group, structured

A purposeful bringing together of clients, who meet some predetermined criteria, for social group work or group therapy membership. Because effectiveness is achieved largely by the characteristics each member brings to the group, the social worker or therapist may seek the right balance or structure. For example, the structured group might include at least one outgoing and talkative person, one who is quiet, one who is tense, and one who is relaxed. The opposite of a structured group is not an open group but a blanket group.