Virtual Symposium Presentations 

Please scroll down to view symposium presentation descriptions or download our printable session schedule. Most presentations will be recorded and available for registered attendees to view after the symposium. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

View Pre-Symposium Institute offerings on Monday, June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th.

Wednesday June 9, 2021

Welcome Gathering – 9:00am to 9:50am ET

The opening reception of the 2021 IASWG Symposium will include a welcome from IASWG President Barbara Muskat and an overview of the symposium events. In addition, this year’s IASWG Honoree will be awarded. Each year the IASWG Board of Directors honors an individual who over their lifetime has made substantial contributions to IASWG and global group work. We look forward to announcing this year’s honoree during Wednesday’s Opening Gathering.

Session 1 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Wednesday, 10:00am to 10:30am ET   

1 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET
Enseigner le travail social de groupe à travers la MARP (Méthode Accélérée de Recherche Participative) aux jeunes Travailleurs sociaux Sénégalais 
M. Abdoulaye Mamadou MBOW, Conseiller en Travail social Sénégal (Senegal)
M. Alioune Mbodj, Conseiller en Travail social Sénégal (Senegal)
La MARP est définie comme étant un processus intensif, itératif et rapide d’apprentissage orienté vers la connaissance des situations rurales. Elle est une approche de collecte rapide sur le terrain d’informations riches et fiables par une équipe pluridisciplinaire et par le biais de différentes interactions. Son intérêt pour le travail social de groupe est qu’elle instaure un dialogue pour un échange permanent d’informations mais également elle exige la participation.

2 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET 
Coudre en pièces détachées: l'expérience d'un groupe de couturières en temps de pandémie (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Jeanne Dagenais Lesperance, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
La couture est un art, un passe-temps et un travail, et a été autant célébrée que critiquée dans les groupes féministes. Cette présentation vise à partager les «épiphanies» vécues (Ellis et al., 2010) au sein d'un collectif interculturel de couture créé en temps de COVID, en se basant sur des données de recherche autoethnographiques, et mène à redéfinir les contours du groupe et de la domesticité à travers un réseau de couture invisible, mais présent.

3 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET
Batterer Intervention Programmes and Their Practical Application 
Iria de la Osa Subtil, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Andrés Arias Astray, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a growing problem with serious personal, social and legal consequences. However, not all IPV programmes appear to be equally effective. Moreover, COVID-19 has made it necessary to adapt the treatment of IPV offenders to a virtual environment. This presentation aims to describe the characteristics that are associated with a lower likelihood of recidivism and to bring theory and practice closer together, with a concentrated focus on virtual practice.

4 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET
Mutual Aid on WhatsApp: Creating an Online Support Group for New/Pre-Tenured Faculty 
Stephanie Baird, King's University College, London, ON (Canada)
Jane Sanders, King's University College, London, ON (Canada)
Akin Taiwo, King's University College, London, ON (Canada)
The challenges of balancing new faculty positions and the demands of teaching, service, and research, became even more apparent with additional workloads, difficulties accessing overwhelming amounts of online information, and partnered with isolation created by the Covid-19 pandemic. This presentation will discuss the process of forming an online support group through “chat apps” and other social media outlets and consider the mutual aid functions through this model. Additionally, the presentation will discuss mentorship and peer support and ways to build this in academic and other spaces.

5 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET
An Unexpected Consequence of the Pandemic: The Incorporation of Experiential Groupwork in a Hybrid Classroom 
Willa Casstevens, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IA (USA)
This presentation describes one way an instructor can integrate experiential groupwork into a hybrid classroom setting to support undergraduate students learning to work with groups. A course on older adults re-developed to conform to pandemic-related constraints is used as an example. Constraints included hybrid learning with fixed seating in the classroom combined with virtual Zoom course-links for remote learners.

6 Wednesday, 10:00AM - 10:30AM ET 
Co-Leading Trauma Groups Across Disciplines (TRAINING TRACK)
Susan McDonald, Misericordia University, Kingston, PA (USA)
Co-leadership across disciplines, using a trauma-informed approach with a women's group, provided a rich experience for all involved. A respectful and open relationship provided a strong foundation that eventually led to co-leader attunement. Participants will explore the benefits of forming a working relationship that has the potential to become a nourishing and bonding entity.

Session 2 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Wednesday, 10:45am to 11:15am ET 

1 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET
La vie associative au service de la lutte contre la malnutrition : les facteurs favorisants et contraignants
Alida Adjile, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi (Benin)
Roch Lambert Mongbo, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi (Benin)
Au Bénin, un programme de nutrition dans des villages avec des groupes dits d’Assistance à la Nutrition (GAN), composés chacun de 5 à 15 membres bénévoles communautaires  jouent un rôle primordial dans la mobilisation sociale et le renforcement des capacités de la communauté pour la prévention et la prise en charge de la malnutrition. Dans le cadre de cette présentation, les mécanismes de constitution et les modalités de fonctionnement de ces GAN dans quatre (04) communes sont explorés. La question centrale est de comprendre les moteurs socio-institutionnels du travail social bénévole de groupe dans un contexte de précarité générale des membres de la communauté, y compris des bénévoles en question.

2 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET 
Une intervention de groupe avec des parents et des adolescents: développer l'aide mutuelle pour prévenir la négligence parentale (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Annick Bujold, Centre de santé et services sociaux de Montérégie Centre, Saint Hubert, QC (Canada)
Cette présentation décrira l'évolution d'une pratique de groupe de parents destinée à prévenir la négligence parentale. Les transformations de cette pratique de groupe seront exposées de même que le processus d'intervention en travail social de groupe, le développement de l'aide mutuelle ainsi que les retombées de cette pratique.

3 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET
Survivors Seeking Connection while Grieving Loved Ones Lost to COVID-19 (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Donna McCartney, Hospice of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
Marjorie Rentz, Hospice of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
Monnie Caine, Hospice of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
Over 500,000 people in the US have died from COVID-19 and these deaths have left an estimated 4.5 million Americans grieving across the country. As bereaved individuals started to seek support, grief counselors recognized that clients were longing to hear from others who understood their unique grief and pain. This session will detail the variables impacting COVID grief and the support group developed by Hospice of Cincinnati to support the bereaved.

4 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET 
G+: A Virtual Platform for an Integrated Management of Social Work with Groups (TRAINING TRACK)
Andrés Arias Astray, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Iria de la Osa Subtil, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Linda Ducca Cisneros, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Juan Brea Iglesias, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
David Alonso González, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
The G+ platform is a comprehensive environment for the management of both face-to-face and online groups that aims to facilitate the different tasks of a group worker while avoiding many of the problems that virtual environments demand today. The objective of this session is to present version 1.0 of the G+ platform, so that participants have a first practical experience with it and can provide feedback on their impressions for its improvement.

5 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET
Staying Connected: The Development of a Community Forum 
​Jenny Lamb, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
Karen Livesey, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
Liz Granger, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
Steven Seymour, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
Grete Smith, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
Victoria Yuskaitis, University of Central Lancashire, Preston (United Kingdom)
With constant change it is important to create a feeling of belonging and support within the community. The presentation will provide an overview of the work being done by the University of Central Lancashire and Community Organisations in Lancashire, UK to create a forum to explore successful ways of collaborating and continuing to fulfil the functions of a cohesive network via online platforms. The session will look at the successes and challenges of this work and discuss some of the options for digital engagement.

6 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET
Social Justice Narratives: Adapting African Restorative Dialogue Approaches to Difficult Racial Inequality Conversations 
Wanja Ogongi, Millersville University, Millersville, PA (USA)
Mary Gitau, Clarke University, Dubuque, IA (USA)
Racial injustice conversations are often emotive and approached ambivalently by most Americans. African restorative dialogue, approaches anchored in the Ubuntu philosophy, have been utilized in difficult conversations with a goal of healing and bringing reconciliation for thousands of years. This session focuses on social justice healing circles and how these spaces can help in processing the emotional burden a group is experiencing individually and collectively, while also grappling with the best ways to be a part of the larger, needed change.

7 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET 
Learning from Client Experiences: Assessing Needs, Employing Therapeutic Interventions and Modifying DBT Group Guidelines for Virtual DBT Skills Groups to Enhance Connection and Effectiveness (TRAINING TRACK)
Sana Rizvi, Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Oksana Tchitchkevitch, Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Given a dearth of evidence around the efficacy of virtual Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training groups, clients with experience of both in person and virtual skills group provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of virtual delivery. Challenges posed by various presentations (suicidality, body image issues etc.) for virtual delivery are discussed. DBT interventions to respond to particular clinical presentations are explored. New group guidelines in accordance with DBT principles are presented.

8 Wednesday, 10:45AM - 11:15AM ET
Teaching and Running Virtual Groups: Classroom Glitches that Translate into Practice 
Lloyd L. Lyter, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA (USA)
Stacy Canter, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA (USA)
Brandy Martinez, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA (USA)
This presentation shares experiences of an instructor and two undergraduate social group work students under COVID restrictions. Formerly, a single lecture on virtual groups became the focus for the course and its practice component. No longer could students sit in a circle, see others’ faces, read others’ nonverbals. The deaf student could not read her classmates’ lips. These two fully engaged students could not count on support or comment from peers. What was learned?

Session 3 // 60-minute Presentations - Wednesday, 11:30am to 12:30pm ET  

1 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET
Repères pour la pratique, référentiel de compétences et normes de pratique en travail social de groupe -Regards croisés entre la France et le Québec : appréhender les repères pour les faire siens
Ginette Berteau, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Pascale Lafosse, Association Nationale pour le Travail Social avec des Groupes et des interventions sociales collectives, Montrouge (France)
Cette présentation à deux voix sera l'occasion de connaître l'état des lieux des repères de pratique et du référentiel de compétences pour le travail social avec les groupes en France et les normes de pratiques au Québec. Après avoir exposé le contexte et chacun de ces outils de référence, chaque participant sera invité à repérer ses propres écueils, à identifier des pistes d'amélioration lui permettant d'appréhender les repères pour les faire siens.

2 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET 
Meeting the Social Emotional Needs of our Students in a Post Pandemic World through Group Work (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Katie Kelly, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY (USA)
Group work in the profession of social work has always been a strong part of our professional foundation. The past year has altered this essential tool and rocked the foundation of our work on many levels. The intention of this presentation is to discuss and present statistics, policy and the foundations of social emotional learning with students and connect this concept to the recent international pandemic. Attendees will be presented with group practice innovations that have surfaced and benefitted the practice since the pandemic began including online activities and group prompts for discussion.

