Creating Safe Spaces for Caregiver Support

One paradigm for caregiver support is the “critical friends” model developed by the Coalition for Essential Schools. During my years as an educator, I was privileged to take part in a number of professional development experiences. These workshops and task groups varied in their methods and in their effectiveness at accomplishing targeted goals. When the goal was solving problems, creating opportunities for reflection, or providing nonjudgmental support, I found the structure and goals of the “learning community” to be most worthy of note. Specifically, some of the richest and most enlightening experiences I have had have been accomplished in Critical Friends Groups. Deborah Bambino reports that the structure and format of Critical Friends Groups created safe spaces where group members were able to open up in the spirit of trust and mutual support around a common purpose.

What is a CFG?

A Critical Friends Group (CFG) is a supportive community consisting of approximately 8-12 participants who come together voluntarily at least once a month for about 2 hours. Group members are committed to working collaboratively to solve problems brought to the group for consideration.

People often wonder about the use of the work critical in this definition. In CFG context, critical simply means: “important,” “key,”  “essential,” or “urgent” such as in “critical care.” Group members begin to form bonds when they initially spend time discussing and developing norms about how to give feedback and how to question in a sensitive manner so that everyone feels comfortable. The norms might range from being on time, to watching air time, to confidentiality, to being prepared, or to challenging the thinking of group members. Trust and confidentiality must be established among participants.

What are the characteristics of a sacred supportive community?

In the context of providing spiritual support for caregivers, Critical Friends Groups are designed to provide the following:

·         Create a supportive community

·         Develop a safe space for talking about issues and concerns

·         Cultivate collaboration

·         Establish a foundation for sustained exploration of solutions

·         Share experiences and information

·         Benefit from collective wisdom and strength

Supportive communities should demonstrate

·                     Shared norms and values

·                     Collaboration

·                     Reflective dialogue

·                     Collective focus on problem solving

·                     Spirit of shared responsibility for each other

Supportive communities have the potential to thrive when there is

·                     Time to meet and talk

·                     Physical proximity

·                     Interdependent roles

·                     Active communication structures

·                     Opportunities for leadership and empowerment

·                     Fellowship

Supportive communities are enhanced when there is

·                     Openness to improvement

·                     Trust and respect

·                     Accurate knowledge about the issues

·                     Supportive leadership

·                     Structures that encourage the sharing 

 Works Cited

Bambino, Deborah. Critical Friends. Educational Leadership, 59(6), March 2002, pp. 25-27.

National Reform Faculty. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from http://www.nsrfharmony.org/faq.html