Transformative Online Group Work Symposium
Join us for an online symposium across two days hosted by Relationships Australia NSW, Western Sydney University, and Interrelate.
Transformative Online Groupwork Symposium:
New Approaches + Opportunities
Western Sydney University, Interrelate and Relationships Australia NSW are thrilled to announce a Transformative Online Groupwork Symposium, held across two days in April 2025.
Mark your calendars and prepare to embark on an explorative journey with us at the Transformative Online Groupwork Symposium. Together, let's make a difference in the lives of those we work with. See you there!
Who It's For
For group workers eager to enhance their skills and expand their toolbox for innovative online groupwork practice.
Event Details
Dates: 15 and 16 April 2025
Time: 11:00am - 3:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
What You'll Gain
This Online Groupwork Symposium explores the benefits and challenges of groupwork practice in a post-COVID world.
Transforming lives, empowering communities
What you'll gain from attending these two action-packed days:
Symposium Program
10:30am – Hangout Room
11:00-11:10am – Acknowledgement of Countries
11:10-11:30am – Welcome to the Symposium
11:30am-12:10pm – Keynote Address:
Dr Neil Hall – Groupwork in the new era: Balancing in-person and online groupwork practice.
12:10pm-12:50pm – Keynote Address:
Jacqueline-Luise Brescia – Diversity in the online space.
12:50pm -1:00pm – Overview of afternoon papers and interactive sessions
1:00-1:30pm – Lunch
1:30-2:00pm – Paper/interactive sessions
2:00-2:30pm – Paper/interactive sessions
2:30-3:00pm – Paper/interactive sessions
3:00-3:30pm – Paper/interactive sessions
3:30-4:00pm – Hangout Room
10:30am – Hangout Room
11:00-11:40am – Keynote Address:
Grace Jennings – Online men’s behaviour change groupwork.
11:40am-12:20pm – Keynote Address:
Carl Malone – New opportunities for online groupwork practice.
12:20-1:00pm – Panel group discussion:
Managing group dynamics, anxiety and communication interaction online groupwork.
Panel members: Andrea Cridland (MC) and Andrew King. More to be announced soon.
1:00-1:30pm – Lunch
1:30-2:00pm – Paper/interactive sessions
2:00-2:30pm – Paper/interactive sessions
2:30-3:00pm – Paper/interactive sessions
3:00-3:30pm – Symposium close and future directions
3:30-4:00pm – Hangout Room
Call for Abstracts
We are seeking proposals for:
- 30-Minute Paper Presentations (including Q&A)
- 60-Minute Interactive Workshops
Submission Guidelines: All abstracts need to focus on the research and or practice of online groupwork. The symposium themes are:
- Engaging diverse communities
- Platform and administration dilemmas in online groupwork
- Opportunities and challenges in online groupwork
- ‘Yarning Down the Line’ – Exploring Aboriginal Online Groupwork
Submission Deadline: Friday 29 November 2024
For inquiries, please contact Janine Westman via janinew@ransw.org.au, or Neil Hall via N.Hall@westernsydney.edu.au
We look forward to receiving your innovative and engaging proposals for this groundbreaking symposium.
Early Bird Registration Now Open
Early bird registration is open now! Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your professional growth and join us for a day of inspiration, learning, and connection. Stay tuned for updates on speakers, workshop topics, and registration details.
Event Speakers
Dr Neil Hall
Keynote Day 1: Groupwork in the new era –Balancing in-person and online groupwork practice
Dr Neil Hall is an Associate Professor in Social Work at Western Sydney University, where he has been teaching, researching and publishing about group work for over 20 years. He has also been a group work practitioner in a variety of settings including youth health, drug and alcohol, juvenile justice, sport, training and as a sessional group work specialist for Corrective Services.
Neil was a board member and trainer for the former NSW Insititute of Group Leaders and is now Convenor of the Australia/New Zealand chapter of International Association of Social Work with Groups. His new book, 'Group Work on the Edge' is due for release in 2025.
Jacqueline-Luise Brescia
Keynote Day 1: Diversity in the online space – Ongoing opportunities for reflection
Jacqueline-Luise Brescia is a Senior Group Facilitator and Team Leader at Relationships Australia NSW. Throughout her career as a Clinician, she has supported Groupwork within the sectors of Mental Health, Drugs & Alcohol and Child Protection as an accredited Functional Family Therapist (FFT).
An Alumni from the Australian College of Applied Psychology, she has since maintained her principled lens for the promotion of inclusivity within practice. She is currently the appointed NSW representative for the National LGBTIQA+ Community of Practice within the Relationships Australia Federation.
Carl Malone
Keynote Day 2: New opportunities for online groupwork practice
Carl has over the last 20 years been an educator, therapeutic program facilitator and senior project officer for Corrective Services NSW. Carl shares his experience of designing and building the road map to successful online delivery across NSW.
He shares what he has learnt about the differences between online and face-to-face delivery and what is required beyond the therapeutic circle to make online programs sustainable. This road map, known as LiViT, delivered hundreds of programs to offenders prior to, during and following the pandemic.
Grace Jennings
Keynote Day 2: “I’m in a community online, but I’m in a room on my own” – Exploring online men’s behaviour programs
Grace’s presentation will discuss her PhD research which explored online men’s behaviour change programs in NSW. This presentation will discuss the benefits and consequences of moving therapeutic work from the service site and into the homes of program participants using online delivery.
This presentation offers insights about online group relationships and interactions, and what it means to have a ‘window into the home’ of group participants in the context of men’s behaviour change programs.