SWTP626 - Social Work with Groups

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

SWTP620 Social Work Theories, Context and Fields of Practice AND SWTP622 Social Work with Individuals

Teaching organisation

On Campus mode: 4 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalent with additional time spent in preparation of group work activities for class.

ACU ONLINE: 150 hours of study inclusive of one week intensive.

Unit rationale, description and aim

Social workers work in groups and teams to design and implement social work services and programs. Social workers also develop and deliver group programs for clients. Social workers need to be competent in planning and facilitating groups to achieve effective client outcomes. This unit focuses on the theoretical models and skills for social work intervention in groups in a range of settings and contexts. The theory examined and critically appraised includes, models of group stage and progression, group dynamics, psycho-education groups, mutual aid groups, concepts of group care, counselling groups, principles for effective team work and solution focussed group work applied to a variety of practice contexts and with diverse populations. The experiential component requires students to plan a group program and participate in leading and facilitating groups. Students will select a specific population group or context for application of models for group work intervention from the following: aged; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; corrections; cultural and linguistic diversity; disability; health; income security and poverty; mental health and rural and remote. The aim of this unit is to provide students with knowledge and skills in group work, a key area of social work intervention, including an understanding of the benefits of group work, knowledge for running groups effectively, and skills in planning and facilitation of groups.  

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Explain social groupwork processes, methods and theories (GA5, GA8, GA9)

LO2 - Critically evaluate the efficacy of various models and techniques for group based intervention applied with specific groups of vulnerable people and with groups of people from diverse cultural backgrounds (GA1, GA4, GA5)

LO3 - Apply high level oral and written communication skills and advanced skills in planning and conducting a group program and critically evaluate the conduct of group programs (GA1, GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9)

LO4 - Critically reflect on the therapeutic use of self, the impact of personal values, and the applicability of professional ethics and values in a variety of group work contexts (GA3, GA4, GA5)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

AASW Practice Standards

This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565  

ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes

This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565  

Content

Topics will include: 

Social Work Theories with Groups 

• Group norm theories 
• Use of power 
• Leadership and leadership style theories 
• Cohesion and conflict theories 
• Verbal and non-verbal communication theories 
• Theories of the change process 

Types of Groups 

• Working with diverse groups 
• Self-help groups 
• Social work with families 
• Task groups 
• Educational groups 
• Treatment groups with diverse and vulnerable populations 
• Groups with involuntary clients 

Group Processes 

• Purpose and goals of groups 
• Group dynamics 
• Group rules 
• Skills involved in group work 
• Forming and leading a group 
• Group composition and recruitment 
• Open or closed groups 
• Co-leadership in groups  
• Gender and group work 
• Creativity and group work 
• Group care 
• Dealing with challenging behaviour in group work 
• Managing process and content needs of groups 
• Ethical issues in group work 

Stages of Group Development 

Groups in the beginning phase 

• Group characteristics at the initial stage 
• Creating trust: leader and member roles 
• Group process concepts at the initial stage (group norms, group cohesion) 
• Leader issues at the initial stage 
• Techniques for getting started and moving on 

Groups in the middle phase 

• Member issues in early–middle, middle–middle and end–middle phase 
• Worker's role: use of self and issues of authority 
• Issues of control, confrontation, cohesion, compromise, catharsis 
• Techniques for dealing with conflict and difficult group members 
• Working with fears and resistance. 

Groups in the ending phase 

• Member issues e.g., affection, disillusionment, acceptance 
• Worker's role 
• Working with intense emotions: grieving,  
• Reviewing highlights, evaluating effectiveness 
• Exploring separation, projecting the future. 
• Evaluation in group work 

Models for Group Interventions 

• Problem solving approaches 
• Decision making approaches 
• Strengths perspective 
• Working with resistance - motivational interviewing 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

ON CAMPUS

This unit involves 150 hours of learning including lectures and interactive tutorials, and role-play workshops. Lectures will provide detailed content about the theory of group work, good facilitation, and how to manage challenges that arise. Tutorials will entail authentic application of groupwork models and techniques to groupwork scenarios encountered in social work practice. Firstly this is modelled by the lecturer. Students then work in small groups to plan a group program and each student practices group facilitation in the second half of the unit. This will ensure students have an opportunity to participate in group work and understand the experience of being a participant in groups, as well as practice their skills in facilitation. There is an 80% attendance requirement as students role play group sessions (as participants or facilitators) over the semester. Attendance is required to ensure continuity and coherence of the role-played group programs. Regular attendance is also required to ensure feedback on, practice, development, and assessment of, core social work practice skills. The assessments for this unit provide students a work-like opportunity to plan and present a proposal for a group program to meet client needs, as well as to apply their knowledge to practice by reflecting on group progression and receiving feedback on their facilitation skills. This approach ensures theory and skills for group work are practiced, integrated and applied, preparing students for successful professional practice.    

