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It is essential to communicate all group logistics with teachers, administration, and staff at HERB Middle School as well as parents and guardians of students as well. There will be information regarding the small group such as dates, times, location, and other important items relating to the small group sent to parents through email, letters, phone calls, as well as meetings if needed. There will also be a bi-weekly newsletter sent home concerning each individual student, that will explain how they have been adapting in the small group, as well as if there are any concerns or achievements. Permission forms will be sent home before any student is allowed to take part in small group (ASCA, 2021). The permission form will give more information on what the group is about and will include the school counselor's contact information as well. HERB administration and teachers will receive a small group notice form that will include all the information about the group such as dates, duration, and location. They will also receive emails giving reminders each day there is a small group. Teachers will also receive referral forms in regards to send home with students, in case a student wants to make a self-referral, or if they feel like a referral is necessary.

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The small group, group logistics are in an outline highlighting group; ages/grade, size/population, location, time, type of group (open or closed), and expectations.

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American School Counselor Association. (2021). The school counselor and peer support programsLinks to an external site.. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Peer-Support-Programs

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HERB Middle School Small Group Logistics_ (3)

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Datta, N., Matheson, B. E., Citron, K., Van Wye, E. M., & Lock, J. D. (2023). Evidence Based Update on Psychosocial Treatments for Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 52(2), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2022.2109650

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Li, S., Song, L., Twayigira, M., Fan, T., Luo, X., & Shen, Y. (2022). Eating disorders among middle school students in a Chinese population: Prevalence and associated clinical correlates. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 154, 278–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.062

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An example of a Permission Letter that will be sent home with students for their parent/guardian in order for them to attend our Small Group Counseling. According to Thomas, we will facilitate informed consent in order to help communicate information in ways that are not only developmentally appropriate but culturally appropriate as well (2008). This way we can reach every student participating in our small group concerning gender, ethnicity, race, origin, religion, sexual orientation, etc. as have a diverse school population.

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What are Eating Disorders?:

This video can shown to parents who are questioning what an eating disorder is or what it looks like in children.

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What Are Eating Disorders in Children? | Eating Disorders

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We will have a screening that will be done during the first session of our small group on each student that attends. This screening will help us assess where each student is at regarding their feelings on food. These tests will be kept confidential and will be strictly for the school administration to look at. The students will be given a chance to share how they felt throughout taking the screening but will not be forced to share. Based on how their answers are, we will then get a better idea of how to run our small group.

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Based on Body Positivity:

This short film is something that we would share during our small groups. This will hopefully make students feel more positively about themselves after watching.

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Award-winning CG short film about body image | "Roberto" by Carmen Córdoba González

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The rational for the literature of the need assessment is to identify eating disorder within HERD 6th grade middle school students. Once the data of the group is determined it allows for the counselors to select how the groups will be form. The Eating Attitude survey as well as Google form will be completed by the students. The assessment is crucial because it focuses on the feelings and anxiety that students have with eating. Since the sixth-grade students will be using their school IDs, the assessments will be confidential. The data displayed that 10% of the 75% of middle school children who participated in the need assessment had an eating disorder, according to the findings. Li, et al. (2022).  eating disorder within middle school students to address mental health and behavioral concerns. Has proving eating disorders are regarded to be associated with many psychological and behavioral problems. Moreover, adolescence has been reported to be the key period for developing eating habits, and eating disorders typically emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. Therefore, it is essential to address the needs of eating disorder and distinguish signs of health and behavioral concerns with this population.

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State Goals 95%

District Goals 84%

School Attendance 93%

HERB Middle School

Official State grade band- Middle School

Grade Served: 6th grade to 8th grade.

Enrollment Type- You must meet the composite score requirements., Neighborhood.

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A parent consent form will be sent home with the students once they have been identified for the data demonstrating of an eating disorder. As a result, of the data it’s critical to begin social emotional group to address the identified adolescence. Furthermore, it has been suggested that adolescence is a critical time for the development of eating patterns. (Godart et al., 2002)., comorbid diagnoses are frequent in adolescents with EDs, with 50% of adolescents reporting a comorbid affective disorder and 35% reporting a comorbid anxiety disorder.

