the group will approach any member of the Advisory or
Resources Committee other than through their Executive Committee.
This
Framework has been adapted from a Handbook for Staff written by the patients
and outpatients at Fraser House in 1963 in Sydney NSW.
WELLNET members value sustained humane caring,
nurturing and respecting firstly, of each other in our cultural and spiritual
diversity, and secondly, of all environments and life forms.
The processes used in running WELLNET group meetings
are principally our own as adapted from group processes evolved at Fraser
House, a pioneering Therapeutic Community in the 1960’s in North Ryde Hospital,
Sydney. These processes have evolved through testing and retesting of basic
theories by adoption and ‘trimming’ of those found successful by some group
leaders, and by constant discussion and evaluation of the issues these
community groups pose.
The meetings held at WELLNET are of two main types,
Big Group and Small Group. There are three types of Big Group each with a
different function:
1. Transforming
towards wellness,
2. Evolving
family-friend networks and social support networks, and support to re-engage in
life activities
3. An
administrative meeting exploring social and community self-governance and
control.
In a cycle, Big Groups rotate twice through the types
one and two, and then the fifth Big Group in the cycle is on the third
function.
Note that every supper provides scope for type two
action, that is, evolving family-friend networks and social support networks as
well as support to re-engage in life activities.
In WELLNET, ‘Family/friend networks’ is the focus of
transformation.
Small Groups alternate between types one and two
above. Small Groups have up to 18 people, and if numbers exceed 18, members are
allocated to Small Groups prior to commencement. Where numbers permit, these
allocations are made according to the following criteria by rotation:
a)
age
b)
marital state
c)
social class
d)
sex
e)
locality
f)
age and sex
g)
age and marital status
There may be
intergenerational groups consisting of patients and their families as well as
Small Groups made up of ‘withdrawn’ members. There may be unstructured
groups and special groups held for particular groups of people for various
reasons, e.g., they may be planned and scheduled for certain times during the
day or night when a person’s relatives arrive from the country. Or they may be
spontaneous, when a relative arrives unexpectedly. Or they may be held as and
when a particular person, or person’s family becomes psychologically, socially
and/or emotionally disturbed over some crisis that arises. Professional members are dispersed in the
Groups.
THE GROUP LEADER ROLE IN SMALL GROUP
Small Groups have a leader and one or two observers
appointed. The observer role is
outlined shortly.
WELLNET also has people experienced in
running Big Groups within Fraser House protocols available as trainers in
chairing WELLNET meetings.
When WELLNET is evolving in a
particular locality, chairpersons may be professional people if they are
available. After a time other WELLNET members are supported to
carry out the chairperson role within Small and Big Groups. The intention is to
have professional people withdraw from the Chairpersons role so that Groups are
led by member’s peers.
The first essential in taking a group is to see it as
a meeting, and like all meetings, there is a need for a chairperson to conduct affairs
and keep issues to the point.
The initial function of the chairperson is to see
that the group functions as a group. It may be necessary for the Chairperson to
be quite directive in order to achieve this in some groups, but on the other
hand it may just happen anyway even if the Chairperson adopts a completely
passive and wordless role. How active or passive, directive or non-directive
the chairperson is, or chooses to be, may be influenced by many things – e.g.,
the attitude or mood of the group itself and tensions built up prior to and
during its running; the type of group and purpose, or the themes introduced
during the group. The chairperson’s own personality is a basic factor that
determines handling, and this may vary from day to day depending on the
chairperson’s mood, and also on her/his attitude to the type of group or even
some of the people contained in it.
While one might be influenced to some extent by the
way certain chairpersons conduct the group, it is inadvisable and unwise, and
indeed well nigh impossible for one chairperson to copy another, for the
previously stated reason that the chairperson’s own personality is a basic
factor in determining the handling of groups. So that even if one decided on a
particular chairperson as ones ‘idol’, one should not attempt to emulate too
closely. Because of this ‘personality’ factor and other rather intangible
factors, there are not many rigid processes that can be generalized to apply to
all groups, but the following can be applied to most:
THEMES
Prior to meetings Members are invited to fill out what
are called ‘Daysheets’ that are one quarter of an A4 sheet with a concise
statement of social emotional and psychological issues
in their lives. Sumaries of these are read at the start of Therapy Big Groups
and at the end of Administrative Big Groups. This is followed by a
consideration of common themes that have emerged in the daysheet. Daysheet
themes are also used in Small Groups. Themes that are conducive to coherence in
the group and that resonate with as many people as possible are preferred.
