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Paper Presentation

Group Work

Session: Focus on the power of group work with youth in social work: Case studies for education

Using the Arts to Facilitate Affirming, Strengths-Based Groups with LGBTQ Youth

While research demonstrates arts-based activities as beneficial for youth, less is known about how the arts might facilitate inclusive group work practice with LGBTQ youth, including LGBTQ youth with disabilities. This presentation presents a practice-informed conceptual model for using arts-based activities to facilitate affirming, strengths-based group work with LGBTQ youth.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:
  1. Participants will learn about the inherent connections among the arts, group work, and strengths-based approaches with LGBTQ youth, including LGBTQ youth with disabilities.
  2. Participants will explore practice scenarios in which group workers might use arts-based group work to facilitate strengths-based groups with LGBTQ youth, including LGBTQ youth with disabilities.
  3. Participants will understand how LGBTQ youth, including those with disabilities, benefit from art-based, strengths-based group work as a means to offset the marginalization, oppression, and stigmatization they experience in their lives.