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The group rational is addressing the needs for students who may require support because of eating disorders. The literature the group receive will provide the necessary information for the school counselors to address concerns that may cause academic challenges. In addition, data will display next steps for strategies with students who are suffering with an eating disorder. American School Counselor Association. (2021). Peer support programs help students develop an improved sense of well-being, social confidence, and health behaviors (Curren & Wexler, 2016).

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The student participating in the HERB Middle School group will learn how to:

1. Awareness of the eating disorder

2. Tracking meal plans for a month

3. Regularly attending 8 weeks of therapy sessions

4. Preventing Harmful Behaviors

5. Developing Coping Skill

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We have created needs assessment surveys for students who are struggling with their body image. The needs assessments are used to determine the needs of students in our school, more specifically at-risk 6th graders, who may need extra resources or support.

The needs assessments will most likely be completed during the first semester/quarter at the beginning of the school year. Approximately six to eight weeks after the first day. This way, it can allow students as well as teachers to get comfortable with each other and create a trusting relationship (ASCA, 2021). This would also allow students to get established in their classes and in hopes to be transparent about their needs.

It is crucial for needs assessments to be given, as it may be difficult to understand each of the student's requirements or needs that must be met. It also is crucial to conduct assessments as this is how school standards and mission statements will be met (ASCA, 2021).

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We would give "Teacher Referral", "Parent Referral", and "Self-Referral" forms to each teacher. The teachers would keep these in their classroom and have the self-referral forms readily available for students who feel like they want to sign up for our small group. Regarding self-referral forms, the student will fill out their name and the day's date. To keep this confidential, they will fold their paper in half and put it into a box where only the teacher can open it at the end of each day. If there happen to be forms in the box, the teacher will take them directly to the school counselor. For teacher referral forms, each teacher will have these at their desk. When they notice a change or talk with a student that may raise some concerns, they can fill out a form with their name, the student's name, and why they are referring them. For parent referral forms, one of these will be home with each student. On the form, there will be an option of "Yes" and "No" in regards to whether the parent/guardian believes their child needs to be included in this small group. If "Yes" is checked, they will be asked to explain why. They will then send it back with their child to school and be asked to give it to their teacher or directly to the school counselor. Since school counselors are not with students all day it can be difficult to know if they have an eating disorder. With the help of parents and teachers working together as a team, we will be able to better help more students.

At the beginning of the school year, each student in the 6th grade will be given an assessment to take. Based on their results of this assessment, the student will then either "qualify" for small group and will be asked to attend or will not be asked to attend because we feel it is not needed.

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Ethical considerations to be mindful of will include confidentiality remarks, such as outlining the ways in which the student’s information will be kept confidential and if/when it will be required to be shared, as well as maintaining a culturally diverse atmosphere.  This can include resources in multiple languages, and resources specific to certain cultural communities.  Small group sessions with the 6th-grade students at HERB Middle School will, first, be made aware of their confidentiality rights while in small group sessions, as well as the confidentiality that will be held while speaking with the counselor individually.  The counselor will also inform the students of the intent of the group, along with any goals or techniques they plan to use during group sessions.  The parents of the participating students will also be given notification of the child’s attendance.  The group will be culturally diverse based on the individual students, school and community needs, student data, and any/all other relevant information (ASCA, 2022).  Incorporating a more diverse group will not only allow the students to feel welcome, but it will help to ensure that no struggling student feels as if the group isn’t a good fit for them.

