Pre-Symposium 2023 Institutes

There is an additional fee to attend Pre-Symposium Institutes held on Tuesday, June 6th and Wednesday, June 7th. Please register for in the symposium registration portal.

(FR>EN) Partir du bon pied quand on souhaite vivre de l’aide mutuelle avec notre groupe

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 (9:00am - 12:00pm EDT)
Presenter: Ginette Berteau
Cet atelier de formation pré-symposium vise à explorer les éléments à prendre en compte pour favoriser l’émergence de l’aide mutuelle dans un groupe. Il sera divisé en deux temps. Le premier temps s’attardera à identifier les principaux facteurs pouvant influencer la présence de l’aide mutuelle: le contexte social et organisationnel, la collectivisation des besoins communs, les points d’intérêts du modèle d’aide mutuelle, la composition, la place du contenu, le rôle et les savoir-faire de la personne-ressource face à ces facteurs. L’interdépendance de ces éléments sera aussi mise en évidence.  La dernière heure sera consacrée à une démonstration des habiletés à mettre en œuvre pour éviter de faire de l’intervention individuelle en situation de groupe.

(FR>EN) Starting off on the right foot when you want to experience mutual aid with your group

Available in English by a live interpreter, this workshop explores elements to take into account to encourage the emergence of mutual aid in a group. It will be divided into two parts. The first part will focus on identifying the main factors that can influence the presence of mutual aid: the social and organizational context, the collectivization of common needs, the points of interest of the mutual aid model, composition, the place of content, the role and know-how of the resource person in relation to these factors. The interdependence of these elements will also be highlighted. The final hour will be devoted to a demonstration of the skills needed to avoid individual intervention in group situations.

Field Instruction: Anxieties and Crises in the Post-Covid Parallel Process Cycle

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 (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.

[For Students Only] Building Mutual Aid in Groups with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 (1:30pm - 4:30pm EDT)
Presenter: Alex Gitterman
Mutual aid is the primary rationale for the development of group services. By their very nature, group mutual aid systems universalize individual issues, reduce isolation, and mitigate stigma through their powerful yet subtle interpersonal processes. Through presentation, discussion, and role-plays, attendees will connect knowledge, methods, and skills of group development to assist groups in building mutual support and dealing with dysfunctional interpersonal processes such as withdrawing, testing, scapegoating, and monopolizing. Using the backdrop of time (preliminary, beginning, middle and termination phases), the social worker’s skills in helping group members to help each other will be emphasized. These concepts will be applied to various types of groups (curriculum, task, social, problem-solving, etc.).

The Dynamics and Skills of Leading Mutual Aid Support Groups

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (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).

Understanding Process Groups: An Experiential Workshop

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (10:00am - 12:00pm EDT)
Presenters: Massachusetts IASWG Chapter (Será Godfrey-Kaplan, Adam Glick, Mark Gianino, Tfawa Haynes, Crystal Jones, Donna McLaughlin, Rabiatu Orlandimeje, and Faith Perez)

Join us for an engaging and informative workshop where you will learn about the unique function of process groups. You will have the opportunity to watch a real-time mock process group facilitated by the Massachusetts Chapter Board and discuss group dynamics and the interventions of facilitators. You will also understand the difference between a support group intervention and a process group intervention as you watch the group unfold in front of you. Facilitators will navigate some challenging unscripted dynamics throughout the group, giving attendees a chance to talk through the actions of facilitators. This workshop is an opportunity to learn more or brush up on your skills and empower social workers to get more of these groups going. The Institute offers 2 hours of continuing education contact hours (2 CE Contact Hours).

Group Work Strategies to Facilitate Meaningful Conversations about Race and Social Justice

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (12:30pm - 2:30pm EDT)
Presenters: Neijma Celestine-Donnor and Joan Pittman

This interactive training focuses on strategies for facilitating complex conversations about race, oppression, privilege, and social justice in the broad array of social work practice groups. Participants will engage in group activities that encourage critical thinking about the impact of our identities, biases, fears, and values. Knowledge and strategies for effectively addressing sensitive interactions in groups will be discussed. The Institute offers 2 hours of continuing education contact hours (2 CE Contact Hours).

Nondeliberatively and Virtually Connecting through Activities

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT)
Presenter: Christian Itin

Deliberative (talk-based) group work is relatively easy to translate into the virtual space, nondeliberative is more challenging.   This highly experiential workshop will allow participants to play with connecting together through purposeful activity in a non-deliberative approach.  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. Participants will come away with practical skills, tools, and resources. The Institute offers 2 hours of continuing education contact hours (2 CE Contact Hours).

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 6th and Wednesday, June 7th. Please register for in the symposium registration portal.