Beulah G. Rothman Memorial Plenary at 2015 Symposium in North Carolina, USA

IASWG Board Members at the 2014 Symposium in Calgary, Canada

Poster Presentation at the Annual Symposium

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, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, England, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Namibia, Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Trinidad-Tobago, and U.S. 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.

At the core of social group work is the need to bridge the divide to develop mutual aid to foster a socially just society where all members have the same opportunities to attain material goods, income and wealth. The valuing of diverse perspectives and experiences is a heartfelt call to understanding the meaning of Ubuntu in South Africa and all of Africa. Ubuntu is about humaneness, and it embraces values of respect, solidarity, community development, social responsibility, justice, and equality. That said, bridging the divide, in our view, suggests more than just an appreciation of diversity. It is a real recognition of being part of humanity. Bridging the divide for social justice is about people living and working in a globalized society brought together with a common group purpose. Learn more about this exciting and once in a life experience here.

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.

Organizational Members receive the many benefits, including acknowledgement in our annual Symposium Program and discounts on Symposium Program ads.

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Announcements

Nominations & Elections Update - The next IASWG Board Election will take place in October 2018. The Nominations & Elections Committee is currently in the process of developing a slate of six or more individuals for the following open positions: President, Vice President, At-Large Member (3). All nominations must be received by August 1, 2018 in order to be considered. For more information, click here or contact committee chair, Kyle McGee, at [email protected]

Thank you for wonderful 2018 symposium in South Africa!

Join us in Lithuania for the Group Work Camp (October 12 – 14th, 2018).

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.