[Counselor_Educ] FW: ASGW news! Congratulations to Gerard Grigsby on a publication!

Mon Dec 4 21:10:41 EST 2017

Please check out Gerard’s article in the ASGW e-letter: Fried Chicken, Watermelon, Addiction, and Appalachia: One Counselor’s Experience of Addressing Diversity Issues in Group. Congratulations Gerard on being published in a national e-letter!

Kind regards,

Dr. Bhat

From: Bhat, Christine
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 4:15 PM
To: 'Gerard Grigsby' <ggrigsby at hrs.org>
Subject: FW: ASGW news! Congrats on your publication Gerard!!

From: The Association For Specialists In Group Work ASGW [mailto:asgwtreasurer at gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 3:34 PM
To: Bhat, Christine <bhatc at ohio.edu<mailto:bhatc at ohio.edu>>
Subject: ASGW news!

The latest ASGW news!
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Hello! Read on for the latest ASGW news!

Nominate Your State Branch for the 2017 ASGW State Branch Award

Group workers: Nominate your state ASGW branch for Outstanding Branch Award. Tell us about the important things that have been accomplished in your state branch the last year. We want to hear about your workshops, publications, membership service and all your special activities.

What: Tell us what your branch has been doing this past year. ASGW wants to recognize your branch for your contributions.

When: Send your letter of nomination and supporting materials by December 31st, 2017.

Where: The branch award will be given at the ASGW conference in Savannah during the awards luncheon.

Who: Please include in your nomination materials the name and contact information of the person who will accept the award at the ASGW luncheon.

How: Submit materials to:
                               M. Carolyn Thomas
                               ASGW Branches Chair
                               9360 Vaughn Road
                               Pike Road, AL 36064
                               mthomas at aum.edu<mailto:mthomas at aum.edu>
                               334/244-3437

Engage with ASGW on your favorite Social Media!

We are excited to announce new ways to engage with ASGW! We hope you will like, follow and connect with us. We'll be sharing updates on events, products, best practices, resources and more.

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ASGW National Conference 2018 NEWS

ASGW Conference at “The Empress of the South”- February 1-3, 2018

The countdown to the ASGW conference in Savannah is truly underway! ASGW is proud to bring you an outstanding array of conference presentations including those by our keynote speakers Dr. Sam Gladding on Friday February 2, and Dr. Carolyn B. Stone on Saturday February 3. If you have not registered already please do so. The current registration rate for ASGW Members is $375. Please invite your colleagues to attend and if they are not ASGW members, it is easy (and cheaper) to become a member to get this discounted member rate. We also have lower rates for student attendees. Membership in ASGW offers many benefits including access to the Journal for Specialists in Group Work.

The conference venue is the newly renovated DeSoto Hotel in Savannah’s Historic District. Aptly titled “The Empress of the South”, The DeSoto boasts some of the best views of Savannah, and the elegant interiors showcase permanent and rotating art exhibits by local artists. In addition to excellent restaurants on-site, there are many options to dine within close walking distance, including at the riverfront. You could get your bearings with a Sip & Stroll Excursion led by a host from the hotel highlighting Savannah’s history, beautiful architecture, and gorgeous parks. If that wasn’t enough to excite you, typical temperatures in Savannah in February range from 61°F to 67°F. You may even want to pack your swimsuit and enjoy the 2nd floor outdoor pool!

Join us at the ASGW conference. Enjoy the warm and welcoming space that ASGW creates for all who are enthused about group work!

Christine Suniti Bhat
ASGW President, 2017-2018

Spotlight on Dr. Samuel T. Gladding, Keynote Speaker at the ASGW Conference, February 2, 2018

Dr. Gladding will address our conference theme, “Groups: Nurturing Positivity for Greater Good.” Dr. Gladding is a professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University. He is a former president and current fellow of the American Counseling Association (ACA). He has also served as president of the American Association of State Counseling Boards, Chi Sigma Iota, and three ACA divisions: ACES, ASGW, and IAMFC. Dr. Gladding has authored 45 books, 80 scholarly articles, 22 book chapters, 10 teaching videos, and 45 poems. He was a mental health first responder to the 9/11 attack in New York, has twice been a Fulbright

Specialist (in Turkey and China), and is the recipient of ACA’s Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. The Association for Creativity in Counseling and ACA have each named awards in his honor. Dr. Gladding received his degrees from Wake Forest University, Yale University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is married to Claire Tillson Gladding
and the father of three.

