Anne Jones

Transforming the Story: Narrative Applications to a Stepmother Support Group

Inherent in the role of stepmother are unique tensions, ambiguities, and challenges. Underlying much of the role strain is the dominant cultural stepmother story, that of a self-serving and pernicious woman. Undertaking a role held circumspect by many may contribute to feelings of insecurity, isolation, and role constriction. In this article, the author describes how concepts drawn from narrative therapy are utilized in an ongoing support group for stepmothers. Reasons why support groups are especially appropriate for and enhanced by narrative techniques are offered. Group functions and narrative applications are described and illustrated through 4 kinds of stepmother stories. These stories exemplify some of the dilemmas that stepmothers face and show how narrative techniques have been used to help members create more satisfying and authentic stories.

Treatment Effects of a Relationship-Strengthening Intervention for Economically Disadvantaged New Parents

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the treatment effects of a relationship skills and family strengthening intervention for n = 726 high-risk, disadvantaged new parents. Method: Hierarchical linear modeling and regression models were used to assess intervention treatment effects. These findings were subsequently verified through two sensitivity analyses using propensity score analysis and growth curve modeling. Results: Analyses indicated 6 of 10 beneficial treatment effects were statistically significant, including relationship satisfaction, relationship quality, communication, conflict resolution, arguing, and emotional abuse. Most of these effects were verified in the more rigorous sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that this intervention is effective in helping disadvantaged couples improve relationship skills and strengthen family bonds.

Growing www.parentsofsuicide: A Case Study of an Online Support Community

Worldwide, people can now come together in online support communities (e-communities) to share common concerns. Although myriad e-communities now exist, few researchers have investigated their leadership, infrastructure, and developmental processes. Because these e-communities are often founded without professional oversight by people confronted with life crises, social workers have expressed concern about their safety and effectiveness for vulnerable populations. This article presents findings from a case study of an e-community, www.parentsofsuicide, for parents who have lost a child to suicide, and the leadership and organizational development factors contributing to its organizational durability and effectiveness as a source of social support.

A Model for Supporting At-Risk Couples During the Transition to Parenthood

Record numbers of children born outside of marriage reflect a dramatic change in U.S. families; this demographic trend concerns policymakers and service providers because of the fragility of parental relationships. Dissolution of these relationships and growing up in a single-parent household leaves many children at higher risk of living in poverty— initiating a risk chain associated with less favorable academic, social, and cognitive outcomes. This article introduces Strong Couples-Strong Children, an innovative and replicable program designed to support expectant and new parents while their relationships are formative. Lessons learned from program implementation suggest that (a) face-to-face interaction served as the most effective form of recruitment; (b) partnerships with community organizations enabled the program to reach underserved populations; and (c) the family-centered model, working with both parents, required flexibility in programming.

Infusing Integrated Behavioral Health in an MSW Program: Curricula, Field, and Interprofessional Educational Activities

ABSTRACT An essential aspect of integrated care is the coordination of medical and behavioral health needs concurrently. This has sparked renewed emphasis on interprofessional (IP) education and practice. The impetus for IP efforts was crystalized in large part because of health care reforms, and federal funding to expand the behavioral health work force. Using an ecological systems perspective, this article describes how one school is preparing a new generation of MSW students to work in integrated behavioral health care using a three-pronged approach involving curricula, field education, and IP activities. Social work education must ensure that new and experienced professionals can (a) understand the profession’s role in IP health care settings, and (b) navigate an evolving and complex health care environment.

Designing an Intervention to Promote Child Development Among Fathers With Antisocial Behavior

Objective: This article describes an intervention development focusing on the early design stages of a model to improve psychosocial and behavioral health outcomes among children of fathers with incarceration and antisocial behavioral histories. Method: We use a synthesis of the literature and qualitative interviews with key informants to inform a theoretical model and the next steps in building an intervention. Results: Findings suggest gaps in effective interventions that promote father involvement among men with histories of incarceration and antisocial behavior. Considerations for future interventions include addressing the complex needs of fathers’ post-incarceration, sequencing intervention components using flexible treatment approaches, and employing intentional recruitment and retention strategies. Conclusion: The negative relation between fathers’ imprisonment and antisocial behavior and children’s outcomes calls for interventions to promote positive father involvement. This article proposes a systematized approach to design such an intervention concluding with next steps in the planning for a future intervention study.

An experiential approach to group work (2nd ed.) by Furman, R., Bender, S., & Rowan, R.