3 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET
Risks, Challenges, and Benefits of Participatory Groupwork with Young People with Lived Experience of Sexual Abuse | CE-eligible Presentation
Camille Warrington, University of Bedfordshire, Luton (United Kingdom)
Rachel Benchekroun, University of Bedfordshire, Luton (United Kingdom)
Organisations providing services to children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse or exploitation are often reluctant to engage in groupwork, due to perceived risks to individuals safety, and a lack of professional confidence or organisational support to work in these ways. While such risks must be taken seriously, our experience of working with groups of young research advisors in this field has shown us that groupwork can be a powerful tool. This session will equip participants to facilitate CYP's involvement in participatory groupwork in safe and ethical ways, enabling CYP to shape services, influence policy, and develop their sense of self-efficacy and collective efficacy.

4 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET 
Development of IASWG Standards for Online Social Work with Groups: Global Challenges and Opportunities (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
​Andrés Arias Astray, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Samuel Benbow, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA (USA)
Ephrat Huss, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheba (Israel)
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Charles Garvin, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
Será Godfrey-Kaplan, IASWG Massachusetts Chapter, MA (USA)  
Cheryl Lee, IASWG Western US, Long Beach, CA (USA)
Mark Macgowan, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
Barbara Muskat, IASWG, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Andrea Rowell,  IASWG, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Mamadou Seck, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Shirley Simon, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Mark Smith, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL (USA)
Greg Tully, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
This session will contribute to a review of IASWG Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups as a resource for promoting social justice through online or socially-distanced group work. The interactive session will briefly review the Standards; consider practice principles for online group work, including access, mutual aid, norms, and cultural competence; and collect participants’ perspectives about the Standards to advance online group work in different social and cultural contexts worldwide.

5 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET 
Utilizing Culturally Responsive Group Work as a Tool to Build Connection and Develop Community for Neurodiverse Spanish Speaking Families (MUTUAL AID TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Maria Garcia, Department of Education, New York, NY (USA)
Michelle Flemen-Tung, New York University, New York, NY (USA)
Miriam Campos, Department of Education, New York, NY (USA)
Teresita Prieto, Department of Education, New York, NY (USA)
Olga Salazr, Department of Education, New York, NY (USA)
During the Pandemic, Latinx families were disproportionately affected by financial loss, death, illness and difficulties with access to education. This presentation will address aforementioned barriers and provide an overview of how to create a community for neurodiverse Spanish speaking families, including through the development of a virtual support group. The presenters will discuss the key steps they took in designing culturally relevant parent support groups such as design, assessment, impact of the group, and gathering feedback.

6 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET 
Mitigating Trauma through Psychodrama and Dialectical Behavioral Skills: Two Unique Models to Help Trafficked and At-Risk Youth Understand, Connect, and Heal Within an Ever-Changing World (RESEARCH TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Selina Higgins, NYC Administration for Children's Services, New York, NY (USA)
Melody Centeno, Foster Care Unplugged, LLC, New York, NY (USA)
This session will provide an overview of two unique models, Be SEA and Mitigating Trauma Through Drama, developed for youth in foster care who present with extreme emotional and behavioral challenges and trafficking vulnerability. It will discuss child sex trafficking, basic concepts of DBT and psychodrama, and the two strength-based adaptations created to combine universally applicable skills with a safe environment for expression of feelings, disclosure, empowerment and validation, combined with trafficking awareness strategies.

7 Wednesday, 11:30AM - 12:30PM ET
Music, Movement, Masks and Mandalas: Using Arts-based Activities in Online Group Work | CE-eligible Presentation
Reineth Prinsloo, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Blessing Macheke, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Celine Singh, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Karabo Sidu, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Michellee Mukome, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Taniya Nadel Gounden, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
Zandile Ndlela, University of Pretoria, Pretoria (South Africa)
The COVID pandemic necessitated innovative methods to make online connections meaningful opportunities for growth, support, socialization, and education. In this session, a lecturer and students from a South African university will discuss the findings of an action research project to experiment with arts-based activities in online groups. Poetry, music, dance, movement, making masks and coloring mandalas will be demonstrated. Attendees will participate in an experiential activity to illustrate creativity, fun, and relaxation in online contexts.

The Sumner Gill Memorial Plenary - Wednesday, 12:45pm to 1:45pm ET    

Creating Safe Spaces to Address Racism and Acknowledge Differences: A Social Group Work Approach
​Thilo Boeck, NGO Amantani, Cusco (Peru)
Donna Guy, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Rotorua (New Zealand)
April Parker, Central Regional Hospital, Butner, NC (USA)
Vishantie Sewpaul, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Glenwood, Durban (South Africa)
Samuel Benbow (Moderator), Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA (USA)

Racism and injustice are prevalent across the world. Social work promotes social justice and human rights, and group work provides a safe space for healing by sharing and gaining knowledge and understanding of differences. Panel members from South Africa, the United States, New Zealand, and Peru will share their use of groups to address racism and injustice and in this way, open critical discussion of social work with groups to address racism.

Session 4 // 60-minute Presentations - Wednesday, 2:00pm to 3:00pm ET

1 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
La pertinence de l'autodéfense féministe comme outil de prévention et d’intervention concernant la problématique de la violence sexuelle faite aux femmes
Magalie Bélanger, CPIVAS, Laval, QC (Canada)
Laurence-A. Quevillon, CPIVAS, Laval, QC (Canada)
Le CPIVAS, un organisme communautaire québécois, offre un programme d’autodéfense féministe à des groupes de femmes et d’adolescentes, victimes de violence sexuelle ou non. Dans le cadre de cette session, nous expliquerons d’abord en quoi consiste ce programme, et en quoi le réaliser auprès de groupes – non-mixtes – peut accroître des retombées positives. Nous discuterons ensuite de la façon dont le programme peut être employé comme moyen de prévention des violences et comme complément au suivi psychothérapeutique d’une femme survivante de violence sexuelle.

2 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Field Instruction and Group Work Practice: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities | CE-eligible Presentation
Sari Skolnik-Basulto, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Louise Skolnik, Rockville Centre, NY (USA)
Several contemporary challenges have been identified contributing to teaching group work in the field. They include gaps in applying the social work approach, development of group assignments in the agency settings, field supervision, and preparing students for online and manualized groups. This presentation seeks to stimulate a dialogue, offer solutions, and provide a roadmap for educating the next generation of group workers.

3 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET 
A Brain Science Response to Challenges of Manualized Groups in Community Settings (RESEARCH TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
D. Mark Ragg, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (USA)
Jacquie Soulliere, Community Cares Services, Lincoln Park, MI (USA)
Erica Kuhn-Fink, Family Assessment Clinic - SRT Program, Ypsilanti, MI (USA)
This presentation uses brain science to explore engagement and efficacy challenges to manualized group treatment. Group member needs that interfere with beta-focused efficacy are identified followed by group strategies that can better engage members and improve the impact of group programs. Participants will learn strategies to influence individual brain levels concurrent with understanding group models that promote broader brain involvement.

4 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET 
Social Work, Sociometry, and Psychodrama: Experiential Approaches for Group Therapists, Community Leaders, and Social Workers (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Scott Giacomucci, Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy, Media, PA (USA)
Amy Stone, Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy, Media, PA (USA)
Haydn Briggs, Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy, Media, PA (USA)
This workshop presents trauma-informed experiential group tools useful in any social work group setting including clinical work, teaching, supervision, and community work. These action-based tools emphasize mutual aid dynamics, experiential teaching, neurobiology, and relationships. The unique capacity for experiential activities to facilitate connection will be demonstrated through strengths-based sociometric and psychodramatic processes. Implementation of these activities will be demonstrated for online groups with emphasis on their utility in engaging clients, students, colleagues, and community members.

5 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
The Shadow Pandemic: Group Work, Domestic Violence & COVID-19 | CE-eligible Presentation
Carrie McManus, Sagesse, Calgary, AB (Canada)
Andrea Silverstone, Sagesse, Calgary, AB (Canada)
Domestic violence rates are increasing the world over as a result of the isolation and quarantine measures imposed during the COVID-19 outbreaks with reports of three-fold increases in China and European jurisdictions just a few weeks and months ahead of North Americans experiences. This presentation will explore the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic violence across Alberta and how our provincial organization has led the provincial response to support individuals, organizations, and communities including the development of group based services within two weeks of lock-down restrictions being implemented.

6 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET 
Shaping the Environment (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Gary Stauffer, Dexter, MI (USA)
Tony Alvarez, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
The environment within any group is the most influential factor in determining what can get accomplished. If participants don't feel safe, if their relationships in group are problematic, if they are not engaged in the goals, or if the physical environment is distracting them from the work, progress toward goals will be limited. This presentation will help group work facilitators identify problems within the environment and how to respond in a more effective manner.

7 Wednesday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Zoom Work, Group Work and the Bereavement Journey | CE-eligible Presentation
Nancy Cincotta, Consultant, New York, NY (USA)
COVID-19 has tested our skills, increased our anxiety, changed how we work, while adding layers of issues to the families and communities that we serve. This session will review the conceptualization of group work as an effective modality in helping families cope with bereavement issues coupled with sharing what has been learned about virtual groups to build a sustainable model for practice moving forward.

Session 5 // 60-minute Presentations - Wednesday, 3:15pm to 4:15pm ET

1 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Experiencias académicas del curso de trabajo social con grupos en tiempos de COVID-19 en la Universidad de Puerto Rico 
Nancy Viana Vázquez, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Nathalia Rubi Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Alondra Vazquez, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Andrea Espinosa, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Jeaneishka Ruiz, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Gloryann Montijo Gonzalez, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Kiara Lerbous Pagan, University of Puerto Rico, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (USA)
Compartiremos las experiencias académicas de 6 estudiantes y 1 docente en tiempos de COVID-19 como requisito del curso de trabajo social con grupos de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Ambos proyectos estuvieron dirigidos a mujeres, profesionales del trabajo social y el otro de mujeres sin hogar. Uno se llevó a cabo de manera virtual y otro presencial.

