The Power of Circles

Abstract

SUMMARY Social workers can play a pivotal role in bringing about culture change in long-term care, but only if they step out of the narrow confines of case management and client advocacy to use their full spectrum of skills training. By working one-on-one, with groups and with a focus on institutional change, social workers can empower nursing home staff and residents to create a better place in which to live and work. The Learning Circle is a simple and effective methodology social workers can use for achieving these ends. The Learning Circle is a common-sense approach for both conducting meetings and facilitating less formal gatherings in a way that encourages high involvement of all stakeholders in planning and implementing culture change, engenders mutual respect among participants, builds a sense of community and facilitates both personal and organizational transformation. It can be used in all social change models. This article describes how, where and when to use the Learning Circle.