“What Could Happen and What Couldn't Happen”:
A Poetry Club for Kids. This article, though based on elementary aged youth could be utilized for any age group within schooling. The basis of the article is that it discusses the aspects of simplifying what is meant by mutual aid, pre-group planning practices, negotiating with teachers, contracting and developing a plan that focuses on the strengths of the youth in building on creativity who have gone through serious emotional traumas (Malekoff & Steinderg, 2008, pg. 121).

Reference
Malekoff, A., Salmon, R., & Steinberg, D. M. (2006). “What Could Happen and What Couldn’t Happen”: A Poetry Club for Kids. Social Work with Groups, 29(2–3), 121. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=23136680&site=eds-live&scope=site

The Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model: Implications for Professional School Counselors

This article by Steen, Hanfield, and Booker (2014) presents the Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model (ASE). The ASE group model was created with the intent to combine group curriculum that guides the students both academically and social-emotional issues. After an in-depth description of the ASE model, the article provides an example of how a middle school counselor has implemented this model.

Steen, S., Henfield, M. S., & Booker, B. (2014). The Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model: Implications for Professional School Counselors. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 39(1), 29–46. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/01933922.2013.861886]

CHAPTER 2: SCREENING OF MEMBERS: "EVERYONE IS WELCOME"

This article from our course learning resources addresses the importance of pre-planning and preparation for establishing and leading a counseling froup be focusing on an ill-prepared and untrained counselor and her lack of success in implementing a group counseling session.

Reference
Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. . J. L. (2004). Chapter 2: Screening of Members: “Everyone Is Welcome.” In Critical Incidents in Group Counseling (pp. 9–14). American Counseling Association. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=19887667&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Action Plan:
This step requires the development of a detailed action plan for the proposed group. The action plan includes “description, purpose, rationale, objectives, logistics, risks and safety issues, implementation procedures, and evaluation” (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015). This will serve as a guide for the school counselor when determining what information to cover in each group session. This document also provides teachers, parents, supervisors, etc. with pertinent information about the group should any questions arise.

Informed consent:
This step requires that the school counselor acquire informed consent; the level of informed consent that needs to be obtained is generally provided in the school’s policy, however, to remain both ethical and professional counselors should gain consent from all parties involved. Parental consent is needed for students who are minors but receiving assent from students can help them to feel that they have a say and that they are apart of the group. It is generally in best practice that this step takes place before the screening process. The permission slip for the group should provide detailed information about what the group(s) will cover so that parents have the opportunity to make an informed decision (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program, 2015).

Conduct sessions:
In preparation to conduct the group counseling sessions, school counselors should have several documents generated. These include a document that highlights participant rules-this document will be distributed to participants at the opening of the first session. The information on the document can be presented in chart format allowing students the opportunity to acknowledge the rules and explain in writing what each rule looks like or means to them. Students will also be given the opportunity to add rules to the document that they agree upon as a group. School counselors should generate student passes that will be provided to each student excusing them from prior engagements while the counseling sessions are in progress, a unit template which will go hand in hand with the action plan as it lists materials needed, performance goals, outcome assessment, and follow up activities for each session, and lastly, counselors will need a teacher/parent follow up form that will be provided to teachers and parents after each session in efforts to keep them abreast to the students’ progress. The following information will be provided in the document: group topic, session goal, what was discussed, date of next meeting, group assignment, and additional comments if applicable.

Common stressors for middle school students include: upcoming test, transition to a new environment, lack of sleep, lack of support from parents, teachers, etc., changes in routine, making friends, obtaining passing grades, etc.

