This book has two purposes. First, it is fundamentally about groups at work, both as they attempt to accomplish their goals and as they operate in organizational settings. Second, it draws together group researchers from social psychological and organizational studies. Each chapter focuses on a central issue regarding groups as they work and examines that issue by drawing from both social psychological and organizational research. Thus, this book centers on the convergence and divergence of these two fields.

Social workers, planners, health professionals, and human-service administrators spend much of their time in meetings, working in and with groups. What meaning does participation in these groups have for members? Some of the events that are most important for members of the various professions, and those whom they serve, take place within these groups. Health and human services depend upon their working groups for their development and allocation of resources, their standards of quality, and the evaluation of their success or failure. In short, these groups are relied upon to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. Despite the amount of time spent in meetings, committees, and so on, very little has been written about the skills necessary for effective participation and leadership within working groups. With that in mind, Ephross and Vassil combine innovative group theory and practice in this "how-to" guide for professionals who take a variety of roles within the group. They draw on examples from social agencies, a hospital, a low-income community, and the boardroom, providing practical principles for day-to-day group life based on a democratic model. This revised edition also explores the changes that have taken place in the structure and operation of working groups in recent years and the heightened expectations for groups within large organizations.

A range of expert contributors explores the design and leadership of groups, providing detailed descriptions of twenty-seven diverse work groups—including task forces, top management groups, production teams, and customer service teams—to offer insights into what factors affect group productivity, and what leaders and group members can do to improve work group effectiveness.

Thorough, hands-on guidance for conducting group work in nonprofit, public, and for-profit agency settings. Because it improves access, is cost-effective, and can be modified to conform to evidence-based practice, group work has become the treatment approach of choice in a broad range of human service agencies. Written in an approachable manner that allows for direct translation of concepts into practice, Group Work: A Practical Guide to Developing Groups in Agency Settings provides a dual emphasis on clinical group skills along with a thorough understanding of agency systems that is necessary to meet the demands of today's practice settings. Written by two experts in the field, this book offers: Practical, detailed, ready-to-use group treatment plans, including group objectives, weekly session guidelines, discussion topics, activities, relevant research, and other essential tools Coverage of the three major types of agencies—nonprofit, public, and for-profit—supported by research and evidence-based treatments that reflect practitioners' actual experiences A unique agency perspective that includes coverage of agency structure, policies, history, staff, politics, informal and formal norms, and diverse client populations Group Work also contains a resourceful CD-ROM with over fifty different Group Profiles that can be customized to suit clients' unique styles and needs. Addressing a wide variety of psychological issues frequently encountered in therapy work with groups,¿the Group Profiles cover a range of clients across the lifespan—children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and the medically ill. Topics covered in these Group Profiles include anxiety, depression, divorce adjustment, substance abuse, foster care, trauma, chronic pain, anger management, hospice, weight management/obesity prevention, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and many more. Clear, concise, and current, Group Work: A Practical Guide to Developing Groups in Agency Settings is a useful resource from which professionals will gain the knowledge, skills, and awareness of the many intricacies involved in working with diverse groups within different agency settings. Its easy-to-follow presentation will enable all mental health professionals to successfully apply a variety of concepts, ideas, and skills into their group work practice. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Lead small groups through astounding growth with principles from the best-selling books How People Grow and Boundaries.No matter what need brings a group of people together—from marriage enrichment to divorce recovery, from grief recovery to spiritual formation—members are part of a small group because they want to grow. This book by psychologists Henry Cloud and John Townsend provides small-group leaders with valuable guidance and information on how they can help their groups to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. With insights from their best-selling book How People Grow, Cloud and Townsend show how God’s plan for growth is made up of three key elements: grace plus truth plus time. When groups embrace those elements, they find God’s grace and forgiveness and learn how to handle their imperfections without shame as they model God’s love and support to one another.In addition to describing what makes small groups work, Leading Small Groups That Help People Grow explains the roles and responsibilities of both leaders and group members. Employing tenets from the book How People Grow, this book equips leaders to understand the ins and outs of how to promote growth, and using principles from their best-selling book Boundaries, they show how to identify and find solutions for common problems such as boredom, noncompliance, passivity, aggression, narcissism, spiritualization, over-neediness, over-giving, and nonstop talking.

A guide to forming and managing effective task forces.

Guidelines and 25 activites designed to build and maintain effective teams! Aimed at any manager, consultant, or employee responsible for developing effective teams, Improving Work Groups offers a step-by-step system for initiating and evaluating team performance. You'll discover: * What a team really is * Why teams should be built * How teams are developed * Who develops them, and * How to measure and improve team effectiveness You'll also get 25 activities that cover a wide range of issues concerning team building, such as: setting objectives, analyzing the leadership function, leadership style, team development stages, charting team success, and many more! Based on the premise that few teams develop to their full effectivess without a good deal of nuturing, Improving Work Groups brings an element of open, systematic planning and review to the task of team development. Novice or seasoned veteran, you'll find it a valuable tool for developing teams that work together long into the future!

This comprehensive handbook presents major theories of social work practice with groups and explores contemporary issues in designing and evaluating interventions. Students and practitioners gain an in-depth view of the many ways that groups are used to help people address personal problems, cope with disabilities, strengthen families and communities, resolve conflict, achieve social change, and more. Offering authoritative coverage of theoretical, practical, and methodological concerns--coupled with a clear focus on empowerment and diversity--this is an outstanding text for group work and direct practice courses.

A solid, theory-to-practice guide to contemporary mezzo and macro social work Written by a renowned team of scholars, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations focuses on the contemporary theory and practice of social work. Each chapter delves deeply into the key theoretical considerations surrounding a particular practice area, exploring the clinical implications of each. Spanning the full range of both mezzo and macro practice areas, the authors thoroughly look at the assessment of and interventions with group, community, organizational, and institutional settings. The most authoritative book in this field, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations features: A focus on evidence-based approaches to assessment and intervention for each practice area discussed Comprehensive coverage of the most important new and emerging practice technologies in mezzo and macro social work Current and emerging demographic, social, political, and economic trends affecting mezzo and macro practice An array of pedagogical aids, including Key Terms, Review Questions for Critical Thinking, and Online Resources Content closely aligned with social work accreditation standards (EPAS) Providing a solid review of the entire scope of contemporary mezzo and macro social work practice, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations is both an indispensable educational text for students and a valuable working resource for practitioners who work with groups, communities, and organizations of all sizes.