ABSTRACT

Social work has a rich tradition of engaging in a range of group and community work activities beyond clinical settings—activities conceptualised in terms of health promotion and illness prevention. This chapter begins with a broad theoretical description of the principles of health promotion and prevention, leading into the argument that group-based and community approaches to practice offer an alternative focus for social work activity beyond specific clinical work with individuals and families. It argues that social workers need to be able to locate their work within clear conceptual models of practice, and seek ways to evaluate and validate that work. The chapter illustrates social work practice in group-based and community approaches. It encourages social workers to see the opportunity for highly creative approaches to their work in this area, and to value this work as being capable of making a significant contribution to individual and community wellbeing.