Spotlight on Dr. Carolyn B. Stone, Keynote Speaker at the ASGW Conference, February 3, 2018

Dr. Stone will share her expertise on legal and ethical issues with us, focusing on the provision of group counseling with children and adolescents in schools and other settings. Dr. Stone has been a Counselor Educator at the University of North Florida since 1995 where she teaches and researches in the areas of legal and ethical issues, and school counselors and accountability. Prior to becoming a counselor educator, Dr. Stone spent 22 years with the Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida where she served as a middle school teacher, elementary and high school counselor and Supervisor of Guidance for 225 counselors. Dr. Stone serves as the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) Ethics Chair and is a past president of ASCA. A past president of the Florida Counseling Association and the Florida Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors, Dr. Stone has delivered more than 500 workshops in 50 states and 15 countries, and she has authored three books and dozens of journal articles. She is the recipient of many honors including the Mary Gerke Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCA, and the Florida School Counselor Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Conference Rates
ASGW Member $375
Full-time Graduate Student $200
Non-ASGW Member $425
One Day Member FRIDAY $225
One Day Member SATURDAY $225
One Day Non-Member FRIDAY $275
One Day Non-Member SATURDAY $275
Presenter (ends 12/10) $325
Student Presenter (ends 12/10) $175

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ASGW Student Volunteer Scholarship Application

The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) is offering an exciting opportunity for graduate students to meet and interact with leading group counseling professionals at the Association for Specialists in Group Work 2018 Biennial Conference in Savannah, Georgia (February 1-3, 2018).

In return for six hours of their time volunteering at the conference, graduate student volunteers will receive a $100 stipend or student registration deduction.
·    Student volunteers need to be enrolled in graduate program in counseling (master’s or doctoral level) at the time of the conference.
·    Each applicant will need to electronically submit this application form along with a personal statement addressing how your professional development and leadership might be enhanced through conference attendance and involvement in professional organizations such as ASGW (limit of 500 words).
·    You may also wish to highlight previous volunteer or conference activities and any reflections you have upon them.

The application deadline to serve as a student volunteer is December 8, 2017. Please note that you will be contacted by December 15th if you have been selected as a volunteer scholarship recipient (priority is placed on a first apply basis).

Name:
Mailing Address:
Preferred Phone Number with area code:
Email:
College/University: Name of your Faculty Advisor or Major Professor:
Email address for Faculty Advisor/Major Professor:
Days you are available to volunteer at the conference (lease check/highlight all that apply):
       Thursday Evening
       Friday
       Saturday
Please identify any schedule conflicts during the conference (ie. times you would not be available to volunteer due to presenting at the conference)

Please email your completed application form and personal statement (with the subject VOUNTEER APPLICATION) to:
Kerrie Fineran and Carrie VanMeter, ASGW 2018 Conference Co-Chairs: asgwconference at gmail.com<mailto:asgwconference at gmail.com>

Fried Chicken, Watermelon, Addiction, and Appalachia: One Counselor’s Experience of Addressing Diversity Issues in Group
by Gerard Grigsby

Hearing jokes about watermelon and grape Cool-Aid. Hearing someone talk about their “half-colored” nephew’s “nappy” hair. Being called “boy.” This is what I experienced over the year that I led an addictions process group in rural Appalachia. After working in the area for almost four years, I had grown accustomed to hearing these types of comments, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was a comment made after one group member shared with the group that she was dating outside of her race for the first time and no longer interested in “full-blooded White men.”

 “Yea, you like him now, but wait until he blacks your eye.”

We were gathered outside on a warm, sunny spring day, but a storm cloud of mixed emotions swept over me as I sat there in disbelief. As the leader of the group and the only person of color among a group of eight, I was at a total loss for words. I had no idea how to address what had been said, and I was too overwhelmed to convey exactly what I thought or felt in that moment. I know I felt invisible. I know I felt voiceless. But without any guidance, I struggled to determine what my response should be or whether it would even be appropriate to share what I was feeling. Ultimately, I chose to remain silent and let the moment pass as if nothing had happened, but the weight of what had transpired lingered with me long after our group meeting had ended.

