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Question:
Live in a rural area. Am an experienced LVN. Wanting to create my own type of support group for patients but do not know where to start or if I would need some sort of patent?
Answer:

Dear Trista
there are – I suppose – two aspects in your request. If you are looking for advice about how to create and organize a support group, surely you may see the topics proposed in Community Toolbox, and particularly those related to Enhancing Support (Chapter 21) or Improving Services (Chapter 24).
If instead, your concern is about your professional title (LVN), it may be adequate for supporting patients with a group similar to a self-help group (see Chapter 21, Section 2) where you may have the role of an external facilitator. Generally, self-help groups haven’t this kind of facilitator, but there are also some experiences where such a role is significant as a way to promote group development.
But if you want to create a support group more similar to a counseling group, a specific professional title is necessary. You may ask a university in Psychology or in Public Health, so to obtain more detailed information.
Many wishes for your work!

Question Date: Thu, 04/25/2019