2 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET 
In-Person and Virtual Group Facilitation in School Settings (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Golnaz Agahi, SocialWise Consulting, Irvine, CA (USA)
Linh Thai, Newport Mesa School District, Costa Mesa, CA (USA)
Schools play an integral part in providing mental health services to students. Hence, in-person and virtual small group counseling is an essential support needed for students in school settings. This presentation will introduce how students in need of mental health services can be better identified through collaboration with school administrators, review the different group formats for consideration in school settings, and identify the most common intervention topics to address in school settings.

3 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Infant Led Group Work: The Healing Power of New Beginnings in Addressing Early Trauma | CE-eligible Presentation
Wendy Bunston, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC (Australia)
Infant led practice heralds a new and innovative way through which to deliver group work interventions with caregivers and their infants and young children who have been impacted by early relational trauma such as family violence. Using two specialist group work interventions to illustrate the theory and practice of infant led approaches, this presentation will leave participants eager to learn more about infants, their caregivers and themselves as group work practitioners.

4 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Using Groupwork to Facilitate Anti-Racist Praxis with BSW Field Students in Rural Communities | CE-eligible Presentation
Samuel Benbow, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA (USA)
Jayleen Galarza, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA (USA)
Dorlisa J. Minnick, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, PA (USA)
Infusing anti-racist social work practices through group methods in rural, undergraduate social work education has historically presented challenges for educators and community practitioners. This presentation will discuss a new initiative implemented at a predominantly white institution in a rural community that focused specifically on engaging students in anti-racist praxis through the use of small groupwork. Participants will engage in think-pair-share activities to incorporate what they have learned back to their own educational communities.

5 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
COVID-19 Changed the Workplace: Opportunities for Group Work | CE-eligible Presentation
Carolyn Tice, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, NJ (USA)
John Belcher, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD (USA)
Social workers recognize that the pandemic provides an opportunity to critically reconsider what kind of society is most desired. This presentation explores the changing global workplace for women in the aftermath of COVID-19 through the lens of social justice and equality to frame opportunities the pandemic offers for group work and social workers. This presentation will include a review of employee rights from salary levels to appropriate physical work environments and benefits to create long-term, sustainable change.

6 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET 
An Innovative and Interactive Case Conference Model for Group Supervision (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Yuen Ling Elaine Ho, NYC H+H/Gouverneur, New York, NY (USA)
The session provides an overview on innovative methods of group supervision. This case conference model focuses on bridging the common gap between theory and practice for social work interns. Interns trend to become more open in participating and interactive in the case conference setting. Hence, transference and countertransference feelings in treatment could be better addressed in such a supportive and safe environment.

7 Wednesday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Transforming the Field Education Landscape: Intersections of Research and Practice in Canadian Social Work Education (RESEARCH TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Julie Drolet, University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Sally St. George, University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Daniel Wulff, University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Wasif Ali, University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB (Canada)
Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) is a partnership that aims to integrate research and practice in the preparation of the next generation of social workers by developing partnered research training initiatives, both within academia and across the public and not-for-profit sectors. This presentation will discuss the role of group work in facilitating this partnership in social work field education and creating transformative learning opportunities for students in Canada.

Session 6 // Non-deliberative Group Work Skills Workshop - 4:30pm to 6:30pm ET  

1 Wednesday, 4:30PM - 6:30PM ET
Non-deliberative Group Work Virtually: The Power of Purposeful Activity-based Group Work in Virtual Environments | CE-eligible Presentation
Christian Itin, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO (USA)
The pandemic has forced group work to move to virtual platforms. Deliberative groups are easily translated to virtual environments; non-deliberative groups are often a bit more difficult. This experiential workshop will allow participants to experience the power of the non-deliberative approach in virtual environments. The theoretical and philosophical underpinning of experiential group work will be explored, and participants will be engaged in activities that can be used in classes, meetings, and clinical contexts.

Thursday June 10, 2021 

Membership Meeting - 8:30am to 9:55am ET

Please join us in a 90-minute interactive membership meeting in which members will have the opportunity to participate in 5 sessions lasting 15 minutes each. The five topic sessions include: Mindfulness, Seek and Find, Dance Around the World, Let’s Share A Meal, and the Beauty of Lithuania. This session will be offered at two times to accommodate international time zones.

Session 7 // 60-minute Presentations - 10:00am to 11:00am ET 

1 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
Coconstruire un projet collaboratif à distance sur l'accompagnement du stage international: une pratique innovante France-Canada (Ontario-Québec) en travail social de groupe (TRAINING TRACK)
Dominique Mercure, Université Laurentienne, Sudbury, ON (Canada)
Nicolas Perrein, Institut Régional du Travail Social de Champagne-Ardenne, Reims (France)
Julie Grava, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Angèle Bénard, Université Laurentienne, Greater Sudbury, ON (Canada)
Avec le contexte pandémique nous obligeant à adapter nos pratiques, plusieurs acteurs du travail social ont rebondi en innovant sur des manières alternatives pour faire avancer la réflexion par et sur le travail social de groupe en mode virtuel. Un panel international composé de 5 acteurs présentera une démarche de stage/supervision en recherche-action sur le développement d’outils pédagogiques pour accompagner le stage international, et ce en apprivoisement à une nouvelle culture en distanciel. 

2 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Les groupes d'entraide en santé mentale au Québec (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Kathleen Couture, L'Arc-en-ciel des Seigneuries, Verchères, QC (Canada)
Ammielle Bouchard, Le Versant, Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC (Canada)
Baptiste Godrie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Annie Pavois, Regroupement des ressources alternatives en santé mentale du Québec, Montreal QC (Canada)
Nous trouvons pertinents de mettre en avant-plan la notion de l'entraide au sein de la communauté ainsi que ses impacts positifs sur la santé mentale. L'objectif de cette présentation est d'informer et de sensibiliser les participants au concept des groupes d''entraide en santé mentale.

3 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
MINDS Siblings Team: Group Work with Adult Siblings of Persons with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Nicole Ng, Movement For The Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Singapore)
Shine Koh, Movement For The Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Singapore)
There is general consensus across the literature that when individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) grow older, their siblings often assume unique caregiving roles. However, the inclusion of siblings in interventions and support for their well-being have often been inadequate. This presentation explains how the Adult Siblings Support Group was initiated by Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) to provide a platform for siblings of persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to develop collaborative and supportive relationships as they share their unique experiences and challenges within a safe empathetic group.

4 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
The Caring Dads Programme: Working with Fathers to Address the Impact of Domestic Abuse and Neglectful Fathering in Child Protection Contexts 
Dermot Brady, Kingston University, London (United Kingdom)
Jane Lindsay, Kingston University, London (United Kingdom)
The Caring Dads programme is an evidence-based method for working with fathers in children protection contexts, particularly where domestic abuse has taken place. Fathers are often a neglected group in terms of the direct work and their exclusion from services compounds their risk to children. The presentation will address the lived experience of group facilitation and how to work safely in inter-agency contexts.

5 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
You Have Mom’s Crinkly Ears: A Pilot Program for Grieving Preschoolers | CE-eligible Presentation
Alexa Livelsberger, Highmark Caring Place, Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
Patrick McKelvey, Highmark Caring Place, Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
The death of a close family member during a child’s early life is a significant and potentially traumatic adverse life event. Yet, few grieving programs exist to support these young community members, leaving them highly vulnerable, often forgotten, and lacking in the emotional understanding and capacity to manage early grief on their own. This presentation overviews a virtual pilot peer support family program for grieving preschoolers.

6 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Compassionate Caring: The Intersection between Feminist Perspective, Relational Cultural Theory, and Group Work | CE-eligible Presentation
Erin Nau, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY (USA)
Rebecca Coleman, Cambellsville University, Cambellsville, KY (USA)
Group work from a feminist perspective offers opportunities to develop social connections based on mutual empathy and empowerment. This presentation offers practical activities to engage group members in developing mutual relationships in order to empower individuals and communities to achieve social well-being. Application is made to treatment, support, and organizational, task-focused groups.

7 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Embodied Group Facilitation on an Online Platform: Hosting Virtual Study Groups and Classes in the "Real" World of Technology | CE-eligible Presentation 
Debra Kram-Fernandez, SUNY Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY (USA)
Anamaria Ross, SUNY Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY (USA)
David Caso, Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY (USA)
Bhuwan Onta, Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY (USA)
Stacey Gallagher Empire State College, Hartsdale, NY (USA)
SUNY Empire State College in New York State, USA has been developing innovative and creative ways of meeting the needs of adult and post-traditional learners since the 1970s. Virtual online platforms can feel like clumsy substitutes for real, human connection. This presentation will share our adaptation of the ‘Lenzo and Hulin’ methods for online group engagement to Empire State College group studies, classes and events with our college's unique philosophies of teaching, mentoring and engaging students. Join us for an experiential online training in hosting for real-life, embodied, group connection.

8 Thursday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
Leading Interprofessional Task Groups to Advance Institutional or Structural Change (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation 
Padraic Stanley, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL (USA)
This presentation will discuss how social workers can lead interprofessional task groups to promote institutional and structural change, breaking down silos necessary to create large scale change in quality and ethics. The presenter will share his experience establishing an interprofessional task group to advance immigrant health at a large healthcare institution, providing a guide for others to form similar task groups. Social work skills for recruitment, retention, collaborative goal setting, and meetings will be discussed.

Session 8 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - 11:15am to 11:45am ET 

1 Thursday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
Evaluación de la práctica en la asignatura “Trabajo Social con Grupos” en el Grado en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Alicante (España) 
Yolanda Domenech-López, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante (Spain)
Victor Giménez-Bertomeu, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante (Spain)
Con esta experiencia de "Trabajo Social con Grupos" llevada a cabo en la Universidad de Alicante (España), los estudiantes aprenden a diseñar un grupo y a llevarlo a cabo. Así mismo, los estudiantes evalúan la experiencia aportando feed-back al grupo, al alumnado y al profesorado participante. Se describe la experiencia y se muestran los resultados de la evaluación.

2 Thursday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET 
Groupe de soutien pour des patients en soins palliatifs dans le département d'oncologie (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Oldine Deshommes Richard, UEH / FASCH, Port-au-Prince (Haiti)
Être atteint d'une maladie telle le cancer bouleverse la vie d'un individu. Comme travailleuse sociale, je fournis des services à plusieurs personnes atteintes de cancer qui sont en traitement de chimiothérapie et en soins palliatifs. J'ai développé une intervention de groupe avec celles-çi dans le but de leur permettre de verbaliser leurs émotions, de rencontrer d'autres personnes vivant la même situation. Ce groupe permet aussi de partager les informations sur leur vécu de la maladie et sur la manière dont les gens appréhendent les difficultés apportées par l'annonce de leur diagnostic dans leur entourage. Dans le cadre de cette présentation, nous ferons, tout d'abord une présentation du profil des membres du groupe. Ensuite nous discuterons les activités effectuées dans le groupe. Enfin, nous aborderons les différentes dynamiques d'aide mutuelle qui ont été recensées entre les participants.

