Group work offers many benefits that cannot be achieved through individual therapy alone. The most obvious benefit is group member validation. The knowledge that you are not alone and are not the only person who has experienced that particular issue can foster a strong sense of hope.

However, groups also present challenges from different personalities and behaviors that disrupt group dynamics and function. As a social worker, you will need to take different roles to manage the challenges in order to create a safer space for clients to engage in their work.

In this Discussion, you describe a group you may be interested in facilitating and potential challenges you may experience. With colleagues, you discuss how to apply specific intervention skills to address the challenges.

Post:

• Describe a type of group you would like to facilitate as a social worker.   (p. 104-108)Treatment  or Task
• Explain what professional role you may take when facilitating this group.  (p.114)
• Describe a group member role that might be most challenging to you as a group leader and explain why. (p.124-126)

Textbook:

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. 

• Chapter 3, “Practice Skills for Working with Groups” (pp. 102–137)