If a theme is introduced, and it is considered to be
not too superficial or inappropriate, the group should pay some attention to
it, and not change the theme to another without good reason. If an attempt to
change the theme is made, it may be done deliberately by a person for a fairly
obvious reason (such as a personality clash with someone involved in the
previous theme), or a less obvious reason such as an unconscious identification
and a consequent wish to avoid the theme. It may also be done through plain
insensitivity on the part of the person making the attempt at the change. There
are many reasons for these moves, and it is the chairperson’s role to decide on
the dynamics of the situations and then to make use of them by feeding them
straight back into the group at the time, and if necessary, to make an
interpretation of the dynamics operating in the events and occurrences.
It is also in the province of the chairperson to
direct the group away from superficial themes or from discussing themes in a
superficial manner. In general, the chairperson should make use of what is
going on in each particular group at the time it is taking place. The chairperson
has first to be able to recognize what is going on and she or he can only do
this through observation and experience. The way the chairperson uses the
things that are going on within the group depends to a large extent on the
chairperson – again the personality factor. Even chairpersons are
inexperienced, and perhaps not very confident, they should keep in mind that
they bring something very valuable to the group – something which no one else
can do in the same way – the sum total of the chairperson’s own unique life
experience. When used with confidence, this is a very powerful force that all
chairpersons have at their disposal.
The chairperson fosters as appropriate to context
what has been called ‘experiential real-play’ (in contrast to role play) allowing
participants to personally experience relating in functional ways in everyday
life.
INTERACTION AND INTEREST
If most of the people in the Group are involved in
interaction, typically they are also interested. However, interest can be very
high even though there is not much interaction. Look at their faces, their
feet, their hands, their respiration, the way they sit, and it will be known if
they are interested or not. Interaction may not be high if the chairperson has
found it necessary to be active or directive. This sometimes must be the case.
TENSION
There will usually be varying amounts of tension as
the group progresses, both from the group as a whole, and from individual members.
Silences usually build up while tension is mounting, and the best way to use
this tension is not to break these silences; let the members of the group do it
as they will when they can no longer stand the tension – and then see what is
released with the tension and make use of it.
MOOD
The mood of a
group is sometimes sustained throughout, but more often it changes, ranging
through many social, emotional and psychological states, and frequently,
depending to some extent on the:
The role adopted by the chairperson is also important
here. Once again, the emotions that set the mood for the group are used as
transforming possibilities.
WELLNET BIG GROUPS
Whereas
much has been achieved over the years in the way of explanation and handling of
individual and small group difficulties, little is to hand to clarify the
acknowledged psychological, social and emotional forces and the group process
of large community groups. Understandings of
behaviour of crowds and audiences apply to the Big Groups in particular.
The setting for Big Group (up to 180 people) is a
large space in which clear speaking is adequate. Seating, if space allows, is
in a circle or if indoors, typically has two rows at the sides and one end,
with a single row at the end nearest the entrance door. The group leader
(chairperson) usually sits in the centre of this row, but is free to move
according to his or her dictates. All of the chairs face centrally so that, as
much as possible, everyone is in view and speakers can face each other. But
principally the people are shoulder-to-shoulder as in an audience as well as
being members of a single crowd.
Two skilled people observe and record the meeting
from a detached point behind the back row noting, themes, values, tension, mood
and interaction and the modes of interacting by the chairperson. If no skilled
people are available people are assigned to do the task with support so they do
learn to be effective process observers.
Other more experienced members and professional
members intersperse themselves among the attendees. The doorway is left clear
for latecomers. A portion of a row is reserved here to lessen the interruption
made by latecomers.
As introduced above, it has become traditional that
the four ‘therapeutic’ Big Groups (transforming towards wellness) commence with
a reading of the ‘WELLNET Daysheets by one of the attendees. These can
be filled out on the day up to five minutes before starting time of the Big
Group. On the fifth meeting this reading of the Wellnet Daysheets is deferred
till after the various committee reports and elections. In essence these
Wellnet Daysheets serve the purpose of an informal WELLNET newspaper and
comprises all manner of notifications about personal experience.
