Internship Supervisors' Perspectives of Group Work Within Social Work Practice

Shirley Simon; Kristina Lind; Teresa Kilbane

doi:10.1921/gpwk20252536

Authors

Shirley Simon Loyola University Chicago
Kristina Lind Western Carolina University
Teresa Kilbane Loyola University Chicago

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk20252536

Keywords:

groupwork education, groupwork practice, social work education, continuing education, internship supervision

Abstract

Group work’s prominence within masters’ level social work education in the U.S. has steadily diminished over the years. Simultaneously, anecdotal reports indicate group work is continuously utilized in practice. The authors developed a survey for internship supervisors at their home institution to assess 1) the use of group work within the field; 2) the desirability of group work expertise as an employment/internship consideration; and 3) internship supervisors’ assessment of their own knowledge and preparation for supervision around group work issues, and their interest in group work continuing education and/or certification programs. Findings suggest that group work is widely used in social work practice settings, group work expertise is desired in hiring interns and new professionals, and while internship supervisors feel competent in supervising interns, they are interested in participating in continuing education and group work certificate programs. Recommended advocacy strategies to enhance the status of group work education in U.S. higher education are discussed.

Author Biographies

Shirley Simon, Loyola University Chicago

Shirley R. Simon, ACSW, LCSW is Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago. She has been a social work educator for over forty-five years, chairs the group work sequence within Loyola’s School of Social Work, and spearheads the current Group Work Continuing Education Series. She has published on group work education, practice and history, and has facilitated over three hundred student and alumni presentations at professional association conferences. She is a member of the IASWG Board and was named 2017 IASWG Honoree. Professor Simon serves as Book Review Editor for North America for Groupwork.

Kristina Lind, Western Carolina University

Kristina Lind, PhD, LICSW-NH, is Associate Professor at Western Carolina University, N.C., U.S.A and Coordinator of the School Social Work Licensure Program. She is vice-president of the International Association for Social Work with Groups, and a consulting editor for the journal, Health and Social Work. Previously she served as the Social Work Program Chair at Plymouth State University and Coordinator of the Child Welfare Collaborative.

Teresa Kilbane, Loyola University Chicago

Teresa Kilbane, PhD, Associate Professor Emeritus, Loyola University Chicago, where she served as PhD Program Director and lead faculty for the research sequence. She is a frequent presenter at International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG), and has served on multiple committees. She has numerous publications on both group work and social work practice.

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