References

Asca ethical standards for school counselors. (2022). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

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Asca ethical standards for school counselors. (2022). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

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The efficacy of the group for at-risk 6th-grade students at HERB Middle School can be determined in several ways, as many questionnaires and tools could be used.  Some of the tools that could benefit in measuring the efficacy of this group could be a Group Cohesiveness Scale, Individual Group Member Interpersonal Process Scale, Group Emotionality Rating System, and more (Ezhumalai S, Muralidhar D, Dhanasekarapandian R, Nikketha BS, 2018).  However, the one that will be the best way to measure the effectiveness of the group counseling sessions for this particular group of students who are struggling with eating disorders would be the Group Climate Questionnaire.  This survey judges how effective the group was in addressing issues such as whether or not the group discussed difficult issues, whether or not the group understood the purpose and intent of the group, how the group members felt of the sessions overall, etc (Group Questionnaire).

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Ezhumalai, S., Muralidhar, D., Dhanasekarapandian, R., & Nikketha, B. S. (2018, February). Group interventions. Indian journal of psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5844165/

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Group cohesion scale. (n.d.). https://www.nova.edu/gsc/forms/GroupCohesionScale.pdf

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Responsivecounselor. (2023, January 30). Group counseling data: Measuring success. The Responsive Counselor. https://theresponsivecounselor.com/2019/10/group-counseling-data-measuring-success.html

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Feedback would be gathered at the beginning and end of every counseling session.  At the beginning of every group session, the students would be provided with a short survey consisting of five questions regarding how they are feeling, and they would be collected before the session started.  The surveys would have a numerical scale answer, such as “on a scale of 1 being poor/never, and 5 being great/always”.  At the end of every group meeting, there would be another short survey consisting of four similar questions regarding that specific meeting or day.

The questions on the surveys are as follows:

1. How are you feeling about school?

2. How are you feeling about your relationships?

3. How are you feeling about home and family?

4. How are you feeling about your self-image?

5. Have you had any desire to do anything that would cause yourself any harm today? i.e. skipping a meal, binge eating, and self-harm.

And…

1. Are you looking forward to the next group session?

2. Did you make any new friends during today's group session?

3. How are you feeling about your after-school activities?

4. How are you feeling about today’s group session?

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The group counselor must respect the middle school students' experience and emotions while also keeping in mind their cognitive and developmental stage. The purpose of a small group is to provide a positive atmosphere where the students' negative emotions can be met with positive peer relationships (Dru Dalm, 2022). Children

do face a lot of emotions, challenges, stress, and worry throughout middle school, as counselor we must assist students to navigate through their emotions. ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: Social/Emotional Development has states Standards guiding school counseling programs to help students manage emotions and learn and apply interpersonal skills. Therefore, counselors provide a small group facing emotional challenges a safe space to verbalize their emotions.

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This shows an example of what a feedback survey given to the students in the group could look like.

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Teachers and administrators will see this film at a professional development session. Hopefully, this will raise awareness among the school community so that the staff members are aware of the number of individuals who suffer from eating disorders. Hopefully, this will raise awareness among the

school. Wiseman et al., (2004). The relationship between body dissatisfaction and self-esteem is cause for concern and may be a higher risk for developing eating disorders. To prevent future harm to students, educators and school personnel should also be aware of the symptoms of

body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.

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Removing the Stigma of Talking About Eating Disorders | Gabrielle Bernstein | TEDxSaintAndrewsSchool

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The attendance reflects Herb Middle School students are attending school and eager to learn. The data displays the school is meeting the state standards and students are accelerating academically. Kieffer & Neugebauer, (2014). Has proven Our particular focus on one specific indicator—namely attendance—also reflects the call by educators and school counselors for practical methods that can serve to flag students for early intervention and that can be managed easily within schools existing data systems. For example, attendance has a significant impact on how school counselors analyze data to address students' academic, social emotional, and emotional needs.  The school administration and counselors must be diligent as attendance in middle school will lead to academic success in high school.

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We will send home a newsletter bi-weekly with each student who is attending our small group sessions. This way it can help keep parents updated as to what is going on within the groups, any progress being made, exciting news, concerning news, etc. These will be personalized for each student so that way their parents are able to get information regarding their child and help us avoid any confidential concerns (ASCA, 2021). We will also leave the school counselor's email in the newsletter as well as a phone number in case a parent/guardian has any questions or concerns, they reach out directly to us.

