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A small group for students ages 8-10 who are experiencing changes in their family due to divorce or parent separation.
The purpose of the small group Families in Transition is to help students learn they are not alone in experiencing parent separation.
In addition, students will gain insight to problem solving and managing emotions in regards to specific experiences they may face while their parents separate.

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Students will master the following mindsets and behaviors upon completing this group:
B-LS 1: Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions.
B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.
B-SMS 10: Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing situations and responsibilities.
B-SS 8: Demonstrate advocacy skills and ability to assert self, when necessary.

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Gilbert Intermediate as a whole will be introduced to the idea of small group counseling sessions through daily announcements. If students are interested, they will be asked to complete a survey through Nearpod on their iPads. The questions through the online survey will help filter students who are showing symptoms of struggling with changes at home and who would be appropriate for a small group.
Additionally, staff members would be asked to suggest students who may benefit from this specific small group.
Parents will see that Gilbert Intermediate is beginning small group counseling through our weekly Buzz Newsletters, School Facebook page, district Instagram page, and campus Remind 101.

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Students who would like to join FIT will be asked to complete a pre-group survey. This survey will be individually sent to the student via Google Forms and the answers will be immediately available to the counselor. This pre-group screening will assess the students feelings and attitude towards their parents separation. Additionally, it will ask the student what their biggest struggle has been through their parent's separation, as well as what expectations they have the group.

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Once students have been made aware of their selection for the group, a consent form will be sent home to the parents for their them to sign and have their child bring back. Gilbert Intermediate counselors must have on file a parent or guardian signature allowing students to participate in small group counseling before the student may participate.
With the consent form, parents will also receive the 6-week course layout and a letter from the counselor explaining the purpose of FIT.

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While students will be creating most of the group rules in the first week, however, students will be expected to adhere to two ground rules:
1. Confidentiality- what's shared in group time, stays in group time. Students will not be allowed to discuss with other students what is said in FIT.
2. Respect- although students may have different ideas and opinions, all members will respect one another in their views.
Students will be told what the ground rules are, and then have an opportunity to brainstorm which rules they would like to include. Students will be asked to model what these rules could look like in true life situation.

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Students between the ages of 8-10 years old that are experiencing either parent separation or divorce are available to join Families In Transition small group counseling. The groups will have 6-8 students and will be homogeneous in nature.
In Stage 1 students will meet their group members, create group rules, and discuss family similarities. This will allow for students to build trust within the group by finding common connections.
Stage 2 will allow for the students to work cohesively through interactive lessons. From creating and discussing comic strips, to role-playing scenarios, and even open communication about struggles of being in a family in transition, students will begin to progress together through each learning outcome.
Stage 3 will allow for students to reflect on what they've learned through our "Banana split" social. This will be a time for students to participate in reflection independently and as a group.

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Families in Transition group members will benefit most from a transformational leadership style. This type of leader will allow for motivation of not just the group, but individual members as well (Cherry, 2019). They are committed to each person developing their potential. When working with students who are experiencing a familial change, students could appreciate someone encouraging them and focusing on what makes that child unique.

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The best therapeutic factor Gilbert Intermediate students will experience is universality and the feeling that they are not alone in experiencing divorce or separation. Overwhelmingly, students ages 8-10 want to feel a sense of belonging and to know that they are not different from others. By creating a group of students who are experiencing similar circumstances, this will allow for a sharing of similar experiences (Yalum, 1995).

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The ACA Code of Ethics asks counselors to review the screening process of which students participate in group counseling. Specifically for FIT, students will need to feel comfortable in the group environment to share, give feedback, and participate. This allows for counselors to select students who may be experiencing separation or divorce at similar times as to best promote learning within the group.

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The Association for Specialists in Group work asks counselors to identify which types of groups should be offered and how they relate to community needs. With Gilbert Intermediate school experiencing a 7% increase in students experiencing a parent separation or divorce, our students need a place to learn appropriate responses, feelings, and ways to communicate their needs.

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American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics.
Alexandria, VA: Author

Cherry, K. (2019). What Are Prominent Leadership Styles and Frameworks You Should Know?. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.