Commission on Group Work in Social Work Education

Members: Mark Macgowan and Carol Cohen (Co-Chairs), Martin Birnbaum, Jen Clements, Marcia Cohen, Mark Doel, Charles Garvin, Dana Leeman, Barbara Muskat and Mark Smith.

The original mandate of the Commission on Group Work in Social Work Education focused on the strengthening of the teaching of social work practice with groups in social work schools and programs in the United States. Through joint efforts with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), two texts devoted to teaching social work with groups in the advanced practice curriculum and in the field were published. Work with CSWE and the Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) in the USA ensured that workshops on teaching social group work are available at each of these organization's annual conferences. The work of the Commission was expanded in 2002 to Canada. Outreach was made to all the Canadian Schools of Social Work, inviting schools to develop relationships and work cooperatively to enhance students' preparation for social work practice with groups. The Commission is continuing to explore possible relationships with CSWE, BPD, and Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE). We will also focus on ways to develop stronger relationships with other international social work education organizations and schools.
Currently, we are working with the various symposia committees responsible for reviewing the
selected proceedings and are delighted to be working with Whiting and Birch Publishers. Most recently,
the Boston proceedings have been published: Berman-Rossi, L., Cohen, M.B., and Fischer-Engel, H.
(Eds.). (2010). Creating Connections. Celebrating the Power of Groups. Forest Hill, London: Whiting &
Birch Ltd. Proceedings from the following symposia will be published soon: Minnesota, San Diego,
Michigan, Detroit, and Montreal. Watch for announcements of publication dates!