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Self-Help and Support Groups

Product Details

  • Pub. Date: February 1997
  • Publisher: SAGE Publications

also available at amazon.com

Synopsis

The first volume to address both self-help and support groups, and to provide a clear distinction between the two, Self-Help and Support Groups dispels misunderstandings and inaccurate assumptions about how they function, whom they attract and how they help participants achieve goals.

Linda Farris Kurtz informs practitioners and students in the human services about the concepts, theories and research relevant to self-help and support groups. She provides practical advice and direction for working with these groups while analyzing self-help//support organizations on three different levels in terms of: the groups themselves; the group members; and the practitioners’ interactions with the groups. In addition, this comprehensive volume discusses the most prominent representative associations as examples of differnt types of groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Recovery, International, National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Alzheimer’s Association. It also examines the rise of telephone and online self-help, considering the advantages and disadvantages of this style of group interaction.  As an added bonus, each chapter includes exercises and discussion questions.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE GROUP Introduction Helping Characteristics and Change Mechanisms in Self-Help Groups Ideology, Climate, Structure and Professionalization in Self-Help and Support Groups PART TWO: THE MEMBER Beginning Participation Long-Term Participation PART THREE: THE PRACTITIONER Practitioner Roles with Support Groups Practitioner Relationships with Self-Help Groups PART FOUR: REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS Twelve Step Programs Other Change Oriented Associations: Recovery Inc and Parents Anonymous Supportive Educational Groups Telephone and On-Line Self-Help