An Experiential Approach to Group Work - Softcover

Furman, Associate Professor Rich

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1935871331 ISBN 13: 9781935871330

Publisher: Lyceum Books, 2014

Synopsis

This book is different from many group work books in its emphasis on practical skill building and its focus on experiential learning. Students and practitioners will find dozens of exercises that build practice-tested skills related to important aspects of group work practice. A benefit of this experiential, skill-based approach is that it meshes with the competency-based approach, which will become the standard for accreditation over the next several years.

There are several important reasons why those who seek to learn group practice must have a good deal of experience practicing the skills of group leadership. First, while many people have years of experience being helpers in one-on-one situations, few have the opportunities that group leaders have. In our everyday lives, we are called upon to help friends, colleagues, and others. Helping others in one-on-one situations is natural and almost routine. Such is not the case with our group experiences. While we all have experience being members of groups, rarely do we learn to be change agents in groups. We need to learn what skills are needed to facilitate change within groups, and to practice these skills. Second, what might constitute good helping behaviors in one-on-one dyadic situations differs from what is effective in groups. Third, most social work field experiences emphasize individual and family work rather than group work; educational programs must help students gain mastery of group skills Fourth, group work is a wonderful means of bridging the too often artificial divide between micro and macro practice---From the preface

About this title

Review

As we know, well-led groups provide many member benefits: feelings of universality, a sense of hope, altruism, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and mutual support...This text is affordable, easy to use, and very suitable for providing group work material in BSW or MSW practice courses." - Greg Tully, West Chester University

About the Author

Rich Furman (MSW, University of Pennsylvania; PhD, Yeshiva University) is professor of social work at the University of Washington, Tacoma. He has published many books on social work including Navigating Human Service Organizations, Second Edition, An Experiential Approach to Group Work, and Social Work Practice with Latinos (Lyceum Books).

Diana Rowan (MSW, Our Lady of the Lake University at San Antonio, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington) is assistant professor of social work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is an experienced psychotherapist in multiple areas of practice including HIV and AIDS, substance abuse, anxiety and depression, sexual therapy, and Christian counseling. In January of 2012 Rowan was appointed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Minority AIDS Research Initiative (MARI) principal investigator for a study on HIV prevention using social media to reach young black men who have sex with men.

Kimberly Bender (PhD, University of Texas at Austin, MSW, Colorado State University) is assistant professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, where she studies methods for improving services and developing empirically based interventions for adolescents at risk of problem behavior. She has published peer-reviewed articles on youth with co-occurring disorders, runaway/homeless youths, and maltreated adolescents. Professor Bender has provided group treatment to youths in a variety of clinical settings including residential treatment, inpatient units, and outpatient mental health centres.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lyceum Books
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1935871331
• ISBN 13: 9781935871330
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 159