The 36th Annual IASWG

Symposium

Unity in diversity: Embracing the spirit

of group work

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

June 5-8, 2014

• Theme: Unity in diversity: Embracing the spirit of group work

• Held at the University of Calgary

• Attracted participants from all over the world

• Focused on group work education, practice, and research

• Included plenary speakers, presentations, workshops, and social gatherings

About the 36th Annual Symposium

About IASWG

• Founded in 1979, IASWG is the premier international association for social workers and allied helping professionals engaged in group work.

• IASWG, formerly known as AASWG, recently modified its name to reflect its international orientation.

• The purpose of this non-profit, member-driven organization is to promote excellence in group work practice, education, field instruction, research and publications.

Loyola’s Presence in Calgary

28

22

students, recent alumni, & faculty

participated

students presented papers or posters,

or led a workshop

Loyola Students’ Presence at IASWG Symposia Since 2005

36

10

5

16

12

19 19 1922

5

4

4

8

7

2 1 1

1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Presenters Non-Presenter Attendees

Minneapolis, MN

San Diego, CA

Jersey City, NJ

Cologne, Germany

Chicago, IL

Montreal, Canada

Long Beach, CA

Garden City, NY

Boston, MA

Calgary, Canada

Total Presenters: 131 – Total Non-Presenter Attendees: 33

• All students presenting at the symposium received financial support from the School.

• Students were able to volunteer to offset symposium cost.

• Volunteering enabled students to immediately become involved with the symposium and IASWG community.

Funding & Volunteering

• Students, faculty, and alumni:

o Presented workshops, papers, and posters

o Attended workshops

o Networked with peers and fellow IASWG attendees

o Explored Calgary and Banff

At the Symposium

• Ann Bergart, adjunct professor, received the prestigious 2014 International Honoree Award

• Natalie Hock and Brendan Haydon, MSW students, received the IASWG Founders Award for Emerging Leadership, accompanied by a financial honorarium

• Loyola was recognized as consistently having the most student presenters of any school

Recognitions & Honors

Faculty Presentations

• Shirley Simon and Teresa Kilbane, Paper

o “Authors of group work-focused dissertations

in social work: A follow-up study”

• Brian Kelly, Paper

o “Using audio documentary in group work:

Developing a framework for implementation”

• Shirley Simon and Joyce Webster, Papero “Mentorship of emerging group work

professionals: A multi-pronged approach”

• Ann Bergart, Paper

o “Helping each other create a meaningful life beyond the working years: Starting a mutual aid group for me!”

Student Posters

• Survivors of Domestic Violence: Support Group for Battered Divorcing Latina Women –Elba Cruz & Ashley Yates

• We Left Some Behind: African American Veterans, PTSD, Cultural Adversity, and the Need for Support Group Psychotherapy – A.J. Deloney

• Facilitator Self-Awareness: How to Manage Problematic Group Behavior While Creating Safety and Acceptance – Sarah Davis

Student Posters, cont.

• Music Therapy: Group Work Using Rap and Hip-Hop – Lauren Doherty

• Strengthening Coping Skills Within Adoptive Children and Acceptance of Trauma for Children in Bereavement from September 11, 2001 – Hahna Ehrman

• Groups for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Co-occurring Mental Illnesses: Activities to Engage and Advance Social Competence – Sarah Hanson

Student Posters, cont.

• Using a Harm Reduction model in Substance Abuse Group Work: Implementation in a School Setting – Anna Moretti

• Overcoming Stigma and Improving Treatment Adherence Among Type 1 Diabetics with Group Work – Kathy Moriarty

• High Ropes Courses in Adventure Therapy: Supplemental Programming for Substance Abuse Treatment Groups – Meghan O’Donnell

Student Posters, cont.

• The Effects Of Trauma On Sophisticated Groups: An Interspecies Comparison of the Impact of Trauma on Deployed US Military Units and Matriarchal Herds of African Elephants – Anna Smith

• The Role of Group Involvement in Establishing Resilience of Undocumented Youth – Padraic Stanley

• Educational Group Training for Group Home Staff: Identifying, Preventing, and Protecting Commercially Sexually Exploited Children – Alexa Vander Hye

• “Would You Like to Join Peer Jury?”: How Mutual Aid Can Benefit Offenders in Group- Based Restorative Justice Programs – Rebecca Witheridge

Student and Alumni Workshops

• Exploring the Benefits of Groupwork with Clients Who Identify as Non-monogamous, Polyamorous, or as Members of an Open Relationship: Intimate Relationship Constellations as Groups – Brandon Haydon, Sarah Hemphill, & Natalie Hock

• Retelling Conflicts Through Role-Play, Playwriting and Performance With A Group of Homeless Youth at an Interim Housing Program in the Midwest – Alyssa Jesberger

• Facilitating Groups Using the Wraparound Process – Lee Ann Lindroth

• The Mind-Body Connection and Group Work: Promoting Relaxation with Informal Mindfulness Techniques in a Group Setting – Rachel Seed

Student and Alumni Papers

• Implementing Blended Task & Support Groups into the Client Service Plan of a Social Service Agency: Reinforcing Ideas of Positive Community and Enfranchising Members of Low-Income and Traditionally Marginalized Populations – Natalie Hock

• Social Work Interventions for Survivors of State-Sponsored Violence: Exploring Political Trauma in the Clinical Group Setting – Maggie Hunter

• Bullying Prevention: A Group Work Model for Elementary Education – Sonya Jacobs

• The Role of Group Work in Facilitating the Success of a Diverse Group of Leaders From Small Ethnic Nonprofit Organizations – Lee Ann Lindroth

Fun in Canada!

Reflections on the Symposium

• “My experience with IASWG was the best thing I have done so far at Loyola. It says a lot about how much Loyola values group work and its social work students by supporting me in the process of developing a poster, presenting it, and attending the conference as a student.”

Meghan O’Donnell

• “The time I spent at IASWG reaffirmed why I chose the social work profession, and also why I chose Loyola University Chicago specifically.”

Alyssa Jesberger

• “Presenting a poster at the IASWG conference was an exciting, powerful, and validating experience. How many students get the chance to share their research with acclaimed social workers from across the globe? I highly recommend Loyola students to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity!”

Rebecca Witheridge

Reflections on the Symposium, cont.

“Being able to witness students’ professional growth is truly magical. It has been a privilege to be a small part of such a transformative experience.”

Shirley Simon

Ways to Get Involved with IASWG

• Attend or present at the 37th Annual IASWG Symposium

o June 4-7, 2015 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

o Visit www.iaswg.org for more information

• Get involved in the Illinois chapter

o Contact iaswgillinois@gmail.com or visitiaswgil.weebly.com for more information

• Come to the IASWG Presentation Showcase and Reunion Celebration

o October 8 from 5:30-7pm in Kasbeer Hall (Corboy 15th floor)

Symposium Showcases

• Part 1: “Exploring the Benefits of Groupwork with Clients Who Identify as Non-monogamous, Polyamorous, or as Members of an Open Relationship”

o Presented by Brandon Haydon, Sarah Hemphill, and Natalie A. Hock

o September 10 from 5:30-6:45pm in Corboy 304

• Part 2: “Retelling conflicts through role-play, playwriting and performance with a group of homeless youth at an interim housing program in the Midwest”

o Presented by Alyssa Jesberger

o Date: November 5 from 5:30-6:45pm in Corboy 304

Contact:

Joyce Webster, Chair of the Illinois IASWG Chapter, at iaswgillinois@gmail.com.

Professor Shirley Simon at ssimon@luc.edu.

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