3 Thursday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
Parent Group for Young Internet Addicts 
Joe Tang, Hong Kong Christian Service, Hong Kong (China)
Internet addiction is a public concern. The World Health Organization also includes gaming disorder in the International Classification of Diseases. Hong Kong Christian Service has provided case service to young internet addicts since 2005. Applying the Strategies and Skills Learning and Development System (SSLD), developed by Dr. Tsang Ka Tat, this presentation will discuss how a parent group can restore family functioning and empower parents to help young internet addicts to develop skills to meet their needs and regain life balance.

4 Thursday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
An Anti-Racism Working Group: Exploring the Results of an Interdisciplinary Partnership at a Large Public University 
Brie Radis, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Donette Gordon, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Anaïs Bailly-Mompoint, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Meg Mraz, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Ben Morgan, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Susan Wysor Nguema, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Institutions of higher education fail to address ongoing systemic racism within their classrooms, boardrooms, and commons when university personnel and students are not prepared to discuss racism and structural inequalities that exist within the campus community. This presentation discusses and disseminates research about an Anti-Racism Working Group that was established at a public, predominantly white institution (PWI) in the United States to develop an action-oriented community to increase awareness and advocacy efforts against systemic and micro-level racism.

5 Thursday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
Learning through a Virtual Presence Model: A Teaching Experience in Social Work with Groups 
Juan Brea Iglesias, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
David Alonso González, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Andrés Arias Astray, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Linda Ducca Cisneros, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid (Spain)
Due to COVID-19, it is essential to adapt teaching to a virtual face-to-face modality with the use of digital tools. This situation becomes more complex when the topics taught have a strong practical component where it seems that the demand for physical presence is indispensable. This presentation will share a teaching experience linked to the Methodology of Social Work with Groups course taught at the Complutense University of Madrid using an ecological approach to learning. From the policies of physical distance, the presenters raise the complexity of adapting the course to a virtual environment without losing the experiential and practical nature of the subject. 

Thursday Poster Presentations - 12:00pm to 1:35pm ET  

Anti-Racism Working Group: Exploring the Results of an Interdisciplinary Partnership at a Large Public University
Brie Radis, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Donette Gordon, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Anaïs Bailly-Mompoint, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Meg Mraz, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Ben Morgan, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
A group of students, staff and faculty developed an action-oriented community to increase awareness and advocacy efforts against systemic and micro-level racism. Founded by BSW/MSW faculty, the Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG) goals are to include education and awareness, and dialogue about race, ethnicity, bias, power, and privilege; cultivate interdisciplinary faculty and student relationships, and inspire anti-racist actions. This presentation discusses and disseminates research about ARWG and early assessments of the program.

Visual HeARTS: Connecting Young Adults with Cancer through Online Photovoice Group Work
Jennifer Currin-McCulloch, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA)
Danielle Peterson, University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN (USA)
Shivani Kaushik, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA)
This presentation will describe the planning through evaluative stages of an online photovoice group that included young adults with cancer. A discussion of the group dynamics that resulted from the members’ stage of life, various disease states, and goals for entering the group is offered. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to integrate photovoice methods in a virtual platform for the purpose of connecting young adults with cancer and other socially vulnerable populations.

The Use of Expressive Arts to Build Connection 
Claude Olivier, King's University College, London, ON (Canada)
Laura Lewis, King's University College, London, ON (Canada)
There has been growing interest in the use of the expressive arts in social work, leading both to theory and practice development. This presentation will convey the facilitated group work practice experiences of two social workers who provided expressive arts experiences in their local community and the benefits of these kinds of programs. Theoretical underpinnings of these groups and considerations for the applicability of these interventions to one's home communities will be explained.

Sharing Our Story: A Student Support Group at Buena Vista University
Katie Gruhn, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IA (USA)
Brenna Horkey, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IA (USA)
COVID-19 affected all of us in ways that no one foresaw. Seeing a need for mental health resources on campus, we used our macro practice class to develop and launch a support group to help combat mental health issues among students. This presentation aims to describe how we developed our group, gives examples of successful group activities, and suggests how this type of program can be facilitated on other college and university campuses.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities 
Rachel Minkoff, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Social workers and social work educators must be better equipped to share knowledge on guardianship and its alternatives to better support the millions of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This involves classroom and field education focused on this population, their mental health, and their related services. This presentation will offer recommendations for social work education and group work facilitation to properly prepare social workers to serve and advocate for this population.

Afterschool programs play an important role in youth development and in keeping children safe outside of school. This presentation aims to analyze the need for and impact of group work practice in the out-of-school-time program setting. Ways in which group work models can improve afterschool programs by supporting social emotional skill development, cognitive development, conflict resolution, and cohesion in schools will be explained.

Situations complexes et besoin de collaboration : la contribution du travail de groupe
Isabel Lanteigne, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB (Canada)
Penelopia Iancu, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB (Canada)
Cette présentation porte sur le travail de groupe en contexte collaboratif qui est utilisé pour intervenir lors de situations complexes qui sont difficiles à résoudre de façon cloisonnée. Les auteures abordent les défis rencontrés lors de la collaboration IP ainsi que les stratégies employées par les travailleuses sociales pour surmonter ces défis. Pour conclure, la présentation soulève des pistes pour la formation des étudiantes et des intervenants en travail social.

Groupe de soutien pour les proches aidants dont l’aîné a récemment été admis en centre d’hébergement et de soins de longue durée (CHSLD)
Anaïs Fortin-Maltais, Université Laval, Québec, QC (Canada)
Plus que jamais, on parle de proche aidance au Québec. Des politiques existent lors du maintien à domicile d’une personne âgée, mais lorsque son état de santé se dégrade et que l’hébergement devient inévitable, les proches aidants n'ont que peu ou pas de ressources vers qui se tourner. Cette affiche présente donc une intervention de groupe virtuelle destinée aux proches aidants dont l'aîné a récemment été admis en CHSLD.

Session 10 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Thursday, 1:45pm to 2:15pm ET 

1 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET
Les Communautés de pratique: l'analyse sociale et l'apprentissage du travail social 
Antoine Coulombe, Université de la Colombie-Britannique, Vancouver, BC (Canada)
Nous avons intégré la pédagogie Communauté de Pratiques (CdP) dans un cours d'analyse sociale du Baccalauréat en travail social. Les apprenantes ont partagé une plus grande satisfaction, un meilleur engagement et une plus grande habileté à intégrer leur analyse sociale dans leur pratique. Nous explorons dans cette présentation comment la pédagogie CdP peut être intégrée dans l'enseignement du travail social et découvrirons les forces et limites de cette approche à travers l'expérience des apprenantes.

2 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET 
Community Group Work in Zimbabwe: Connecting People and Nature (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Paul Johnson, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME (USA)
This presentation will provide an overview of the CAMPFIRE, a community group work program, that is occurring in Hwange National Park between the three primary schools and the IMVELO organization. CAMPFIRE has enabled people living in Hwange National Park to not only improve the educational opportunities for the children but benefit the entire community. Group work theory and action-oriented approaches will be showcased to demonstrate how group work can positively impact and empower a local community. 

3 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET 
The Social Symbolism of Mask Wearing and Community Resilience through the Group Work among the East Asians Community Members (TRAINING TRACK)
Sangeun Lee, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA (USA)
Interpreting mask-wearing practice and applying it to community intervention programs to fight against COVID-19 racism has been a significant force for the Korean community to gain community empowerment, group cohesion, and resilience. However, it is also confirmed that the Korean community lacks bicultural and bilingual professionals, including social workers. Thus, it is imperative to understand the definition of COVID-19 racism and its impacts on the Asian community. This presentation will highlight the needs for culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery as well as bicultural and bilingual social workers.

4 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET
Impossible? No, Possible! Teaching Groupwork Virtually in Ireland during COVID-19 
Marguerita McGovern, National University of Ireland, Galway (Ireland)
Virtual teaching has become the default vehicle of knowledge transmission over the past year. Interactive subjects like groupwork which in general, rely on class interaction and inter student participation have had to pivot into screens in personal spaces. Teaching and learning must virtually connect in a virtual space. This presentation will offer a look at how one Masters in Social Work Groupwork lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Galway made the move, engaged students in an interactive on-screen module.

5 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET 
Group and Community Intervention for the Homeless: Art, Poetry, Stories, Pop-up Porches, and Photobooks Used to Create Connections and Foster Mutual Support (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Jennie Ann Cole, East Carolina University, Raleigh, NC (USA)
This presentation describes group intervention work with people experiencing homelessness to create mutual connection and support using art, poetry, stories, pop-up porches, and Photobooks, which serve to visualize through photos the life stories and accomplishments of persons identifying as homeless. This presentation explains the engagement process with groups of people experiencing homelessness; trains group social workers on how to ascertain funding to conduct creative projects with vulnerable populations; and discusses the process of disseminating the Photobooks to people experiencing homelessness and community partners.

6 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET
Use of Online Psychoeducational Programming to Facilitate Entry into Adolescent Sex Offender Treatment Groups 
D. Mark Ragg, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (USA)
Michael Turner, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
This presentation outlines a three-phase group model designed to help adolescents with problem sexual behaviors. This approach was developed to overcome the engagement challenges of integrating new members into an open-ended program. An online psychoeducational approach helps incoming members understand and apply core concepts used throughout the program. This onboarding system prepares the youth while creating comfort with the group leaders and eventually a senior ambassador to assist with the engagement process.

7 Thursday, 1:45PM - 2:15PM ET
Convincing the Devil’s Advocate: The Influence of Power & Role Conflict on Crisis Resolution 
Joshua Baker, Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, Tuscaloosa, AL (USA)
Meredith Lewis, UAB Huntsville Family Medicine Residency, Huntsville, AL (USA)
Collaboration with clients continues to be the hallmark of adherence to a treatment plan. In the era of COVID19, social workers need to equip clients to establish their own groups for treatment success while also utilizing professionally established organizations. Highlighting Role Conflict Theory and theories of power, participants attending this session will learn more about how support from these groups and understanding of power influence help relieve role crises and guide the conflict resolution process.