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American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author

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Chew, K. K., & Temples, H. S. (2022). Adolescent Eating Disorders: Early Identification and Management in Primary Care. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare, 36(6), 618–627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.06.004

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Corey, S. Marianne, C., Gerald, C., Cindy. (2018). Groups Process and Practice.

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The target population for our proposed group is 11 or 12-year-old, 6th graders at HERB Middle School who either have an eating disorder or are at risk of developing an eating disorder. The potential candidates for our proposed group are the 6th graders at HERB Middle School. All 6th graders at HERB Middle School will take the Eating Attitudes (EAT-26) assessment. After they take the assessment their scores will be evaluated and their scores will determine if they are referred to our proposed small group.

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After all of the 6th graders at HERB Middle School take the EAT-26 assessment their scores will be evaluated to determine if they meet participation criteria. If any student scores a 20 or higher on the EAT-26 assessment they will be referred to our small group. If any student checks off any box in the behavioral questions section they will be referred to our small group. If a student scores 20 or higher on the EAT-26 assessment it indicates that there is a high-level concern about dieting, body weight, or problematic eating behaviors (Garner, 1982).

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The school counselor’s goal is to raise the 6th grade students’ awareness of their eating disorders. American School Counselor Association. (2021).  Has proven the social/emotional domain is composed of standards to help students manage emotions and learn and apply interpersonal skills as early as preschool and kindergarten (ASCA, 2021a).  Therefore, awareness for eating disorder will give students the tools they need to recognize their deficit in eating. Weerasinghe., & Perera, T. (2022).  Stated Photo-based food journaling as means to improve SMART (Small, Measurable and Achievable dietary changes by Reducing fat, sugar and salt consumption and trying different fruits and vegetables). For example, students will be responsibility to track their daily meal with photo and intake using a journal.  Students will be able to mindful of how to increase a healthy relationship with food.  In addition, the group members will attendant a mandatory 8-week session once a month.

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The picture reflects small groups for eating disorders. Students are discussing journaling and tracking meals.

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The theoretical orientation that is going to be implemented to help guide the approaches implemented throughout our group process is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is effective for treating a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2018). Some factors that make CBT effective in working with diverse clients include tailoring treatment to each individual, addressing the role of the external environment, the active and directive role of the therapist, the emphasis on education, relying on empirical evidence, the focus on the present behavior, and the brevity of the approach (Corey, et al., 2018). Agras and Bohon (2021) state research findings strongly suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders is more effective than other treatments for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

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Weerasinghe, P., & Perera, T. (2022). O13 Photo-Based Food Journaling and Self-Reflection on SMART Eating in Adults...Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Conference, 29-31 July, 2022, Atlanta, Georgia. Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior, 54(7), S7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.04.020

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Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Brooks/Cole.

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Garner, D. (1982). Eating attitudes test (EAT-26)©. https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/assets/eating attitudes test eat-26.pdf

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This is something that we will hand out during our small groups on week 2 to each of the students. It's important to remind them to be mindful as this is one of the most beneficial tools that we will work with them on.

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Kieffer, M. J., Marinell, W. H., & Neugebauer, S. R. (2014). Navigating into, though, and beyond the middle grades: The role of middle grades attendance in staying on track for high school graduation. Journal of School Psychology, 52(6), 549–565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.09.002

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School counselor discussing with a student strategies for her eating disorder.

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Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best practice guidelines 2007 revisionsLinks to an external site.. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33(2), 111–117. doi:10.1080/01933920801971184

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ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: (n.d.). Career and College Readiness Counseling in P–12 Schools. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826136152.ap03

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Dru Dalm, B. (2022, April 26). The benefits of group counseling. Grand Valley State University. https://www.ipl.org/essay/Benefits-Of-Social-Skills-FJC9W2QTVU

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Agras, W. S., & Bohon, C. (2021). Cognitive behavioral therapy for the eating disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 17, 417–438. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-110907