ABSTRACT
This is a totally avoidable scenario. One solution is to have the group parallel of a "gatekeeper" in the managed care system. This is usually a clinician who is experienced in group work and serves as a coordinator of group services. The role entails identifying patients in the system who are good candidates for group, being available to clinicians for consultation if there is doubt about proper group placement, and tracking the referral process from initial screening to referral to group through actual patient entry into the group.