Session 11 // 90-minute Named Invitationals - Thursday, 2:30pm to 4:00pm ET 

1 Thursday, 2:30PM - 4:00PM ET | Catherine Papell Invitational
Power Dynamics and Anti-Racist Organizing: Use of Group Work for Empowerment towards Social Change | CE-eligible Presentation 
Lisa Henshaw, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Sari Skolnik-Basulto, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Joyce Roberson-Steele, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Charmain Williams-Farrar, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Beatriz Oliva, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Kristy Aristy, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)
Michelle Desir, Yeshiva University, New York, NY (USA)

In the aftermath of COVID-19 and the social unrest prompted by racial violence, students and faculty in higher education were confronted with traumatic stressors impacting the way that school communities engaged. This presentation will demonstrate how a diverse group of social work students and faculty organized a grass roots coalition to support a community response to these issues, with the common purpose of developing an anti-racist community among our graduate school.

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2 Thursday, 2:30PM - 4:00PM ET | USC Invitational
Finding Yalom's Curative Factors in an Online Group: What Can Happen on Zoom (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation 
Mark Smith, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL (USA)
Heidi Heft-LaPorte, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL (USA)
Cindy Sterne, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (USA)
Kris Drumm, Private Practice, Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA)
Todd Tedrow, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL (USA)
Mark Macgowan, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
Jim LoPresti, SunServe, Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA)
Daniela Riccelli, Startliving Recovery, North Palm Beach, FL (USA)
Mayra Bagnoli, Change & Growth Therapy Center, West Palm Beach, FL (USA)
Sloan Braun-Lorenzini, Special Needs Solutions, Miami, FL (USA)

Video clips of a group that recently transitioned from live, in-person meetings to meeting online will be used to engage participants in reflections about what appears similar or distinct between the two formats. Identifying Yalom's curative factors as they appear in the video provides a format for noticing group actions in the middle and end stages of group development. This experiential workshop demonstrates how time-honored groupwork practice principles continue to manifest in online groups.

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3 Thursday, 2:30PM - 4:00PM ET | Charles Garvin Invitational
Applying and Evaluating a Parenting Group Approach to Addressing Specific Health Needs of Children & Youth | CE-eligible Presentation 
Flavio F. Marsiglia, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ (USA)

This session will introduce Families Preparing the New Generation (FPNG), a parenting group program designed as a companion to keepin’it REAL.  Keepin’it REAL is an evidence based substance use prevention program. A Randomized Control Trial (RCT) found FPNG to be efficacious in delaying youths’ substance use initiation. We will review the study’s outcomes and ongoing adaptation and dissemination efforts, including virtual group format, cultural adaptations, and a multi-outcome design.   

Select Chapter Meetings - Thursday, 4:30pm to 6:00pm ET 

• Illinois Chapter - Join fellow members of the Illinois Chapter to socialize and network during the symposium! We hope to: 1)hear from members about their interest in connecting between symposia, 2) receive feedback about the events we have been holding yearly, and 3) gauge whether members want to form any peer consultation or mutual aid groups around teaching or practice.
• Ontario Groupwork Chapter - Please join the Ontario Groupworkers Chapter for an opportunity to meet and connect about groupwork in Ontario!
• Western US States Chapter - The Western U.S. Chapter would like to invite those interested in learning more about our group to attend the meet and greet. We will have time for introductions, share about our chapter’s upcoming programming and invite ideas for ideas for chapter meeting activities and topics. We look forward to seeing you there.

Online Standards Focus Group - Thursday, 4:30pm to 6:00pm ET 

Calling all Group Workers! Please join us in contributing to the development of IASWG Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups for online group work. This interactive session will briefly review the Standards; consider practice principles for online group work, including access, mutual aid, norms, and cultural competence; and solicit participants’ perspectives in four languages about the Standards to advance online group work in worldwide social and cultural contexts. This session will be offered at two times to accommodate international time zones and small group discussions will be held in English, French, German, and Spanish. Facilitated by the IASWG online standards task group: Andrés Arias Astray, Samuel R. Benbow, Ephrat Huss, Lorrie G. Gardella, Charles Garvin, Será Godfrey-Kaplan, Cheryl Lee, Mark Macgowan, Barbara Muskat, Andrea Rowell, Mamadou Seck, Shirley R. Simon, Mark Smith, Greg Tully.

Friday June 11, 2021

Online Standards Focus Group - 8:30am to 9:55am ET 

Session 12 // 60-minute Presentations - Friday, 10:00am to 11:00am ET

1 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Des ateliers de groupe visant à soutenir les femmes immigrantes dans leur processus d'intégration au Québec : quelque part entre l’intersectionnalité, l’aide mutuelle et l’éducation
Chloé Naud, Projet Femmes de tous les horizons, Montréal, QC (Canada)
Valérie Bourdon, Projet Femmes de tous les horizons, Montréal, QC (Canada)
Comment rendre nos groupes plus inclusifs? Comment faciliter la participation et le soutien social des femmes davantage exclues socialement : les femmes racisées, celles ayant un statut migratoire précaire, les femmes non-francophones, en situation de handicap? Quelles limites s'imposent? Voici quelques questionnements ayant émergé lors du développement du projet communautaire Femmes de tous les horizons, un programme d’ateliers de groupe visant à soutenir les femmes immigrantes dans leur intégration à la société québécoise.

2 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
Défis et pratiques prometteuses dans l'enseignement de l'aide mutuelle à distance (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Jean-Martin Deslauriers, Université d’Ottawa, Ottawa, ON (Canada)
Cette conférence prépose tout d'abord un constat sur la formation, à distance, en travail social de groupe. Quelques enjeux seront établis, de même que des stratégies qui ont affiché leur efficacité dans la formation lorsque les séances ne peuvent avoir lieu en présentiel. Par la suite, cette présentation se veut un lieu d'échange entre formateurs sur les formules prometteuses en matière de formation à distance à l'intervention de groupe, dans une perspective d'aide mutuelle.

3 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
Ambulante Hilfen: Chancen vermeheren oder Krisen abwehren
Stephan Maas, Ambulante Familienhilfe, Amikoa Jugendhilfe (Germany)
Das Familiensysthem als Gruppe bietet viele Möglicheiten groupworkerisch zu arbeiten und so neue Chancen mit den Familien zu entwickeln. Jedoch finden sich Ambulante Hilfen häufig in der Rolle der Kriesenabwehr eines erschöpften Systhems wieder und können so das Potenzial der Familien schwer aktivieren. Wann müssten die Hilfen einsetzen? Was müsste sich verändern? Welche verschiedenen Vorraussetzungen gibt es? Ich möchte Sie einladen eigene Erfahrungen, Möglichkeiten, Hindernisse und Ideen dieses Spannungsfeldes zusammen zu diskutieren.

4 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Arteluz, ser luz a otros a través del arte en el trabajo social escolar
Ariana Rivera Irizarry, Escuela loaíza Cordero del Rosario, Peñuelas, PR (USA)
Destacar la importancia de la intervención grupal en el escenario escolar como una herramienta de prevención. Creación de un proyecto de Trabajo Social Escolar con un enfoque sociodinámico, creativo y educativo con estudiantes de nivel superior, los cuales crearon un video integrando las distintas bellas artes sobre estrategias de resiliencia ante la adversidad en los desastres naturales. También se presenta las técnicas de role player y dramatización.

5 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
Leading Effective Boards and Volunteer Committees (TRAINING TRACK)
Marci Mayer Eisen, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (USA)
Committees and boards are essential to building leadership and engagement, yet few staff within nonprofit organizations have been taught the skills required to professionally staff decision-making leadership groups. This presentation applies group work theories and practices to the role of the nonprofit staff person with a focus on professionals who work with volunteer leaders from entry level committees to the board of directors. Leave with ideas to create engagement and deepen commitments as we review the essence of the group process and explore ways staff members can structure decision making strategies to balance the views of individuals with the expectations of the organization.

6 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET 
The IASWG SPARC Program: Milestones in Supporting Innovation in Group Work with Endorsement and Funding of IASWG Members' Initiatives (RESEARCH TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation 
Carol Cohen, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY (USA)
Brian Kelly, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Maria Gurrola, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA (USA)
Helene Onserud, Independent Practitioner, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
The International Association for Social Work with Groups launched the SPARC Program to "spark" members' innovative projects through endorsement and grants. Join the IASWG SPARC Program Committee and SPARC Awardees at this session for information and discussion of the application process, successes and challenges. Come hear about applying and celebrate the 9-year old birthday of IASWG's SPARC Program!

7 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Co-Parenting during a Time of Crisis: Preventative Law in the Context of Psychoeducational Group Work to Prevent Negative Involvement in the Legal System 
Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray, Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP, Chicago, IL (USA)
Jason Pica II, Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP, Chicago, IL (USA)
The Domestic Relations Court System is not designed to feasibly, effectively and compassionately help families resolve crises. The COVID pandemic highlighted this issue as the number of families with custody disputes flooded the family court system. Preventive law as a form of psychoeducation could reduce the number of families that end up resolving family crises in court through therapeutic psycholegal education and anticipatory planning. This presentation will better prepare attendees to lead psychoeducational group work activities for new and co-parenting families.

8 Friday, 10:00AM - 11:00AM ET
Street Groupwork in Kolkata, India | CE-eligible Presentation 
Mark Doel, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield (United Kingdom)
Tarun Banerjee, Bharat Bhavna, Kolkata (India)
Sagarika Banerjee, Bharat Bhavna, Kolkata (India)
This session seeks to connect live with the streets of Kolkata to join the Bharat Bhavna organisation and get a taste of the work its street workers do in the slums of north Kolkata. This organisation combines a broad range of approaches, from small classes for teenage girls teaching classical Indian dance to broad social and political campaigns for improvement. This is a very political groupwork, open about its environmentalism and its socialism. The presentation is highly experimental and the experiences will be set in context for attendees by a session facilitator familiar with the work of Bharat Bhavna and based in the UK. The exact nature of the direct experiences in Kolkata will depend on circumstances at the time (it's monsoon season!)

