Communities of practice (CoPs) can provide opportunities for diverse and inclusive groups to convene, share, collaborate, and support others. Using a self-study research approach combined with a visual research method, this study explores both scholarly and practice-based insights to describe the anticipated attributes of a high functioning CoP…

Family life is altered irrevocably when a young parent is diagnosed with or dies from cancer. This article tracks the genesis and transformation of a comprehensive psychoeducational support and bereavement program for children, adolescents, and parents affected by cancer. From the inception of the program, families with parents in active treatment…

Group homes sometimes face significant neighborhood opposition, and municipalities frequently use maximum occupancy laws to close down these homes. This study examined how the number of residents in Oxford House recovery homes impacted residents' outcomes. Larger homes (i.e., eight or more residents) may reduce the cost per person and offer more…

This paper discusses the authors' experiences with organizing and running groups for clients in career transition, whether that be a completely new career or a job search. One key to successful groups is organization, especially finding the right mix of members. They can have similar or different goals, but must be well matched for ego-strength.…

Describes currently active rural women's consciousness-raising group in eastern Nebraska, relating this group's experiences to a model of group development. Emphasizes group process and content evidenced as the group was established and passed through beginning, conflict, and cohesive stages of development. Relates changes in participants' values…

This guide was designed to help individuals interested in developing caregiver support groups. It begins with an overview of the caregiving situation, identifying stresses associated with caregiving and factors which have been shown to moderate stress. Purposes of a support group are discussed; differences between support and therapy groups are…

Although the origins of self-help groups can be traced back to early history, the self-help movement as we know it today began almost 50 years ago. Approximately 15 million Americans currently belong to about 500,000 different self-help groups. Adults in transition are likely to seek both formal and informal sources of help when faced with…

In an effort to explain the high turnover rate among family day care (FDC) providers, a study of the effects of perceived social support, job satisfaction, and the establishment of boundaries between a family day care provider's nuclear family and her FDC system was conducted. Analysis of data gathered from a mail survey of over 300 currently and…

An investigation of the work environment of child caregivers in Israel focused on the amount of professional support the caregivers received and the group characteristics of the children in their care. A total of 41 caregivers were sampled from a population of 97 sponsored family day care (FDC) providers. Most of the sampled FDC homes provided…

The loss of a family member is a traumatic experience for any child, affecting every aspect of life. In this article, we describe many of the needs of the child experiencing a loss, focusing on parental bereavement. A rationale for using support groups with grieving children is presented. Furthermore, we provide a review of best practices from the…

This series of discussion sessions and suggestions for further reading, was designed to serve as a guide for discussion groups made up of parents of preschool children. The first chapter discusses the organization of groups, leaders' qualifications, the general format of sessions, recordkeeping, and suggestions for the first and final sessions.…

For most distance education (DE) systems, distance, time, and/or opportunity isolate learners from their teacher and their fellow students. To facilitate interaction, most DE systems include different types of support groups. Modern technology allows groups to interact effectively even though individuals are far apart. Technology may appear to be…