By the time I arrived home that evening, my initial shock and disbelief had transformed into anger and disappointment. I had been really fond of this group member, so it stung to hear him perpetuate such a harmful stereotype about people of color. It didn’t help that he had made this comment after I had worked so hard to be understanding and sensitive to the needs of the group, especially considering that many members perceived that their backgrounds made them targets for judgment and mistreatment from law enforcement, family, friends, and even other counselors. I had also worked very hard not to perpetuate stereotypes about people who are in recovery from addiction, and I avoided using some of the derogatory language used to describe the people of Appalachia. What made matters worse is that just months prior, there was general consensus among the group that no one liked being called a “junkie” or an “addict”, especially by someone who has never used drugs. Clearly, these members knew what it was like to feel marginalized, so how could they allow someone in the group to make such a racially insensitive comment and not challenge him?

I went to bed that night still upset about what had happened and woke up the next day even angrier. In fact, I thought about that incident for several days. I consulted with my supervisor and processed what it was like for me leading the group that day. I shared the details of the incident with my colleagues in a separate supervision group. I spent hours brainstorming different ways to confront the group about what had happened. I thought, “Maybe I should compile a list of derogatory terms, share them with the group, and ask members what they think about culturally insensitive language? Maybe I should stop being so careful with my words and ask members how they feel when they’re on the receiving end of micro-aggressions!?”

It goes without saying that these ideas came from a wounded place in me. I had worked hard to protect my group members, and it hurt having to accept that they had not been as protective of me. Thankfully, however, ongoing self-examination helped me set aside my own baggage and remind myself that it would be harmful and unethical for me to prioritize my own needs over those of the group. Instead, I did some more processing and eventually decided it was less important for me to get retribution, and more important for me to leave the members with greater insight than they had before joining the group. I wanted to do something that would be meaningful and impactful for everyone in the group, including myself.

The next week, I sat everyone down and implemented a new group rule: Please be mindful of the diversity represented within the group. Without my having to confront him directly, the group member who had made the offensive comment the week before knew immediately why I had made this request and, to his credit, he apologized for what he had said. Although I did not take the opportunity to share with the group exactly how his words impacted me, the act of advocating for myself and others in the group was healing enough. In fact, addressing diversity issues that day served as a critical moment for the group and opened the door for continued discussions about race, culture, sexual orientation, and other aspects of multiculturalism. Just a few weeks later, for example, a group member made a comment about fried chicken, to which I light-heartedly responded, “Is this another racist joke?” To my relief, the group laughed, and we went on to have a productive conversation about ethnicity, regional diversity, and similarities between Appalachian culture and African American culture.

In hindsight, I don’t know if I used the best approach to address diversity issues in my group, but I can look back and appreciate how that first challenging experience (there were others afterward) helped to shape my counseling philosophy and improve my group counseling skills. It taught me when and how to address diversity issues within groups, and it served as a reminder that multicultural issues are always relevant, even in an addictions process group in rural Appalachia.

If you have been in a situation similar to mine, or would like more guidance on addressing diversity issues in addiction counseling groups, check out the following books:

“Group Exercises for Addiction Counseling” by Geri Miller (2012)
Geri describes two activities that can be used to address diversity issues in addiction counseling groups. My favorite of the two, “Sharing Culture”, is a dynamic group activity that facilitates engagement, information sharing, and processing. I won’t provide any spoilers if you haven’t read the book, but just know this activity involves yarn and sounds like a lot of fun!

“Group Work Experts Share Their Favorite Activities for the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders” published by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (2015), and edited by Christine Bhat, Yegan Pillay, and Priscilla Selvaraj.

This book is full of engaging activities for anyone who is interested in group work, but there is one activity in particular that may be useful for practitioners who want to address diversity issues in group. Submitted by Beverly Goodwin and Lorraine Guth, this activity requires group participants to identify what they know about their own ethnic, racial, or cultural group, and consider how different aspects of their identity impact their recovery. My own spin on this activity would involve an initial discussion about drug culture (its norms, unspoken rules, daily practices, and common beliefs), of which people may be unaware. I see this as a helpful way to set the stage for a broader discussion about culture and diversity. I also think it would be a useful way to help members process the fact that they are indeed giving up certain aspects of a valued cultural system when they decide to start their recovery. This context can help enrich subsequent discussions about culture, assimilation, and acculturation, as members discuss the process of letting go of drug culture and embracing aspects of other cultural systems that may be less harmful.

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