Pre-Symposium 2022 Institutes

There is an additional fee to attend Pre-Symposium Institutes held on Tuesday, June 14th and Wednesday, June 15th. Please register for in the symposium registration portal.

Field Instructor’s Workshop

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 (9:30am - 12:30pm EDT)
Presenter: Urania Glassman
Good communication and relational processes are vital for a successful supervisory relationship; when they are ignored, or not addressed skillfully, the learning process can go astray. The institute will focus on the opportunities and challenges that arise during the supervisory process, including the supervision of group work. The methods and skills required to achieve effective supervision will be addressed. The seminar format will include presentation, discussion, and role-play. Practice examples will be drawn from the participants' supervisory practice.

• The Institute offers 3 hours of continuing education contact hours (3 CE Contact Hours) and has no registration fee for social work field instructors who supervise students.

Virtual Group Work: Fostering Meaningful Connections Online

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 (10:00am - 12:00pm EDT)
Presenter: Jennifer Clements
Join in this interactive and fun session and fill your facilitation toolbox with group-oriented, techniques to inspire and motivate participants, create a supportive and positive learning environment, and facilitate meaningful reflection and group dialogue in virtual environments. Be ready to build on group work theory to better identify key components to improve group functioning and maximize outlines while also breaking down perceived barriers and unconscious bias.

• The Institute offers 2 hours of continuing education contact hours (2 CE Contact Hours) and has a $30 registration fee ($10 for students).

Turning Points in Group Life 

Tuesday, June 14, 2022 (1:30pm - 4:30pm EDT)
Presenter: Alex Gitterman
The interaction between group worker, individual members, and the group entity often generate natural interpersonal tensions and obstacles. These internal communication and relationship processes often represent significant turning points in group life. When they are ignored or unskillfully tackled, internal group processes go astray and mutual aid fails to occur, and the group is limited in its development. This institute will discuss ways in which group members’ and workers’ ambivalence can lead to the illusion of work such as passive resistance, intellectualization, and testing. The role of the deviant group member will also be explored. Through presentation, discussion, and role-plays, attendees will connect knowledge, methods, and skills of group development to discuss the opportunities and challenges of these internal processes, the methods and skills required to achieve turning points, and ways to foster mutual support and respect.

• The Institute offers 3 hours of continuing education contact hours (3 CE Contact Hours) and has a $50 registration fee ($20 for students).
• Note: This session will not be recorded.

Integrating Science & Art in Group Work Practice for Mutual Aid Support Groups

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 (9:30am - 4:30pm EDT)
Presenter: Lawrence Shulman
The focus of this institute is on the beginning and middle phases of group work practice and how to integrate science (research) and art (the artistry of the group leader) in facilitating mutual aid support groups. The focus of this workshop will be on understanding the core dynamics and skills required to lead mutual aid support groups. Topics included will explore how to structure sessions, deal with difficult group members, and work more effectively with co-leaders. Discussion will include how to integrate elements from Evidenced-Based Practice and Evidenced-Informed Practice (e.g., Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Practice, and Cognitive Behavioral) into a social work mutual aid model. Examples presented and those shared by participants will be used to illustrate how to apply this understanding to a range of settings with diverse populations.

• The Institute offers 6 hours of continuing education contact hours (6 CE Contact Hours) and has a $90 registration fee ($40 for students).

(EN>FR) Strategies for Evaluating Your Group Work Practice

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 (11:00am - 2:00pm EDT)
Presenter: Terri Kilbane, Barbara Muskat, and Padraic Stanley
This institute is aimed at the group worker who is running groups as a part of their everyday practice and seeking information on how to know if their group work practice is effective. The content will address the following: Are group workers evaluating their practice? If not, what are the barriers to conducting evaluation and how can we help to overcome barriers, such as readiness and knowledge? If yes, how can we assist the group worker to best carry out evaluation studies? The institute will review the research process. This includes examining the intended impact of a group and how to evaluate this; methods to modifying intervention to be more effective; assessing the impact is sustained over time. Practical strategies will be provided that can be easily carry out in multiple settings, including strategies for evaluation, research, and implementation of evidence-based practice.

• The Institute offers 3 hours of continuing education contact hours (3 CE Contact Hours) and has a $50 registration fee ($20 for students). 

Pre-Symposium Institute Registration Rates by Zone

The International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG) stands for diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Our symposium participation is truly international with presenters and attendees from all around the world. We make efforts to be inclusive through a diversified membership and symposium registration fee structures that reflects the financial realities in the world. For that reason, a model was developed, using the classification system based on the world bank data and EU classifications, according to the 2020 Gross Domestic Product (GDP, US$ in Trillions) per capita and divided into five zones.

There is an additional fee to attend Pre-Symposium Institutes held on Tuesday, June 14th and Wednesday, June 15th. Please register for in the symposium registration portal.