ACU ONLINE

This unit will involves 150 hours of study. It will be delivered in an online mode using an active learning approach and a one week in-person intensive. Students will have access to self-paced learning modules and as well as a one week in-person intensive. Students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in relevant group work literature, multi-media, discussion forums and assessment tasks. On-line forums and chat rooms will facilitate learning by sharing critical reflections with a focus on case based learning. The one-week intensive will draw on experiential learning approaches to enable students to enact group work knowledge and skills in a supportive learning environment and undertake reflective/critical thinking activities. These strategies will provide students with access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for application of this learning. This flexible and inclusive learning approach will allow students to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit, as well as professional practice standards. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively within group activities.

Assessment strategy and rationale

ON CAMPUS

This unit takes an authentic assessment approach allowing students to demonstrate their learning and competency in scenarios relevant to social work practice with groups.

The first assessment is designed for students to demonstrate their ability to plan a group program and effectively advocate for its value through a written proposal. Advocating for client needs and services is a key skill for professional practice, achieving professional commitments outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers to social justice and individual wellbeing, and articulating the value of group work interventions in a professional written format (LO1, LO2, LO3).

Assessment 2 will assess students’ skills in facilitating a group to determine their ability to effectively deliver a group work session and demonstrate emerging professional competence ( LO2, LO3, LO4).

Assessment 3 enables students to integrate the knowledge and practice of group work by reflecting on group progression and the role of facilitation in group work in line with their role-play experiences (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4).

Together these assessments require students to demonstrate competency in the knowledge and skills of effective group work and the integration of theory and practice, to show entry level competency in planning, implementing, and evaluating group work interventions.  

ACU ONLINE

This unit has three assessment tasks. Both assessment tasks are designed to offer contemporary, real-world practice opportunities, to engage in research literature, group work theory, apply knowledge and enact key group work skills.

The first assessment is a quiz to provide formative feedback to students prior to the in-person intensive.

The second assessment tasks requires students to demonstrate their capacity to plan, collaborate, deliver and reflect on a group work session.

The final assessment is designed for students to demonstrate their ability to plan a group program and effectively advocate for its value through a written proposal. Advocating for client needs and services is a key skill for professional practice, achieving professional commitments outlined by the Australian Association of Social Workers to social justice and individual wellbeing, and articulating the value of group work interventions in a professional written format.

Overview of assessments

ON CAMPUS;

ACU ONLINE

Representative texts and references

Brandler, S., & Roman, C. (2016). Group work: skills and strategies for effective interventions (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.  

https://acu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61ACU_INST/13lm7d8/alma991012682400302352

Conyne, R. (2013). Group work leadership: an introduction for helpers. Los Angeles: Sage.  

Corey, M., Corey, G. & Corey, C. (2014). Groups: process and practice (9th ed.). California: Brooks/Cole.     

Doel, M., & Kelly, T. (2013). A-Z of groups and groupwork. London: Palgrave Macmillan.  

Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (Eds.) (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. (2nd ed.). Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. http://aboriginal.telethonkids.org.au/kulunga-research-network/working-together-2nd-edition-(1)/ 

Furlong, M. (2013). Building the client’s relational base: a multidisciplinary handbook. Bristol: Policy Press.  

Lindsay, T. & Orton, S. (2014), Groupwork Practice in Social Work (3rd ed.). Learning Matters, UK. 

Malekoff, A. (2015). Group work with adolescents: Principles and practice. Guilford Publications. 

Ochre, G. (2013), Getting Our Act Together – How to Harness the Power of Groups. Groupwork Press, Melbourne. 

Zastrow, C. (2015), Social Work with Groups (9th Ed), Brooks/Cole, USA.