Social Group Work: Building a Professional Collective of Hospital Social Workers

Deconstruction of traditional social work departments can isolate social workers from their primary source of professional affiliation, leaving them without the support to take stands on controversial patient care issues. This paper describes an alternative: the building of a powerful social work co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social work in health care 2004-01, Vol.39 (3-4), p.287-307
Main Authors: Sulman, Joanne, Savage, Diane, Vrooman, Paul, McGillivray, Maureen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biosocial Theory
collective
Collectives
Conflict (Psychology)
Cooperative Behavior
Group supervision
Group therapy
Group Work
hospital social work
Hospitals
Humans
Interinstitutional Relations
Interprofessional Relations
management
Models, Organizational
Professionalism
Psychological Theories
Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods
social group work
Social Networks
Social Support
Social work
Social Work - organization & administration
Social Work Department, Hospital - organization & administration
Social Workers
Work Groups
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Summary:Deconstruction of traditional social work departments can isolate social workers from their primary source of professional affiliation, leaving them without the support to take stands on controversial patient care issues. This paper describes an alternative: the building of a powerful social work collective based on social group work theory that potentiates professional practice while transcending management forms. The model includes group supervision, but moves beyond it to utilize the social work group as a central organizing principle. At the heart of the collective are the elements of professional accountability, support, autonomy, and collaborative decision-making within democratic peer group structures. The authors highlight current management theory, distinctions that create an authentic social work value-based practice, and outcomes for social workers, their clients, and colleagues.
ISSN:0098-1389
1541-034X
DOI:10.1300/J010v39n03_05