There is a lot to like about this compact, practical group work text that focuses on helping social work students acquire basic group work skills. As the title implies, this book is based on the perspective that students can best learn group work skills through experience, and the authors provide engaging exercises to help foster those skills. The exercises are interspersed throughout the book and offer many options for classroom learning activities that will help students learn to apply the material. As a follow-up to each exercise, the authors provide thought-provoking questions designed to facilitate students’ self-reflection as well as smallor large-group discussion. This book covers a wide range of topics, including stages of group development, the six types of groups most relevant to social work, and examples of group work practice with specific populations. The first chapter, “The Group Work Tradition in Social Work,” provides a clear, concise overview of the evolution of group work, emphasizing the ways in which the functions and focus of group work have changed over the last 70 years. The authors highlight significant social trends—such as managed care, immigration, and technology—that have shaped the way groups have been and are currently used. This chapter also summarizes three distinct models of the stages of group development: Tuckman’s classic model, Anderson’s five-stage model, and the dimensions of social justice model. However, in the remaining chapters, the authors draw primarily from the Anderson model when highlighting common group tasks and processes. The latter part of this chapter discusses Yalom’s therapeutic factors and Jacob’s generic factors. Together, these curative and practical considerations establish a strong foundation for the rest of the book. The next five chapters broadly encompass key phases of group development. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the earliest stages of planning and beginning groups. The content itself is salient but lean, with most of the emphasis given to in-class structured exercises. Specifically, the exercises for these chapters focus on the planning experience and lead students through the steps of considering issues such as resources, membership, the purpose of specific kinds of groups, and practicing skills needed to implement or open

An experiential approach to group work

There is a lot to like about this compact, practical group work text that focuses on helping social work students acquire basic group work skills. As the title implies, this book is based on the perspective that students can best learn group work skills through experience, and the authors provide engaging exercises to help foster those skills. The exercises are interspersed throughout the book and offer many options for classroom learning activities that will help students learn to apply the material. As a follow-up to each exercise, the authors provide thought-provoking questions designed to facilitate students’ self-reflection as well as smallor large-group discussion. This book covers a wide range of topics, including stages of group development, the six types of groups most relevant to social work, and examples of group work practice with specific populations. The first chapter, “The Group Work Tradition in Social Work,” provides a clear, concise overview of the evolution of group work, emphasizing the ways in which the functions and focus of group work have changed over the last 70 years. The authors highlight significant social trends—such as managed care, immigration, and technology—that have shaped the way groups have been and are currently used. This chapter also summarizes three distinct models of the stages of group development: Tuckman’s classic model, Anderson’s five-stage model, and the dimensions of social justice model. However, in the remaining chapters, the authors draw primarily from the Anderson model when highlighting common group tasks and processes. The latter part of this chapter discusses Yalom’s therapeutic factors and Jacob’s generic factors. Together, these curative and practical considerations establish a strong foundation for the rest of the book. The next five chapters broadly encompass key phases of group development. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the earliest stages of planning and beginning groups. The content itself is salient but lean, with most of the emphasis given to in-class structured exercises. Specifically, the exercises for these chapters focus on the planning experience and lead students through the steps of considering issues such as resources, membership, the purpose of specific kinds of groups, and practicing skills needed to implement or open

Creating Connections: Celebrating the Power of Groups by Berman-Rossi, L., Cohen, M. B., and Fischer-Engel, H.

This work is a rich collection of seven descriptive papers of groups in diverse settings and of three papers dealing with other important issues in social work. These papers are edited versions of presentations delivered at the 25th International Symposium of the Annual Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups. Each of the seven papers depicts a compelling group experience that gives testimony to the healing influence and motivational energy of groups. As a whole, this volume is a source of inspiration and, true to its title, a celebration of the power of groups and human connectedness. The overview that follows is organized by the populations served: adults; children and youth; and particular topics of interest: diversity, supervision, and history. Three papers focus on group experiences with adult members. Michael Chovanec’s paper “Innovations in Group Work with Abusive Men: Theories that Promote Engagement and Empowerment” provides an informative overview of approaches used by professionals whose work focuses on males who abuse their partners. Chovanec contrasts the traditional, confrontational approach to those suggested by reactive theory, and stages of change theory as well as motivational interviewing, all of which have been increasingly used by group therapists in recent years. Chovanec points out that confrontational approaches fail to take into account clients’ readiness for change (or lack thereof), and that many abusers are not fully committed to the treatment process. This paper will be useful to not only those interested in domestic violence but also any practitioners planning for and facilitating groups with ambivalent clients. Two papers that focus on work with adults also highlight the experiential process and impact of mutual aid and support groups. Author Juli Kempner describes how the 12-step process has been used effectively in helping persons with mental retardation and cognitive impairments in their recovery from substance dependency problems. Kemper argues that as reflected in 12-step groups, group work and mutual aid share several elements, especially the elements of interdependency and empowerment, both of which evolve from sharing common experiences. A different but