Evidence-based Group Work in Community Settings


Book Description

This text describes efforts to integrate evidence into community settings. The first part details group models developed through coactions between researchers and community agencies. The second part deals with issues around instruction and dissemination of evidence-based group work into practice settings.




Evidence-Based Group Work in Community Settings


Book Description

There has been a strong recent trend towards incorporating evidence into Social Work practice in general, and into group work in particular. This trend has focused on the education of students in the use of evidence, development of evidence-based interventions, and discussion of how evidence can be used to improve practice. A limitation of most of this literature is that it has been written by researchers for the consumption of practitioners, limiting the ability of evidence-based practices to be incorporated into unique community settings and with specific populations. In spite of this difficulty, implementation of evidence-based practices continues quietly in practice settings. This book describes efforts to integrate evidence into community settings, which have two foci. The first part details group models developed through collaborations between researchers and community agencies. Each chapter details efforts to implement, research, or review programs in community settings. The second part deals with issues around instruction and dissemination of evidence-based group work into practice settings. The volume makes a significant contribution to the discussion about evidence-based group work. This book was published as a special issue of Social Work with Groups.




Handbook of Social Work with Groups


Book Description

This comprehensive handbook presents major theories of social work practice with groups and explores contemporary issues in designing and evaluating interventions. Students and practitioners gain an in-depth view of the many ways that groups are used to help people address personal problems, cope with disabilities, strengthen families and communities, resolve conflict, achieve social change, and more. Offering authoritative coverage of theoretical, practical, and methodological concerns--coupled with a clear focus on empowerment and diversity--this is an outstanding text for group work and direct practice courses.




Group Work


Book Description

Thorough, hands-on guidance for conducting group work in nonprofit, public, and for-profit agency settings. Because it improves access, is cost-effective, and can be modified to conform to evidence-based practice, group work has become the treatment approach of choice in a broad range of human service agencies. Written in an approachable manner that allows for direct translation of concepts into practice, Group Work: A Practical Guide to Developing Groups in Agency Settings provides a dual emphasis on clinical group skills along with a thorough understanding of agency systems that is necessary to meet the demands of today's practice settings. Written by two experts in the field, this book offers: Practical, detailed, ready-to-use group treatment plans, including group objectives, weekly session guidelines, discussion topics, activities, relevant research, and other essential tools Coverage of the three major types of agencies—nonprofit, public, and for-profit—supported by research and evidence-based treatments that reflect practitioners' actual experiences A unique agency perspective that includes coverage of agency structure, policies, history, staff, politics, informal and formal norms, and diverse client populations Group Work also contains a resourceful CD-ROM with over fifty different Group Profiles that can be customized to suit clients' unique styles and needs. Addressing a wide variety of psychological issues frequently encountered in therapy work with groups,¿the Group Profiles cover a range of clients across the lifespan—children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and the medically ill. Topics covered in these Group Profiles include anxiety, depression, divorce adjustment, substance abuse, foster care, trauma, chronic pain, anger management, hospice, weight management/obesity prevention, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and many more. Clear, concise, and current, Group Work: A Practical Guide to Developing Groups in Agency Settings is a useful resource from which professionals will gain the knowledge, skills, and awareness of the many intricacies involved in working with diverse groups within different agency settings. Its easy-to-follow presentation will enable all mental health professionals to successfully apply a variety of concepts, ideas, and skills into their group work practice. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.




Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations


Book Description

A solid, theory-to-practice guide to contemporary mezzo and macro social work Written by a renowned team of scholars, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations focuses on the contemporary theory and practice of social work. Each chapter delves deeply into the key theoretical considerations surrounding a particular practice area, exploring the clinical implications of each. Spanning the full range of both mezzo and macro practice areas, the authors thoroughly look at the assessment of and interventions with group, community, organizational, and institutional settings. The most authoritative book in this field, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations features: A focus on evidence-based approaches to assessment and intervention for each practice area discussed Comprehensive coverage of the most important new and emerging practice technologies in mezzo and macro social work Current and emerging demographic, social, political, and economic trends affecting mezzo and macro practice An array of pedagogical aids, including Key Terms, Review Questions for Critical Thinking, and Online Resources Content closely aligned with social work accreditation standards (EPAS) Providing a solid review of the entire scope of contemporary mezzo and macro social work practice, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations is both an indispensable educational text for students and a valuable working resource for practitioners who work with groups, communities, and organizations of all sizes.




Groups in Community and Agency Settings


Book Description

A practical guide to group work in community and agency settings Group work is becoming commonplace in a variety of community settings, including sexual assault centers, mental health centers, battered women’s shelters, chemical dependency units, community planning, employee training and development, employee assistance centers, and in other outpatient, inpatient, and residential settings. This accessible book: Demonstrates how the full range of group work, from remedial through preventive groups, is manifested in an array of community settings Provides practical, concrete information about how group work is being used and can be used even more effectively Draws on an up-to-date scholarly base that includes the latest research on group work Highlights diversity and multicultural issues, as well as accreditation or specialty standards important to group work in community and agency settings Groups in Community and Agency Settings is part of the Group Work Practice Kit: Improving the Everyday Practice of Group Work, a collection of nine books each authored by scholars in the specific field of group work. To promote a consistent reading experience, the books in the collection conform to editor Robert K. Conyne’s outline. Designed to provide practitioners, instructors, students, and trainees with concrete direction for improving group work, the series provides thorough coverage of the entire span of group work practice. This book is endorsed by the Association for Specialists in Group Work.




Handbook of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy


Book Description

The most comprehensive and thoroughly researched text available on this topic, Handbook of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy, Second Edition underscores the notion that group work is improved through increased collaboration between researchers and practitioners. Edited by renowned leaders in the field, this thoroughly updated and revised Second Edition explores current literature and research and offers suggestions for practice in psycho-educational, counseling, and therapy groups. The Handbook is divided into five main sections: current and historical perspectives, best practices, multicultural and diverse groups, groups in special settings, and an introduction to special topics.




Group Work with Adolescents, Third Edition


Book Description

A trusted course text and professional resource, this comprehensive book delves into all aspects of planning and conducting strengths-based group work with adolescents. In an accessible, down-to-earth style, Andrew Malekoff spells out the principles of effective group practice. Extensive clinical illustrations show how successful group leaders engage teens in addressing tough issues--including violence, sexuality, prejudice, social isolation, and substance abuse--in a wide range of settings. Normative issues that adolescents face in the multiple contexts of their lives are lucidly explained. Packed with creative ideas and activities, the book helps readers develop their skills as confident, reflective practitioners. New to This Edition *Significantly revised chapters on group work essentials, school-based practice, and trauma. *Additional topics: social media and cyberbullying, expressive and animal-assisted therapies, mindfulness, adolescent brain development, and more. *Updated practice principles, information, and references. *Numerous new practice illustrations.




Group Work Research


Book Description

This book takes the reader through all the phases of designing and implementing group work research -- that is, formulating a research question, developing hypotheses, selecting instruments, and disseminating.




Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults


Book Description

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.