Social workers' use of self-help groups as a resource for clients

Self-help groups are an important part of the network of community resources that are available for social workers to use in working with clients. This article describes the results of a survey conducted by the authors to identify the factors that influence such use. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the impact on social work practitioners and their clients, and recommendations are offered for improving the relationship between social workers and self-help groups.