Growth: During the first few years of middle school research has found that students undergo a great deal of social changes. "First, there is the onset of early adolescent change (around ages 9-13) when the young person starts detaching and differentiating from childhood and parents in order to start developing more independence and individuality" ( Pickhardt, 2017). Though these changes might increase confidence in some students, it can be the source of stress for others. Additionally, middle school students may begin to develop a second family outside of their biological one. However, "peer group membership does not come free of charge: To belong one has to conform." ( Pickhardt, 2017). Thus, gaining independence and establishing social groups outside of the home can lead to an increased amount of stress amongst middle school students as they battle with conforming to fit in or staying true to themselves and socializing with like minded people.
Reference: Pickhardt, Carl E (2017). Social Challenges of Middle School, Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201701/social-challenges-middle-school

"During the early middle-school years, puberty begins as hormones drive growth to sexual maturity, altering physical appearance in maturing ways the young person does not control" (Pickhardt, 2017). These changes can leave middle school students feelings insecure, out of control, and like they do not fit in. These changes can also lead these students to pay greater attention to their outer appearance and to the clothes that they wear thus, they become increasingly self-conscious.

Social fears and anxieties specific to the middle school population include: Rumors, bullying, gossip, altercations with friends, social status, acceptance, sexuality, and relationship status

Because middle school students can be plagued with a multitude of stressors, it is important that they not only learn what healthy coping skills are but are also aware of when to employ them. Research has found that “adaptive coping strategies such as resilience, social support and problem-solving correlate with and predict better psychological well-being” (Chua & Jose, 2015, p. 2030). Additionally, Students who learn to adapt healthy coping skills early on are more likely to adapt those same effective strategies when faced with adversity in the future. A study conducted to investigate how coping skills help explain how future-oriented adolescents accrue greater well-being over time found that “coping strategies are an important mechanism by which future orientation leads to higher well-being over time” (Chua & Jose, 2015, p. 2039).

Reference:
Chua, L., Milfont, T., & Jose, P. paul. jose@vuw. ac. n. (2015). Coping Skills Help Explain How Future-Oriented Adolescents Accrue Greater Well-Being Over Time. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 44(11), 2028–2041. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0230-8

Article: This article sought to determine the impact that adaptive and maldaptive coping skills has on the future orientation- how one thinks about the future, weighs consequences, and thinks before acting- of adolescents in terms of well-being and ill-being.

Logistics:
This portion involves all the pre-planning logistics. It answers the questions of the following things; topic, when, where, facilitators, how many sessions (ect.) This step provides a foundation before moving forward.

Select Group Member:
Based on the student's answers to the pre-screening interview questions, participants need to be chosen for the group. It is important to select individuals who will contribute to the group in a way that will promote interaction between themselves and other group members. Additionally, those individuals must be willing to work to achieve both individual and group goals. Interactions between group members should result in beneficial results for themselves and for other group members.

Pre- Group Interviews/Screening:
The Pre-group interviewing and screening process is to select members to participate in the group. One woman, Rosemarie Smead, a leader in school-based group work developed a pre-group screening interview process called TAP-in (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance And Counseling Program (2015). To complete this process the leader would first, tell the student about the group, second, ask the student about his/her level of interest and commitment to the expectations of the group, and then based on their answers, pick participants for the group.

Gather Pre-group Data:
It is vital to gather pre-group data about the members so that there is a basis to establish growth and success from participating in the group. Data to be included would be academic development topics, such as, following directions and rules, listening skills, staying on task, completes and turns in homework. Personal and social development skills would also be included, such as cooperates with others, shows respect for others, and accepts responsibility for own behavior. Additionally, information such as number of absences, tardies, and discipline referrals, as well as grades would be provided.

Planning and Implementing Group Counseling in a High School.

This article, though based on group counseling planning for high school has implications that can be utilized for any level of education. The article by Ripley & Goodnough (2001) discusses strategies that can be utilized in the formation of groups within counseling in schools. Within the article are noted the needs of the students that are within the school must be considered to run an effective group. They continue by discussing the principle of developing awareness within the teachers, administrators and other school staff of the importance of group counseling and then educating those parties on the subject (Ripley & Goodnough, 2001).

The accessibility of those groups is another aspect to planning a group that is addressed in this article before Ripley and Goodnough (2001) continue to address the importance of group leaders and co-leaders to assist them in building an effective group

Middle School Counseling Group Chat - Permission Slip