The Exit Plan – Group Guide is the facilitator’s companion

The Exit Plan – Group Guide is the facilitator's companion to The Exit Plan: Using the System Without Letting It Use You and The Exit Plan – Worksheets & Docs. This guide is for the people who sit in the middle of it all – the ones holding the clipboard, the caseload, the group, and the stories: • Case managers and social workers • Peer specialists and coaches • Housing, reentry, and resource coordinators • Church and community leaders running groups • Anyone walking with people who are on benefits and tired of just surviving Instead of one more "motivational" book that ignores real limits, this guide helps you lead raw, honest conversations about using the system without letting it use your clients. It's written in plain language, from the perspective of a working case manager who has lived on both sides of the desk. Inside you'll find: • Session-by-session outlines you can plug in as a 4-week, 6-week, or 8-week group series • Openers, check-ins, and ground rules that set a safe, no-shame tone • Discussion questions that go deeper than "How do you feel?" while still being trauma-aware • Ways to use Benefits, Life, and Money Snapshots in a group without putting people on blast • Prompts for defining Exit Definitions and Exit Windows together, so people can see real options • 90-Day Exit Moves exercises that turn "I'm tired of this" into practical, realistic next steps • Ideas for using the Worksheets & Docs book in session without just handing people homework You'll also get: • Tips for handling common group issues: silence, side conversations, crisis disclosures, "know-it-alls," and burnout • Sample language for talking about benefits, income changes, and landmines without scaring people • Suggestions for weaving in faith, hope, and purpose if your setting is open to it – and how to keep it neutral if it's not • Space and prompts for your own notes, adaptations, and local resources This guide is built for real-world systems: long waits, confusing rules, staff turnover, and clients who are tired, guarded, and overloaded. Use The Exit Plan – Group Guide to: • Structure groups that are actually useful, not just "another thing" people have to sit through • Help participants see their full picture instead of just "this one program" • Have repeatable sessions you can run in shelters, housing programs, reentry groups, churches, and community spaces • Give both you and your clients a shared language for planning life beyond pure survival mode Pair this Group Guide with: • The Exit Plan: Using the System Without Letting It Use You – the main book • The Exit Plan – Worksheets & Docs – the hands-on workbook with templates and examples Whether you're new to groups or you've been running them for years, this guide helps you stop winging it and start leading conversations that actually move