Group Work with Adolescents: Principles and Practice [Paperback]

Andrew Malekoff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1572304650 | ISBN-13: 978-1572304659 | Publication Date: April 1, 1999 | Edition: 2

This volume broadens the knowledge and skill base of practitioners doing group social work with adolescents and fosters a creative, innovative, and self-reflective approach. A rich introduction to the field, enlivened by numerous illustrations from actual group sessions, the book provides principles and guidelines for work in a wide range of settings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"My graduate social work students find the Malekoff text extremely useful in its practical, hands-on approach to working with at-risk adolescents in groups. The book includes numerous real-life examples of group work experiences that ring true, often include humor, and provide a good blend of group work theory, family systems perspectives, and adolescent developmental knowledge."--Ruth Fagan-Wilen, LCSW, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin

"Andrew Malekoff does us all a special service...He reawakens a lost yet wonderful art form which we once called a method...group social work. Malekoff goes a significant step further then discovering an artifact. He informs, instructs, and implores us to understand how the practice of group work has been and yet can again be a major tool in working with adolescents. The Carnegie Commission that authored the publication A Matter of Time..Risk and Opportunity in the Nonschool Hours, alerted us to the dire need to teach and serve teenagers and to the disappearance of group work on a national level. Malekoff does the study justice by pointing the way to the reemergence of group work with opportunities for providers and educators to learn and train a new generation of group work practitioners. A sea change is needed in the field of social work--in our work with adolescents--and Malekoff has provided the vehicle. Hurrah." --Philip Coltoff, M.S.W., Executive Director, Children's Aid Society

"We haven't seen the likes of Group Work With Adolescents: Principles and Practice, by Andrew Malekoff. Only Grace Coyle's Group Work With American Youth comes close and that was another time, another place. Written directly from the front lines of work with adolescents in suburban and urban settings, this book shows Malekoff to possess a towering sensitivity to what life is like in the drug and violence charged world these youth inhabit; into that world of fatalism, Malekoff brings a breath of hope. The book is eloquently written, theoretically solid, and profoundly human. I recommend this book to all who care about the youth of today and their and our tomorrows." --Sue Henry, DSW, University of Denver

"A book of remarkable breadth and depth. Group work theory and methods are creatively applied to adolescents' developmental needs. If you are interested in forming and beginning groups for adolescents, developing a supportive, problem-solving group culture, using verbal and programmatic methods, dealing with prejudice, violence, sexuality and substance abuse, this book will be extremely useful. Rich case illustrations make the content come alive." --Alex Gitterman, MSW, EdD, Columbia University School of Social Work

"Rich with the wisdom and detail that can only be conveyed by a master practitioner and that it educates the reader in how to understand adolescent behavior and group process and how to respond to the vicissitudes of the work in a non-formulistic manner.
"Presents group work practice honestly, protraying its dilemmas, its raggedness, its rawness and its genius in a manner that few authors since Redl and Wineman have achieved. It does not offer guaranteed, simplistic quick-fixes that flood the current market. At the same time, it details approaches, structures, and techniques that seasoned practitioners know is 'the stuff that really works.'
"It pays attention to a broader range of group approaches than almost any of the current texts and articles....The author's broad experience and scholarliness enable him to take a 'what's best for what kinds of kids in what kinds of circumstances' approach, with authority and detailed explanation. This is an invaluable asset.
"The book imparts a message for the twenty-first century as do few clinical tomes.
"This book should be read by beginning human services students, school teachers, seasoned clinicians, developmenttal specialists, graduate students, and faculty. Some parts of it will interest general readers. It is a fine textbook for beginning and advanced levels." --James A. Garland, LICSW, Boston University School of Social Work

"...an excellent contribution to the literature. It has been prepared by a passionate and devoted clinician with a wealth of clinical experience.... experienced clinicians will find this to be a sophisticated text which does not take a cookbook approach, but rather provides the reader with a thoughtful, clearly written perspective on how to work with adolescents in groups." --Ronald W. Toseland, PhD

About the Author

Andrew Malekoff, MSW, CASAC, is the Director of Program Development for North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, New York. He is coeditor of the journal Social Work with Groups, Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University School of Social Work, and board member of the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Guilford Press; 2 edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572304650
• ISBN-13: 978-1572304659
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,483,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate book on social group work with adolescents., January 20, 1999

By 

Robert Salmon([e-mail] (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Group Work with Adolescents: Principles and Practice (Hardcover)

MaleKoff's book is an extraordinary resource for any who hope to understand the world of adolescents,and the skills that are necessary to work successfully with them. Malekoff brings to his writing several decades of work with these young adults and he has a profound understanding of the difficult and often frightening world they inhabit.The book is sound counceptually, and refers freely to the literature. Malekoff writes with grace,and empathy, as well as with humor.This particular quality,important for work with all ages, is essential in work with this age group.Malekoff also is a published poet, and the book often uses poetry,his own and that of others,to teach and inform the reader. Work with groups has been neglected for many years, as professionals have tended to find it too difficult and unpredictable. Now, Malekoff has shown us the way, and his book will be of great use for social workers with groups, for teachers, and for others who want to work effectively with these young people.The book also is a powerful testimony to the effectiveness of the group work method of social work practice in serving this population.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful and enjoyable to read, August 17, 1999

By 

Bob Porter "Child & Family Therapist" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Group Work with Adolescents: Principles and Practice (Hardcover)

This has been the most useful book I've found on this subject in 18 years of facilitating adolescent support and therapy groups. The author's clarity, clinical sense, and humor made this a pleasure to read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, March 9, 2007

By 

C. J. Phillips (West Hartford, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Group Work with Adolescents, Second Edition: Principles and Practice (Social Work Practice with Children and Families) (Hardcover)

Andrew Malekoff does a wonderful job of sharing what real group work is all about. He is humble, has a sense of humor and true appreciation for adolescents. He shares his years of experience and the wisdom he has gained in a generous and very understandable way.