Improvisation in School Social Work: The History, Philosophy and Efficacy of an Expressive Play-Based Approach to Work with Children

Presenter: 

Jeremy D Lynch, M.A.

Clinical social work interventions have been strongly influenced by “talk therapy” approaches.  While such interventions may work well for highly verbal individuals who are able to sit still for long periods of time, talking intervention techniques do not work well for many children, who are developing their verbal skills and often have difficulty staying in one spot for very long.  One way for school social workers to engage children in services is through acts of play utilizing techniques and exercises derived from improvisation.  In this session you will learn about the foundational history the field of social work has had with improvisation–dating back to work in Chicago’s Hull House in the early 20th century, learn about the philosophy and efficacy regarding improv techniques in social work practice and, learn three different improv activities you can utilize to help engage your students in social work interventions.