A Study of Community Guides: Lessons for Professionals Practicing with and in Communities

Abstract

A study of 35 nonprofessional helpers, identified as community "guides," focused on the contribution each made to helping marginalized individuals and families become a part of their communities. The lessons learned through these lay helpers can inform a postmodern social work practice that promotes the use of indigenous practice principles appropriate for work with and in culturally distinct communities. The practice wisdom of these guides demonstrates a need for professionals to reposition themselves in the associational life of a community, and to make their practice less visible. It is shown that an effective community-building practice that respects community solutions to individual and community problems requires permeable boundaries on the part of intervening professionals.

Promoting public health through community engagement: Embracing the journey

“…Only in moving toward a stance of needing to learn, can one begin to critically examine his/her worldview in terms of values and biases toward those who are deemed different. Stakeholders possess a plethora of knowledge that they frequently are willing to impart if professionals are willing to take a learner's stance with those stakeholders (Ungar, et al, 2004).…”

The mobilization of community resources to support long-term addiction recovery

“…The social model, as pioneered in California, is an abstinencebased approach to alcoholism recovery that is distinguished by self-governed, homelike living environments; voluntary, peer-based experiential learning (in contrast to professional instruction/intervention); and deep enmeshment in local recovery communities (Borkman, Kaskutas, Room, Bryan, & Barrows, 1998). Community guides are nonprofessional peers who help lead marginalized individuals and families back into healthy, supportive, and contributing relationships within their local communities (McKnight, 1995;Ungar, Manuel, Mealey, Thomas, & Campbell, 2004).…”

Applications of Situated Learning to Foster Communities of Practice

“…We emphasize contact with indigenous community guides (Ungar et al, 2004), although students initially want to rely only on professionals and academics for information. Most students explain that this is because of convenience and comfort level.…”