Session 13 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Friday, 11:15am to 11:45am ET 

1 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
Les visages changeants du travail social de groupe dans les sociétés francophones ouest africaines
Roch Mongbo, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou (Benin)
Le présent papier décrypte les évolutions enregistrées dans les configurations et les modèles opératoires du travail social de groupe en Afrique francophone. Une attention particulière est accordée aux mutations produites dans le travail social de groupe au passage de l'assistance sociale portée par les services de l'Etat, aux assistances à géométries variables portées par des institutions de coopération, des organisations humanitaires, des ONG et autres organisations de la société civile. La présentation analyse les réponses basées sur le travail social de groupe, que ces configurations développementistes apportent aux fractures sociales multiples actuelles de même que les mécanismes et processus par lesquels des modèles endogènes recomposés du travail social de groupe s’articulent avec des formes nouvelles diffusées à la faveur de projets contribuant à la (re)construction de liens sociaux préservant tant bien que mal des vivres ensemble menacés.

2 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET 
Alcooliques Anonymes (AA) - De nouveaux moyens, la même méthode 
Renald D.
La première vague de la COVID 19 a entraîné la fermeture de toutes les rencontres AA. Le recours aux plateformes numériques a permis à plusieurs personnes alcooliques de commencer ou de poursuivre leur cheminement pour se libérer de l’obsession de boire. Aujourd’hui, ces rencontres virtuelles sont un atout pour les professionnels qui peuvent les consulter et y diriger des membres vers un programme qui a fait ses preuves auprès de millions de personnes.

3 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET 
El poder de la conexión virtual: Grupo de apoyo a sobrevivientes de acoso sexual en Puerto Rico (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Elithet Silva-Martinez, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR (USA)
Suzette Alvarez-Soto, SIEMPRE VIVAS Metro, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR (USA)
El propósito de esta presentación es compartir estrategias para la intervención grupal virtual con sobrevivientes de acoso sexual en contextos universitarios utilizando un modelo feminista narrativo. La presentación incluye la metodología empleada y las estrategias utilizadas considerando la diversidad de estresores producto de la pandemia del COVID-19. Además, discutiremos las fortalezas y retos de desarrollar este tipo de intervención virtual desde las lecciones aprendidas al desarrollar el mismo con mujeres puertorriqueñas.

4 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET 
Parenting during the Pandemic: How to Harness the Power of Group Work (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Jorūnė Vyšniauskytė Rimkienė, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas (Lithuania)
Because families are likely to experience a lack of support from external sources, such as from schools or childcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that they had more possibilities to be supported during this change period. This presentation will share one family support center's approach to online group work during the pandemic to help parents overcome issues of parenting, such as distant education, increased stress levels, and difficulties of parenting adolescents. Case studies from five online socio-educational and support groups implemented in Lithuania will be discussed.

5 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET 
Social Work Students Connecting and Learning through Group Work in a Camp Setting (TRAINING TRACK)
Steve King, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA (USA)
Irene McClatchey, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA (USA)
Bianca Channer, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA (USA)
In this presentation, participants will learn about a way to help social work students gain practice experience in delivering group counseling in a real-life setting volunteering at a healing camp for bereaved children and teens. These experiences are described from the point of view of students immersing themselves in an ‘up close and personal’ clinical experience that challenged their nascent professional practice skills and gave them an awareness of their own personal reactions to, and understandings of grief, loss, and bereavement. Attendees will learn innovative ways to teach social work students essential skills, how the lived experience helped the students connect with their social work skills, and the impact between their interventions and the campers’ growth.

6 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
Students Experiencing the Group Process with the Interpersonal Classroom Model 
Tee R. Tyler, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX (USA)
Amanda Walker, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX (USA)
This presentation offers an overview of the interpersonal classroom model (ICM). The ICM was designed primarily for social work group practice courses to prepare students for group practice with diverse client populations by first learning to explore social identity differences existing within the classroom. This presentation reviews the theoretical foundation of the ICM, outlines how educators can employ the ICM, and includes a brief demonstration for how educators can employ weekly reflection journal and Qualtrics survey assignments to receive ongoing feedback from students throughout the semester.

7 Friday, 11:15AM - 11:45AM ET
I Can't Be on My High Horse: How Adolescent Girls' Management of Self-worth Can Impact Their Engagement in Groups 
Erin Nau, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY (USA)
Adolescent girls are constantly managing how much self-worth they are willing to show to others. They do not want to be seen as having too much self-worth, being on a high horse, or having too little, being needy. Furthermore, they worry that if they have too much self-worth it might make others feel bad about themselves. Gain a better understanding about how these factors impact adolescent girls' participation in groups and how to plan activities that best meet the needs of this population depending on a group's stage of development.

Session 14 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Friday, 12:00pm to 12:30pm ET 

1 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET
La pratique de groupe à l'aide de pratiques alternatives et sensorielles afin de créer des liens auprès de personnes ayant une démence hébergées en CHSLD
Grégory Ardiet, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Est-il possible de faire du groupe "autrement" en utilisant des pratiques alternatives et sensorielles afin de toucher des personnes âgées ayant une démence avancée hébergées en CHSLD? Nous aborderons la réalité de ces personnes et envisagerons les possibilités de faire du groupe avec elles. Après avoir expliqué la pertinence de toucher ces personnes par des activités de groupe, nous découvrirons ensemble comment les étapes de l'intervention sociale de groupe peuvent être adaptées dans ce contexte.

2 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET
Quand le travailleur social de groupe utilise son pouvoir: s'imposer au membre, s'engager avec lui ou le responsabiliser?
Mamadou Seck, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Les travailleurs sociaux de groupe sont au service des membres du groupe auxquels ils sont liés suivant des règles implicites ou explicites. Les travailleurs sociaux peuvent imposer des tâches ou des activités, et même des attitudes aux membres du groupe; parfois, ils les considèrent comme des collaborateurs ou alter-ego, avec qui ils partagent les responsabilités et l’exercice du pouvoir. Dans d’autres circonstances, les travailleurs sociaux sont considérés comme des catalyseurs ; ils confient le pouvoir de décision aux membres qui l’exercent sous leur contrôle. L'application des règles d'éthique professionnelle est analysée.

3 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET
100 Years of Silent Subjugation: Exploring the Rarity of Contemporary Social Action Initiatives for Invisible Groups such as Migrant Farmworkers and the Radical Advocacy Tradition of Group Work 
Ken Saldanha, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (USA)
The presentation offers background information about the history of migrant farmworkers in Michigan and the Midwest of the United States. It includes observations from outreach to housing camps, migrant schools, and a coalition of agencies providing services to migrant farmworkers. It will conclude with initiating a discussion about how group workers can revive the social action groups tradition and advocate for and with migrant farmworkers and agencies to increase farmworker visibility and improve their working and living conditions.

4 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET 
Check Ins: A Consideration of the Use of Ritual in Group Work Practice (TRAINING TRACK)
Kathy Pjura, Southern Connecticut University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Mark Cameron, Southern Connecticut University, New Haven, CT (USA)
This presentation will challenge participants to see everyday ritualistic ways of relating within the group as having the potential to recreate social and familial systems that have often proved dysfunctional for the client. Group discussion will include consideration of how we attempt to "normalize" the client and how this can reproduce a matriarchal way of relating that is not conducive to real change.

5 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET 
Strengthening Connections through Online Group Work: Moving Towards the Development of Best Practices (RESEARCH TRACK)
Alice Schmidt Hanbidge, Renison University College, Waterloo, ON (Canada)
Maryam Rafieifar, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
Mark Macgowan, Florida International University, Miami, FL (USA)
Online group work offers a powerful opportunity for building connections and reducing social isolation, extending beyond the pandemic. Yet it is not well developed. Research, practice principles, ethical and legal frameworks are still emerging. This interactive presentation summarizes the literature and explores its efficacy, barriers and feasibility, ethical issues, and group work processes from planning through ending stages. The session aims to maximize potential for practitioners navigating online group work.

6 Friday, 12:00PM - 12:30PM ET
Making Virtual Connections: Group Work with Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 
Elizabeth Rodriguez-Keyes, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Lisa Cormier, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Social workers are embracing opportunities to build therapeutic relationships with clients remotely through virtual communications. This presentation will highlight the virtual group work of two BSW student interns working with adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities in residential settings and how they were able to develop virtual connections with this population. Considerations of communication barriers and how to incorporate various special education techniques to allow clients of all abilities to understand and participate in group activities will be discussed.

The Beulah H. Rothman Plenary - Friday, 12:45pm to 1:45pm ET      

Le travail social de groupe à l'âge numérique: comprendre la "fracture numérique" (Social Work with Groups in the Digital Age: Unpacking the "Digital Divide")
Namoonga Chilwalo, University of Namibia, Pionierspark, Windhoek (Namibia)
Sylvie Jochems, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Pascal Plantard, Université Rennes 2, Rennes (France)
Ginette Berteau (moderator), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)

Session 15 // 60-minute Presentations - Friday, 2:00pm to 3:00pm ET      

1 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Développer la pratique de groupe dans une grande organisation: l'expérience des services publics en dépendance à Montréal 
Eric Gascon, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC (Canada)
Martin Camire, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, QC (Canada)
Cette présentation fera le récit d'une démarche à grande échelle pour favoriser le développement de la pratique de groupe dans un établissement public. Comment faire davantage de place aux services de groupe dans une grande organisation? Les principales étapes de cette démarche (planification, formation, implantation, soutien) seront décrites. Finalement, les enjeux organisationnels, managériaux et cliniques de cette démarche seront discutés avec les participants.

2 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Group Work Strategies to Facilitate Meaningful Conversations about Race and Social Justice in Clinical Social Work (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Joan Pittman, University of Maryland-Baltimore, Baltimore, MD (USA)
Neijma Celestine-Donnor, University of Maryland-Baltimore, Baltimore, MD (USA)
This experiential session will focus on learning group facilitation strategies to deepen conversations about race, oppression, privilege, and social justice in clinical social work practice. Participants will engage in group activities that encourage critical thinking about the impact of our identities, fears, and values in how we respond to situations where race, oppression, and privilege “pop up” in clinical social work.

3 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET 
Strength in Solidarity: Online Peer Support for Grieving Young Adults (MUTUAL AID TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Janet Arida, Highmark Caring Place, Warrendale, PA (USA)
Conor Dawley, Highmark Caring Place, Erie, PA (USA)
Terri Bowling, Highmark Caring Place, Lemoyne, PA (USA)
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood is inherently a time of change and uncertainty, and this can be amplified when the death of a loved one occurs during (or prior to) this significant passage. This presentation will describe the issues unique to grieving young adults and explore the modality of online peer grief support groups as a way of helping them navigate their grief journey.

