Why Give?

Recent research in the social sciences and neurosciences are teaching us some profound facts about the importance of groups in individual’s lives.  People with strong group support systems live longer, are less likely to become mentally or physically ill and are more resilient. Recent research is also providing strong supporting evidence on the power of group as a primary treatment modality. Groups are used to treat addiction, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, chronic mental illness, anger, and are used to promote personal growth, and social skills training. Groups are used to treat all ages and psychological conditions, and within medical settings and in businesses. Your gift to the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health will help fund research, education/training and community programs which current research shows enhance people’s lives, treat mental illness and support mental health.

Group work changes lives but it takes training to cultivate the skills and knowledge to develop this clinical expertise as a group therapist.  Because of the generous donations to the Group Foundation, this past year it was able to support the training of over 200 students, new professionals and agency staff in successful methods of group therapy treatment at the AGPA Annual Meeting in New York. Most of the recipients were first time attendees and many were from community agencies. As a result of their receiving these awards, these scholarship recipients have grown as group therapists, expanded their knowledge of group theory and discovered the support of a like-minded professional community. Additionally the Group Foundation supports distance learning through the internet so those professionals who are not able to attend our Annual Conference and who want continuing education can have the most advantageous training to learn and enhance their group skills throughout the year. 

Your donation will directly support:  

• the advancement of group therapy through funding for professional and public education. 
• the highly successful Scholarship program which is the reason many students and other professionals are able to attend the AGPA Annual Meeting. 
• the movement to raise the understanding of group work and the power of group therapy within the wider community of professionals as well as the general public. 
• the development of theoretical and evidence-based training and research efforts for group therapists.
• a more educated and understanding public to the benefits of group work. 
• group research and training that helps prove the power and effectiveness of group therapy.
• the publication of the “Group Works” brochure to help educate the public about group psychotherapy and its benefits.
• the funding for the publication of training manuals, including ones on groups for psychological trauma, substance abuse and addictions, working with children and adolescents and disaster response protocols. 
• the training of students and new professional therapists to be effective and successful in their clinical treatment of clients.
• care for the caregivers through programs to relieve stress for professionals working with groups which in turn ensure that their work continues.

For more information on how the Group Foundation supports communities, please visit Developing Healthy Communities