The IASWG Board at November Meeting in New York City

Many outstanding connections, memories, and views from the NYC Symposium

Socialinio darbo su grupe stovyklą, Lithuania

Recreational soccer match at the 2018 South Africa Symposium's Closing Field Day Event

Camp d'expérimentation sur le travail social de groupe

Welcome to IASWG

The International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG), Inc. is the premier international association for social workers and allied helping professionals engaged in group work. The purpose of this non-profit, member-driven organization is to promote excellence in group work practice, education, field instruction, research and publication. The goals of this Association are realized through a program of action and advocacy at both the local and international levels. Members include group workers from Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Trinidad-Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, and Virgin Islands. IASWG is a global organization, and we are pleased to invite you to view our IASWG Standards of Group Work Practice in several languages: French, Spanish and English.

ES EL MOMENTO DEL TRABAJO GRUPAL

El clima está cambiando. En muchas partes del mundo está disminuyendo el respeto por las personas que son diferentes. Las comunidades se están fracturando. El diálogo se reemplaza demasiado a menudo por bombas, odio y tratamientos denigrantes. El populismo del odio acribilla al entendimiento respetuoso.

No es difícil ver por qué tanta gente se siente alienada, poco respetada y sin ningún poder: la desigualdad creciente, la inestabilidad laboral y el sentimiento de que no se tiene ninguna influencia en las decisiones importantes ayudan a que esto suceda.

Necesitamos encontrar formas para volvernos inclusivos, para celebrar las diferencias y generar un sentido de unidad potente. No ha habido un momento en la historia donde sea tan urgente unir a las comunidades hacia el sentimiento mutuo y el respeto, no solo a la humanidad, sino al planeta en su conjunto.

El trabajo grupal puede crear seguridad donde hay incertidumbre y sentimiento de pertenencia donde hay alienación. Se ha utilizado para unir y dar voz a personas en situaciones que parecían irreparables. Como trabajadoras sociales debemos ponernos firmes y luchar por crear espacios de diálogo respetuoso, expandir nuestras formas de ver el mundo y la comunidad.

Llegó la hora del trabajo social grupal.

Meet Our New IASWG President, Barbara Muskat

Click here, to view more IASWG videos.

The Benefits of Membership

The purpose of this non-profit, member-driven organization is to promote excellence in group work practice, education, field instruction, research and publication. The thousands of members that have joined with us over the years have both benefited by and enriched our association. We hope you join us too.

Make connections with fellow group work practitioners, professors, authors, and scholars locally and internationally
Share your ideas and successes in group work so that others can learn from you and vice versa
Access online resources for teaching group work classes, for addressing group work practice dilemmas, and for students preparing for professional presentations or professional work
Attend international symposia and local conferences at a reduced rate

Join Today

Current Organizational Members:

These organizations currently support the mission of IASWG and group work. We thank them for their support.

IASWG 2020 SYMPOSIUM

June 17th to 20th, 2020
New York, New York, US

Join us back in New York City for the 2020 IASWG NYC International Symposium at New York University. Co-sponsored by the New York University Silver School of Social Work, the IASWG NYC Symposium will be held on the bustling campus of New York University (NYU) in the heart of New York City.

Quick Links

Announcements

Thank you for a wonderful symposium! Save the date: the next symposium will be June 17 - 20, 2020.

NY & NJ 2019 Continuing Education Contact Hours Eligible Sessions

SPARC Information and review is available in English, French, German, and Spanish. The deadline for the next review cycle is October 31, 2019.

PRACTICE TIP! Tips for Facilitating For Empowerment in Groupwork Practice

Camp d'expérimentation sur le travail social de groupe (5-7 juil.): Sortir des sentiers battus: vivre le groupe autrement!

Call for 2018 SA Symposium Proceeding Papers - The Local Planning Committee of the IASWG Symposia in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa (2018) cordially invites all presenters at the Symposia to submit a paper for the symposium proceedings (Deadline July 2019).

THE TIME FOR GROUP WORK

The climate is changing. In many parts of the world, respect for people who are different from ourselves has diminished and communities feel fractured. Dialogue is too often replaced by bombings and vitriol; hate-filled populism blasts reasoned, respectful understanding. It is not difficult to see why many people feel alienated; they themselves are disrespected and disempowered by increasing inequality, job insecurity and a sense that the important decisions are no longer within their influence.

We need to find ways to become inclusive, to celebrate our differences and to generate a powerful sense of togetherness. There has never been a more urgent time to bring communities together towards a mutual understanding and a respect, not just for humanity, but for the planet as a whole. Social groupwork can create security where there is uncertainty, a feeling of belonging where there is alienation, and a vehicle for positive communal action where there is a sense of helplessness. It has been used to unite and give voice to people in the aftermath of conditions that seemed beyond repair. Through social groupwork, nations, communities and individuals can repair.

This is the hopeful message that IASWG and its members offer to the world. IASWG stands against oppression and disenfranchisement. As social groupworkers, we stand for and advocate for creating spaces for respectful dialogue to expand our worldviews and perspectives in community with each other.

Contact us. Let us know how you are using group work to repair the world. Ask us how we can help you in this process. It’s time for group work.