4 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET 
Envisioning an Egalitarian Future: Implications in Social Work Group Learning (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Nikki Katz, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Mark Cameron, Southern Connecticut University, New Haven, CT (USA)
What are the possibilities for disrupting the hegemonic power structure through group social work? What, if any, boundaries are worth protecting? Explore these questions using Michel Foucault’s concepts of power, dominance, and normalization as applicable to group social work. Participate in self-reflection, problem solving, and role play. Use the progressively developed ideas in this session combined with your experiences to collectively imagine an egalitarian future.

5 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Measures of Victim Empowerment Related to Safety: Understanding Trauma through Client's Eyes | CE-eligible Presentation
Carrie McManus, Sagesse, Calgary, AB (Canada)
Andrea Silverstone, Sagesse, Calgary, AB (Canada)
This presentation will discuss how Sagesse uses the values, context, and impact of the Measures of Victim Empowerment Related to Safety tool to support clients to build understanding of the impacts of trauma and their path to healing. Through interactive activities and dynamic discussion, attendees will explore how moving away from a focus on safety and into a complex understanding of client experiences and capacity will build their ability to move through their trauma.

6 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Adapting the Use of Fiber-Crafts as an Activity in Virtual Social Work Groups | CE-eligible Presentation
Cameron Ward, New York, NY (USA)
This session will focus on adapting activity in social work groups for meeting virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this presentation will explore how an activity group for Queer, Trans, and Non-Binary fiber-craft makers and artists adapted to meeting virtually on Zoom. The presenter will discuss his learning curve with adapting traditional facilitation skills to a virtual platform, while still maintaining mutual aid among group members.

7 Friday, 2:00PM - 3:00PM ET
Prioritizing the Voices of Older Adults to Improve Health Systems and Communities (MUTUAL AID TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Jasmine Chandy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL (USA)
Grisel Rodriguez-Morales, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL (USA)
The older adult population is rapidly growing and in need of competent care, and the optimal way to do so is by learning from the older adults themselves. This presentation will cover strategies to create programs for older adults, implement patient-centered clinical interactions, and ultimately create an age-friendly community by anchoring in the voice of the older adult. The presentation will also include ways to cultivate a reflective environment using group work skills.

Session 16 // 60-minute Presentations - Friday, 3:15pm to 4:15pm ET  

1 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
La peur, une compagne de la pratique de groupe 
Ginette Berteau, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Eric Gascon, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Cette présentation portera sur ce sentiment largement vécu mais souvent tabou et peu discuté. Que craignons-nous ? Comment pouvons-nous composer, et peut-être même tirer profit de ces peurs ? Cette présentation fera la part belle aux témoignages d'intervenants qui partageront leur expérience de la peur face à la pratique de groupe et des moyens qu'ils ont mis en œuvre pour la surmonter. Des liens seront aussi établis avec les sources théoriques sur ce phénomène.

2 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework as a Model for Community Fostered Environmental Change | CE-eligible Presentation
Georgianna Dolan-Reilly, Institute for Social Work and Environmental Justice, Garden City, NY (USA)
Whether a helping professional is supporting clients with the increased mental health toll of hotter temperatures or working at the policy level to enhance community gardens to improve food deserts, there’s no denying that climate change is a 'wicked problem' impacting all lives and levels of practice. This session will provide attendees with the tools to utilize existing frameworks of community change to identify and address climate change issues at any level of practice.

3 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET 
The Transition to Virtual Facilitation of Groups during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from a Mixed Methods Study (RESEARCH TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Avital Kaye-Tzadok, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer (Israel)
Tamar Icekson, Peres Academic Center, Rehovot (Israel)
Yael Ben David, The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya (Israel)
This mixed-methods study aims to explore facilitators' experiences of transitioning to the virtual space, with a dual focus on both group processes and facilitation. The findings from the study demonstrate considerable differences between the experience of face-to-face and virtual group facilitation and raise further questions as to the practice of virtual facilitation of groups. This presentation will explain why it is vital for online group facilitators to learn to work with multiple and even contradictory spaces, representations, stimuli, and voices, while also continuing to develop the theory and practice of virtual group facilitation.

4 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Hear Our Voices: A Transformative Group Process Engaging Citizens with Criminal Backgrounds Experiencing Homelessness to Develop a Reentry Committee | CE-eligible Presentation
Thomas Kenemore, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Brent In, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
A transformative group process is presented, involving citizens with criminal backgrounds experiencing homelessness and navigating a carceral state, as they develop a Reentry Committee within an activist organization. A participatory action perspective is employed to ensure dominance of the voices of those represented. The group process is managed to limit the influence of ‘expert’ power dynamics of staff and service providers. Additionally, the unique challenges of Covid 19 and online group engagement are explored.

5 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET 
Critically Reflective Group Work in Field Seminar Classes (TRAINING TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Stacy Husebo, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN (USA)
Allison Scheel, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN (USA)
This session will explore the knowledge and values in the critically reflective lens of social work and the unified purpose of social well-being framework for social work students in a field placement. Participants will be guided through these models to incorporate social group work ideals of mutual aid, participation and social justice via exploring the literature on social group work and discuss its potential for learning, transformation and social change in social work practice.

6 Friday, 3:15PM - 4:15PM ET
Postcards Patriots: How to Organize Your Friends and Save Democracy | CE-eligible Presentation
Rebecca Hoffman, Social Groupworker, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
In December 2020, 39 friends and I wrote over 3,000 postcards to Georgia voters to encourage them to vote in the US Senate runoff elections. Participants in this session will learn how to mobilize a “Postcard Patriot” group themselves. And, together we will write postcards, to experience the gratification of helping to promote democracy, one voter at time. Bring a pen, a 4”x6” (10 cm x 15 cm) index card, one postcard stamp, and a thirst for liberty.

Membership Meeting - Friday, 4:30pm to 6:00pm ET 

Please join us in a 90-minute interactive membership meeting in which members will have the opportunity to participate in 5 sessions lasting 15 minutes each. The five topic sessions include: Mindfulness, Seek and Find, Dance Around the World, Let’s Share A Meal, and the Beauty of Lithuania. This session will be offered at two times to accommodate international time zones.

Exploring Leadership Roles in IASWG - Friday, 6:00pm to 6:30pm ET 

Saturday June 12, 2021

Stretch & Sing-along - 9:00am to 9:50am ET 

Join students from New Zealand, Lithuania, and South Africa in dance and song to start the last day of the symposium. Learning about culture and traditions, this time will include fun and relaxing country specific activities that bring to life group work therapy, practice, and research through non-deliberative group work.

Session 17 // 90-minute Named Invitationals - Saturday, 10:00am to 11:30am ET

1 Saturday, 10:00AM - 11:30AM ET | Roselle Kurland Memorial Invitational
Group Work Educators Teaching Group Work Educators: Strategies for Teaching Group Work in a Virtual Classroom | CE-eligible Presentation
​Jennifer Currin-McCulloch, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (USA)
Ken Saldanha, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI (USA)
Greg Tully, West Chester University, West Chester, PA (USA)
Barbara Muskat, IASWG, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Shirley Simon, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Ann Bergart, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Ellen Sue Mesbur, IASWG Ontario Chapter, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Donna Guy, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Rotorua (New Zealand)
Namoonga Chilwalo, University of Namibia, Pionierspark, Windhoek (Namibia)
Mamadou Seck, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Cheryl Lee, IASWG Western US, Long Beach, CA (USA)
Kristina Lind, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH (USA)
Neil Hall, Western Sydney University, Penrith (Australia)
Diana Kelly, Indiana University School of Social Work, Indianapolis, IN (USA)

A panel presentation with 14 IASWG global group work educators sharing content and encouraging interactive discussion addressing: salient strategies for effective online group work teaching; being global social work online teachers who formed a group to develop global group work teaching strategies; and future possibilities and benefits for forming global groups to identify effective online teaching strategies.

__________________________

2 Saturday, 10:00AM - 11:30AM ET | Robert Salmon Invitational
Self Care During a Global Pandemic | CE-eligible Presentation
Richard Beck, International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes, New York, New York (USA)

Unlike a stressor that enters and leaves, this pandemic is ongoing. We are living in peritraumatic times, uncertain when this pandemic will end. The new equilibrium is constantly changing as people, organizations and systems react and respond to the pandemic. This presentation unpacks the impact of traumatic events, like a pandemic, on the life and client relationships of social workers. Significant focus will be on understanding the role of personal self care and how groups are an effective method in developing self care strategies and reducing a sense of loneliness.

__________________________

3 Saturday, 10:00AM - 11:30AM ET | Norma C. Lang Nondeliberative Invitational
Teatro sin papeles: Una experiencia colectiva de transformación social mediante el Teatro de la Escucha (Theatre without Papers: A Collective Experience of Social Transformation Through “Teatro de la Escucha”) | CE-eligible Presentation
Moisés Mato, Director y pedagogo teatral, Madrid (Spain)
Joanna Reina,Trabajadora social, inmigrante colombiana, Madrid (Spain)
David Bingong, inmigrante camerunés, Madrid (Spain)
Linda Ducca, Profesora de Trabajo Social, inmigrante Argentina, Miembro del Consejo de la IASWG, Madrid (Spain)

En esta presentación se relatan tres experiencias de teatro de la Escucha con personas migrantes en Madrid, donde se reflexiona sobre los significados, dificultades y oportunidades de ser migrante en la sociedad actual. El trabajo grupal constituye un eje fundamental en la creación con el otro de una pieza teatral que se convierte en un acto de activismo mediante el arte. Los protagonistas nos cuentan en primera persona el proceso creativo y las repercusiones que ha tenido la experiencia. El objetivo principal de la presentación es generar un espacio de reflexión acerca de las posibilidades del teatro social para ofrecer un espacio de expresión y resistencia desde el que contribuir a la transformación social en sociedades marcadas por las fronteras, la desigualdad y los discursos de odio.

This presentation is based on three experiences of the Teatro de la Escucha (Listening Theatre) program with migrants in Madrid. In this program, participants reflect on the meanings, difficulties, and opportunities of being a migrant. This invitational presentation will explain how group work is a fundamental axis in the co-creation of a play and how theatre can become an act of activism through art. The creative process of this method of group work and the repercussions and impacts experienced will be shared. This presentation seeks to generate a space for reflection on the possibilities of social theater to offer a space for expression and resistance, while also contributing to social transformation in societies marked by borders, inequality, and hate speech.

