Challenges in Rural Social Work Practice: When Support Groups Contain Your Neighbors, Church Members, and the PTA

Abstract

Rural social work occurs in unique practice environments with challenges and rare opportunities. Strong social ties, commonly found in rural communities and often missing in urban areas, can serve as sources of resilience for group members facing adverse life circumstances. Therapeutic formal and informal support groups, bolstered by this support and led by social workers in rural communities, can face numerous challenges due to locale, lack of transportation, and potential worker burnout. This article highlights ethical considerations rooted in a theme of rural group work while providing helpful hints based on the IASWG Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups.

Keywords:

• rural social work
• social work groups
• rural support groups
• IASWG and AASWG Standards