Usually the chairperson then allows the group to
enter into spontaneous ‘free floating’ discussion until a general
interconnecting theme is apparent. This may then be pursued with promptings
towards interaction between different generations or social classes or
psychiatric opposites – or perhaps to tie in together for mutual support those
with similar difficulties, personally or because of psychological, social
and/or emotional family or life-crisis situation.
At times the focus might fall on one particular
patient or family to highlight a special need, and it is quite common for
sub-groups or cliques to merit attention. These latter are constantly forming,
breaking and re-forming, and the chairperson much of the time finds it
impossible to be aware of these changes and undercurrents. The interspersing of
experienced/professional members throughout does much to obviate this as these
moves can be discussed later in the reporting segment, or if urgent, brought to
the attention in the group by the experienced/professional member aware of the
moves. Most meetings see the group as a whole reacting much like an audience to
a few main actors. This can be constructive as an insight-gaining process as
the personal, intra and inter-family or sub-group projections are portrayed and
leadership values rise or fall. Members are audience to others change-work.
At other times when matters affecting the internal
security of the community arise or pressures are brought to bear from outside
sources, interpersonal differences are dropped for combined feeling and action,
and the Unit becomes united as its projection against threat is shown. So the
audience-type reaction displaces to behaviour more attributable to that of a
crowd. When these crowd-like emotional forces move the whole community, the
opportunity is presented to harness these towards a therapeutic goal that may
do more in a single hour towards wellness transformation for more people than
many weeks of other change work.
When all are working well together in the meeting, a
peak of enthusiasm is reached at times when everyone sees almost any move at
all as being gainful. New actions are embarked upon with an eagerness that is
almost inspired and success is a certainty. Whereas perhaps a month earlier the
same move would have met an equally certain failure. All improvements in
expanded transformative action have been adopted at such times.
The recognition and use of these crowd feelings by
the chairperson are usually intuitive. The leader must ‘feel’ these and employ
them – they are of the greatest value when utilized therapeutically towards
corrective emotional experience. This can be rated as either an individual, a
family, the whole group, or any combination of these being helped in this
direction.
Both Big and Small Meetings allow ten minutes at the
end for a report by the two official observers, and comment by members present,
including the chairperson who took the group. Points assessed are:
·
Mood
·
Theme
·
Tension
·
Value and interaction
·
Chairperson’s role
·
Interaction processes used
From these reviews comes much of the knowledge
needed. At the moment this seems by no means exhaustive. The aim must be always
to look at the WELLNET community in the ‘BIG’
– as a whole and this certainly is no easy matter.
FURTHER THEORY AND EXAMPLE
The WELLNET experience is that there is an inherent
movement towards change to wellness resulting from the psychological, social
and emotional contact of people with each other on different issues. This change is a therapeutic change if the
atmosphere is one of mutual support, respect for the worthwhileness of each
person, and discipline where necessary.
WELLNET attempts to reproduce normal life in many ways,
particularly in allowing the development of emotional storms (as they occur in
families) and in not enforcing overly good behaviour, as is the usual hospital
pattern. Like normal life too, there are limits and so effective discipline is
a major part of the process, especially for those with antisocial or hostile
problems.
The process of change for the disturbed patient and
family may be described in many ways. One is that WELLNET
attempts to provide emotionally corrective experiences in the conflict area.
This can be seen in the spreading of a theme within a group or in the contagion
of feeling within the meeting that always most deeply affects those with the
issues in the area of conflict that set off the emotion.
Success for a chairperson is now known to depend very
much on how much the patient realizes that the chairperson cares. This cannot
be acted by the chairperson – and here lies the importance of learning to relax
and be oneself and express oneself in the therapeutic situation
Caring for the patient does not mean loving and
accepting everything she/he does. You don’t care for someone if you let them wreck
themselves or harm others. It means coming to see and feel that the person is a
person worth helping and changing. It means to accept the person, but reject
their deviant issues (e.g., love a depressed person, but NOT their depression –
want to change their depression). Particularly it means rejecting abnormal
behaviour, particularly that which is harmful to others. So here caring will
mean love and discipline.
There are some points that help in the WELLNET approach to whole families in Group
contexts:
The emotional comfort and satisfaction of WELLNET is one of the most significant features. The
numerous meetings aim to foster this. Specifically, their role is to prevent
the development of covert, hidden conflict between members about other members.
Such conflicts are proven to result in overt person disturbance.
Experienced members remain the most powerful members
of a therapeutic community and their welfare and comfort are of paramount
importance.
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