A Handbook of Contemporary Group Work Practice Promoting Resilience and Empowerment in a Complex World

A Handbook of Contemporary Group Work Practice is for both students and practitioners in social work, counselling, psychology, and all other helping professions. Whether readers are new to the modality or experienced group leaders, they can read a chapter and immediately appreciate the benefits group membership provides to the identified population and understand how to help group members achieve their collective goals. Many authors include case examples that provide readers with a window into how the group they describe functions in practice. Authors also include online resources that will help readers replicate the group in their practice setting. The handbook is organized into four sections. Part I provides readers with a straightforward introduction to group work practice, its foundation in mutual aid, and the core skills needed to promote members' collaborative efforts. This includes a discussion of what it means to adopt a trauma-informed lens in group work practice. In Parts II, III, and IV, contributors describe the groups they have facilitated. For ease of reading, authors adhere to a similar format that includes descriptions of the client population, rationale for and structure of the group, common themes, intervention skills and strategies, caveats, and termination and evaluation. Carolyn Knight and Geoffrey L. Greif distinguish three broad types of groups based upon the primary focus of members' collective efforts; in reality, many groups include elements one, two, or all three types. Parts II and III describe groups that promote resilience and growth in response to challenging life transitions and trauma exposure. Part IV includes groups that challenge systemic marginalization and inequality. The emphasis in all the groups is the importance of empowerment, at both the individual and community levels, respect for diversity, and an emphasis on inclusion and equity at the micro (group) and macro (systemic) levels.

Caroylyn Knight, PhD, MSW is a social worker with more than thirty years of experience facilitating groups for a range of client populations including adult survivors of childhood trauma, children grieving the loss of a loved one, and parents experiencing homelessness. Dr. Knight also has more than thirty years of experience teaching group work practice in the generalist/foundation social work curriculum and has presented many workshops and trainings on the modality to professional practitioners. Geoffrey L. Greif, PhD is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the author of over 175 articles and book chapters and the author/editor of 16 books. He has over 40 years' experience leading and writing about groups with diverse populations from children and parents in the public schools to men in the criminal legal system. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.