AASWG
Florida Chapter

ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

Flavio Francisco Marsiglia, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and director Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Consortium (SIRC) School of Social Work – College of Public Programs , Arizona State University.

In this presentation, Professor Marsiglia will provide an overview of the theoretical and practice underpinnings of a culturally-grounded approach to social work with groups. The participants will learn about the genesis of the approach as a synthesis of the presenter's own biography, professional development, and empirical research.

Group work is introduced as a natural or native response to the needs and strengths of cultural minority individuals and families. The role of the social worker is discussed as a group facilitator who supports the emergence of stories and narratives within the safety of the group. This approach assists group members to collectively edit their own stories by integrating their strengths coming from their culture and communities of origin as tools for change.

keepin'it R.E.A.L., recently named a Model Program by the leading U.S. government agency funding drug use prevention services (SAMSHA) will be presented as an exemplar of the approach. The process of creating the intervention from the ground-up with the active participation of youth representing the targeted communities will be described. The results of this National Institute on Drug Abuse/National Institutes of Health funded experiment will be discussed as they related to cultural specificity and group work, which were key factors in the effectiveness of keepin'it R.E.A.L.

8:00 – 8:30 AM

8:30 – 9:00 AM

9:00 – 12 noon

12:00 – 1:30 PM

1:30 – 3:00 PM

3:00 – 4:30 PM

4:30

REGISTRATION AND COFFEE AT ANDREAS 111

GREETINGS

PRESENTATION BY FLAVIO MARSIGLIA

LUNCH AND AGENCY EXHIBITS AT THE
SOCIAL WORK FESTIVAL

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

INTEGRATIVE DISCUSSION with Dr. Flavio Marsiglia

CEUS

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS 1:30 – 3:00 PM  

Workshop 1: DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING SUPPORT GROUPS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS USING AN HIV/AIDS SUPPORT GROUP AS A CASE IN POINT

The necessary skills for forming a support group related to a special needs population will be described, outlined and highlighted. Participants will learn to apply this facilitating structure to their own groups. Practice with formation, beginnings, ends, and on going work with this kind of group will provide general principals and a practice approach applicable to open ended support groups having a central focus, purpose and need. Experience with an HIV/AIDS Support Group will be used as an exemplar for other special needs groups. Attendees will be encouraged t present their work with groups.

Presenter: Peter Rossi, MSW, Private Practice, Miami Shores , FL
Chairperson : Alison Bregman, MSW. Social Work Therapist,
Biscayne Institutes, Aventura , FL

Workshop 2: BACK TO BASICS! ALL THE BASICS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADING A GROUP!

This workshop will identify the basic group work knowledge and skills that all group leaders should utilize when working with groups. These knowledge and skill components include group planning, session preparation, stage identification, leader communication skills, and celebrating the group as a whole. This workshop would be useful for any experienced agency group workers who want to review and revitalize their work as well as any new agency group workers who want to better prepare themselves for the challenge of running groups. Lecture and discussion will be interspersed with creative group role playing to demonstrate the concepts covered.

Presenter: Greg Tully, Ph.D. Associate Professor,
Barry University School of Social Work.
Chairperson : Mark Smith, MSW, ABD, Instructor,
Barry University School of Social Work.

Workshop 3: HOW TO RUN A SHORT-TERM DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP

This workshop aims to help practitioners plan, implement and evaluate short-term divorce support groups for men and women. It discusses the content that is appropriate to cover during the sessions. The mutual aid approach to working with divorce groups is emphasized. Role-playing will be used to demonstrate practice skills. Application of practice principles will be applied to other groups.

Presenter: Olga Molina, DSW, Assistant Professor,
Barry University School of Social Work.
Chairperson : Joseph L. Romance, Ph.D., LCSW, Private Practice, Miami , FL

Workshop 4: CREATING SYSTEMS OF MUTUAL AID GROUPS THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED COLLABORATIVE GRANT GROUPS & MAXIMIZING EFFECTIVENESS BY EMBRACING DIVERSITY.

Collaborative grant writing is a means to develop the resources necessary to create programs that serve a wide range of populations that social workers typically serve.  Group work theory and attending to diversity practices can readily apply to such a group, thereby informing the social worker's practice. Increasing the strength of the group as a whole by acknowledging and embracing diversity can provide a stronger vehicle through which a group can make local connections in order to diminish funding barriers, and enhance community-wide capacity building by creating a synergistic grant writing environment within a culture of diversity.

Presenter: Ellyn Drotzer, MSW, LCSW, Assistant to the Director of Program Services, Children's Services Council of Broward Co.
Chairperson : Elwood R. Hamlin II, DSW, Associate Professor and Coordinator MSW Program, Florida Atlantic University

Workshop 5: FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING: BRIDGING CULTURES, BUILDING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Family Group Conferencing (FGC) brings together a family group with service providers to come up with a plan to resolve family challenges. The single-session FGC involves a group worker called a coordinator, but its success is based on people – citizens – banding together in culturally responsive ways. This presentation describes FGC and shows how it fosters partnerships across cultures and builds social responsibility.

Presenter: Mark J. Macgowan, Ph.D., LCSW, Assistant Professor, Florida International University , Miami , FL
Chairperson: Keile Allen , MSW, Miami , FL

3:00 – 4:30 PM
INTEGRATIVE DISCUSSION with Dr. Flavio Marsiglia.

Through the use of probing questions and discussion, Dr. Marsiglia will involve participants in an exploration of their experience with group work with cultural minority individuals. Attendees will be encouraged to identify the meaning of Dr. Marsiglia's ideas for them in their practice with groups.

The Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups
South Florida Chapter

Beulah Rothman Center for Group Work Studies

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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES
Please Print and Mail with Check Payable to:

BEULAH ROTHMAN CENTER FOR GROUP WORK STUDIES
Florida Chapter of AASWG

c/o Barry University School of Social Work
11300 NE 2 nd Avenue , Miami Shores , FL 33161
Attention: Mary Consuegra (305) 899-3900 

NAME: ___________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________

CITY: _____________ STATE : __________ ZIP: __________________

OFFICE PHONE: ____________________________________________

HOME PHONE: _____________________________________________

>>> E-Mail: _______________________________________________

REGISTRATION FEES ( Includes lunch but NOT CEU's ):

Includes continental breakfast, lunch and admittance to
Barry University Social Work Festival

*REGISTER BEFORE MARCH 8, 2004 to guarantee your place.
We expect a large attendance and may have to cut off registration. Registration form must include a check or money order to reserve a space at the conference.

**ABOUT CEU's: 6.0 contact hours for clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors have been approved and provided by Barry University School of Social Work.  Workshop #4 is approved for 1.5 administrative contact hours. The Barry University Provider Number is BAP-55.