Session 18 // 30-minute Discovery Sessions - Saturday, 11:45am to 12:15pm ET 

1 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET 
A Six-week Mutual Aid Support Group for Essential Workers in NYC during COVID-19 (MUTUAL AID TRACK)
Sharon Goldberg, Social Worker, New York, NY (USA)
This presentation will demonstrate the use of mutual aid groups for NYC essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussed will be how the group was planned, formed, instituted, executed and evaluated according to mutual aid theory.

2 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET
Le travail de groupe en contexte interculturel: deux cas d'intervention auprès de femmes immigrantes à La Maison Bleue à Montréal 
Anne-Marie Bellemare, La Maison Bleue, Montréal, QC (Canada)
Par la présentation de deux cas de travail de groupe auprès de femmes immigrantes à La Maison Bleue, un centre de périnatalité sociale situé à Montréal, les participants en apprendront davantage sur les barrières systémiques qu’elles rencontrent et sur les conditions favorables à l’échange d’information et la création d’un climat de confiance leur permettant de briser leur isolement et de reprendre du pouvoir sur leur vie. La conférence favorisera les échanges entre les participants.

3 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET
Using Film and Group-based Dialogues to Dismantle Ethnocentric Monoculturalism in the Classroom 
Brian Kelly, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
In light of the summer 2020 racial justice and Black Lives Matter movements that galvanized globally in response to the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, it is imperative that group work educators identify effective strategies to assist students in dismantling white supremacy and challenging anti-black racism. This session will offer one such strategy and encourage attendees to consider how they might develop more of their own. In this session, participants will view a scene from Raul Peck’s documentary film I Am Not Your Negro and learn how to use the scene to engage students in group-based dialogues to examine and challenge ethnocentric monoculturalism and its relationship to whiteness and anti-black racism.

4 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET
Sewing Apart and Together: Experiences of a Neighborhood Seamstress Group during COVID 
Jeanne Dagenais Lesperance, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, QC (Canada)
Sewing is an act that has been both celebrated and criticized. It has been accused of reinforcing the creation of a domestic ghetto with third world women, while also acknowledging its economic potential and cultural significance. This presentation aims to unpack epiphanies by using autoethnographic data to share the challenging and life-changing experience of creating and facilitating a multilingual/multicultural sewing collective making masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET
Group Work with Immigrant Women: Staying Virtually Connected During COVID-19 
Erum Agha, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC (USA)
Social connections are vital to the well-being of communities and are especially necessary among marginalized and underrepresented groups. One such group of immigrant women which was meeting in-person before the pandemic recognized the impact of lost connections during the COVID-19 and took a leap of faith to reconnect using a virtual platform despite their low technology skills. The presentation describes the bio-psycho-social-spiritual support afforded to these women through these groups and shares lessons learned from these women’s experience to enrich the knowledge base for social work with groups.

6 Saturday, 11:45AM - 12:15PM ET 
Intimate Partner Violence during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Enriching the Role of Social Work Practice (TRAINING TRACK)
Alkauthar Seun Enakele, Masaryk University, Brno (Czech Republic)
Social workers have increasingly voiced concern about increased domestic violence during COVID-19 because many victims and survivors of intimate partner violence are at home with their abusers and run the risk of new or escalating violence. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a coercive behavior pattern designed to exert power and control over a person in a close relationship. This presentation aims to further describe IPV and how social workers can intervene more effectively using innovative intervention approaches during the COVID -19 pandemic.

Saturday Poster Presentations - 12:30pm to 1:35pm ET 

Le jardin-école comme ciment social au sein de communautés multi-ethniques
Nadine Babatounde, ONG, Cotonou, QC (Benin)
L’adhésion au "jardin école" pour bénéficier de la formation sur les techniques de jardinage combinées aux petits élevages est libre et volontaire dans les villages d’intervention du projet. Cette approche permet de regrouper plusieurs catégories sociales et ethniques (holli et mahi, Aizo et wémè) autour d’un même jardin école. Cette affiche discute des mécanismes et processus par lequels le travail social de groupe, tout en contribuant à l’amélioration des conditions matérielles de vie des communautés, permet de jeter des ponts de brassage et de cohésion entre des groupes sociaux isolés par des préjugés et méfiances séculaires que l’on pensait irréductibles. Elle conclut sur les leçons qui se dégagent d’une telle expérience qui méritent d’être portée à l’échelle.

Facilitating Virtual Groups for Youth at a Closed-custody Detention Centre: Associated Experiences and Navigating Challenges as a New Social Worker
Simran Arora, Canadian Training Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada)
This presentation aims to describe the challenges associated with facilitating virtual psychoeducational groups for youth at a closed-custody detention centre. The poster outlines my experiences as a new social worker and the different ways challenges related to confidentiality, technology, and the COVD-19 pandemic were addressed. Successes resulting from the program and recommendations for future groups and practitioners are also stated within this poster.

Availability of BIPOC Groups in Chicagoland High Schools: Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kimberly Zaucha, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Antonia Stamatoukos, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
This poster examines the availability of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) support groups in Chicagoland high schools prior to and during COVID-19. A survey was administered to predominantly white and diverse high schools to determine the possibility of a correlation between groups offered and racial/ethnic composition of the student body. This poster intends to determine a shift, through survey data, in the numbers of BIPOC groups offered amid a racial and global pandemic.

LGBTQ+ Identity Development and Euphoria Curriculum for Groupwork within a High School Setting 
Erica Fada, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
With an increase in LGBTQ+ individuals within younger populations, and the fact that members of Generation Z already identify with the community during their adolescence, there is a great need for support around queer identity formation in adolescents' lives. However, despite the growing need for LGBTQ+ support, curricula around how to develop groups for these populations is lacking. This poster presents a summary of curriculum development and implementation for groups tailored to LGBTQ+ high school adolescents.

Small Process Groups: Would They Enhance the MSW Student Experience?
Julie Jensen, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Due to the emotional nature of the MSW curriculum, students experience triggers, vicarious trauma and extreme stress at a higher rate than other programs resulting in the need for more support. Individual therapy and integrative seminars are commonly provided; however, process groups are rarely offered. This poster presents the findings from a survey of MSW students and the impact they feel process groups would have on their experience.

Parents' Preferences on the Content of a School Social Group Work Bullying Programme 
Willemien Roodt, North West University, Potchefstroom, Swartruggens (South Africa)
Marie Ubbink, North West University, Potchefstroom (South Africa)
A quantitative cross-sectional survey obtained the preferences of primary school learners' parents, on the content of a three-dimensional (parent, learners, and educators) school social group work bullying programme. A descriptive analysis, t-tests, ANOVA and Spearman correlations was done. Data analysis revealed content element rated most applicable and least applicable by parents. Emerging themes was identified in the narrative qualitative question responses. A thematic analysis revealed content that could be added to such a programme.

Session 20 // 60-minute Presentations - Saturday, 1:45pm to 2:45pm ET 

1 Saturday, 1:45PM - 2:45PM ET 
Le groupe SEMA: un groupe « philo-éducatif » innovateur pour partager son expérience morale comme proche aidant (RESEARCH TRACK) 
Sophie Ethier, Université Laval, Quebec, QC (Canada)
Cette présentation s'inclut dans le programme de l'IASWG dans la mesure où elle rend compte d'une expérience de groupe innovatrice, issue de la recherche, qui a été évaluée, et qui élargit le champ de pratique des groupes de développement de type éducatif (Turcotte et Lindsay, 2019). Elle permet donc d'enrichir les connaissances des praticiens et des chercheurs dans le domaine.

2 Saturday, 1:45PM - 2:45PM ET
Engaging Teen Girls in Groups: Exploring Diversity, Healthy Relationships, and Self-Esteem | CE-eligible Presentation
Zaza Sakhat, Private Practice, Worcester, MA (USA)
Adolescent girls can be challenging to work with yet also lots of fun! This workshop illustrates the importance of group work with teen girls through an interactive discussion about diversity and self-esteem. Concrete ideas for coordinating and leading a teen girls group in an outpatient setting will also be provided. 

3 Saturday, 1:45PM - 2:45PM ET
Parent Cafes to Build Connections and Strengthen Families: An Empowering Experience | CE-eligible Presentation
Kala Chakradhar, Murray State University, Murray, KY (USA)
LaDonna Butler, Provider Enrichment Services, Paducah, KY (USA)
Parenting can be daunting, rewarding, frustrating and fulfilling. How about having parent cafés to get parents talking and bonding, feel good and navigate the intriguing task of parenting? Can it also help parents discover themselves to help build strong families and communities? Find out more in this presentation where you learn how to set up a parent café and generate new ideas to do so.

4 Saturday, 1:45PM - 2:45PM ET 
Group Workers Need Groups Too: Mutual Aid Among Group Workers in the Transition to Online Teaching (MUTUAL AID TRACK) | CE-eligible Presentation
Rand Warden, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN (USA)
Ann Bergart, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT (USA)
Shirley Simon, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Mauricio Cifuentes, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
Barbara Muskat, IASWG, Toronto, ON (Canada)
Namoonga Chilwalo, University of Namibia, Pionierspark, Windhoek (Namibia)
Helene Onserud, Independent Practitioner, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
Roshini Pillay, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg (South Africa)
Through panel discussion and experiential exercise this session looks at the experience of starting and participating in an international, intergenerational, peer-led mutual aid support group for group work educators and practitioners who are transitioning to online teaching and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members describe sharing resources, expertise, and invaluable support. The presentation stresses the flexible structure of the group, the role of peer facilitator, and what members take away from this experience.

The Joan K. Parry Memorial Plenary - Saturday, 3:00pm to 4:00pm ET 

​Social Justice and Group Work Practice in a Global Society
Charles Garvin, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
Robert Ortega, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)

This plenary will discuss social justice as a universal construct within the context of global variations relative to socio-political, cultural, and other differences, and as evidenced in gender roles, family structures, economic circumstances, law enforcement, and governmental conditions. Essential social justice conditions from previous work focusing on solidarity, tolerance, inclusion, trust, cultural humility, empowerment, and shared leadership will be referenced. Case examples will illustrate how various cultures experience and address social justice issues in the context of group work practice.

Closing Gathering - Saturday, 4:00pm to 4:30pm ET