title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Maritime School of Social Work, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. michael.ungar@dal.ca
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ungar
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mealey
authors.forename: Golda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012947:Social Work