This chapter will consider key practical aspects of community work and demonstrate the reflective practice of being along with thinking and doing as a community worker.
The community development and work presented in this chapter relates to awareness-raising and capacity-building of communities to support families affected by drug and alcohol usage. It explores three communities, all of which are small rural towns in western New South Wales: Community A, Community B and Community C. The case study was chosen from a range of possibilities owing to its longitudinal nature and its capacity to highlight important concepts of being.
Other examples of community work could include the Community Optimist Program for a church in an area of poverty; refugee resettlement programs, including development of a Dinka Sudanese congregation; para-church movements (e.g. Scripture Union with camps for disadvantaged children, family camping); programs and services to community events and community film nights; sporting clubs (e.g. forming a cricket and football team from juvenile justice and correctional clients); developing Aboriginal work collectives; developing online communities of practice; and community organisations (e.g. school programs of integration for children with disabilities). The opportunities for community work are extensive.
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