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The OG Organizers is a small group counseling group for high school students who, for a variety of reasons, may be at-risk for having a deficit in the area of organizational skills. The group includes students from 14 to 18 years old whose academic performance could benefit from an improvement in organization. Group sessions focus on common barriers to organization, strategies for improving organizational skills, and methods for coping with and resolving overwhelming, stressful feelings that may be induced by falling behind on organizational tasks.

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Participants in this group will master the following ASCA mindsets and behaviors upon completion of the "OG Organizers" small group counseling group:

-M 2. Self confidence in ability to succeed.
-M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high quality results and outcomes.
-B-SMS 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals (ASCA, 2021)
-B-SMS 6. Demonstrate ability to overcome barriers to learning (ASCA, 2021)
-B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem (ASCA, 2021)
-B-SMS 8. Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home and community activities (ASCA, 2021)
-B-SMS 10. Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing situations and responsibilities (ASCA, 2021)

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The publicity plan for the "OG Organizers" small group would begin with an email to administrators and teachers, asking for recommendations for students who would benefit from this group. The email would include the group description so recipients would understand the aim of the group and what type of students it could benefit.

As a reinforcement to that email, flyers would be placed in faculty mailboxes with similar information and a request for referrals.

The special education department would be contacted separately for their recommendations of students who are currently a part of the special education program or have 504 plans with the district. Students at-risk for struggles with executive functioning are often a part of the special education/504 program, and the faculty members in that department have specific insight that would be valuable in identifying potential participants.

Additionally, there would be student-targeted flyers posted on campus bulletin boards, in the hallways and in locker rooms to advertise the group.

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The leader of the OG Organizers small groups will follow the TAP-in method (Morganett, 1990) for screening participants.

As outlined, the leader will tell potential participants about the group, including describing the group topic, how the group could potentially benefit participants, and explain expectations of members of the group (Morganett, 1990).

Next, the leader will ask potential participants about their interest in the group, including goals, questions, and willingness to follow the rules and expectations set for the group (Morganett, 1990).

Finally, the leader will pick student participants based on their answers during the screening process and their potential to be a willing, productive member of the group (Morganett, 1990).

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All potential participants in the "OG Organizers" must have this Informed Consent Form filled out and signed by their parents or guardian and returned to the group leader.

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The OG Organizers small group will use the attached Participant Guidelines/Ground Rules, which is included in the Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators Small Group Counseling Guide.

This list of rules and guidelines will give the group a starting point that all participants will 1. agree on and 2. comprehend.

As the group begins, additional guidelines and ground rules may be discussed by the leader and participants and added to the aforementioned list as needed.

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In the beginning stages of the "OG Organizers" small group counseling group, the leader will facilitate discussion around the rules and expectations of the group and what members are hoping to take away from their time in the group. The first and second lesson encourage self-reflection regarding challenges in organization and time management skills, and the leader will direct members to examine their experiences and struggles and encourage members to identify similarities between themselves and other members. Identifying common challenges and traits will theoretically produce comradery and shared experiences between members, thereby bonding the group together and building trust. This stage will also be when the leader explains the expectation for confidentiality among group members as well as the understanding that confidentiality is not guaranteed.

Throughout the next few sessions, the lessons will involve learning specific tasks designed to help improve members' organizational and time management skills. During this phase of group development, members will theoretically see an improvement in their functioning as they build a toolbox of strategies. The group members will share ideas of what works and doesn't work within these strategies as well as bond further as they share in the growth and success of other group members. Setbacks are possible and will be addressed within the group setting with the hopes of finding solutions that keep members motivated and supportive of each other.

The closing session of the group addresses the possible emotional effects of dealing with deficits in organizational and time management skills. In this final phase of the group, vulnerability by group members will be an asset in learning coping skills that may prove useful when feelings threaten to overwhelm them. Theoretically, group members will have built a rapport with each other by this time that allows them to be open with other members in this session and bond them together even further as they support one another's goals of emotional health. The leader will also reinforce the expectation of confidentiality, even as the group concludes. The leader will also set expectations for follow-up to check-in on progress and follow-through on strategies learned during the small group.

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

American School Counselor Association. Ethical Standards for School Counselors. American School Counselor Association, n.d. Web. 24 April 2010.

Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created “social climates.” The Journal of Social Psychology, 10(2), 269–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1939.9713366

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

Morganett, R. S. (1990). Skills for living: Group counseling activities for young adolescents. Chicago: Research Press.

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

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The proposed leadership style for the OG Organizers small group counseling group is participative, as defined by Lewin's Leadership styles (Lewin et al., 1939). According to Lewin, participative leaders "tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group." (Lewin et al., 1939).

This style will benefit the group in that group members have ownership of the group and are invested in how sessions are conducted, but the leader also has a strong role in guiding the discussion as well as the final say in topics and activities/tasks completed by group members.

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Several of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors could potentially apply to the "OG Organizers" small group, including Instillation of Hope, Universality, Imparting Information, and Direct Advice (Yalom, 1995).

Students who struggle with organization and time management skills may feel like they are destined to always be frazzled and unprepared. They may also feel like they are the only ones struggling in this area when they see peers calmly and easily keeping track of assignments and completing tasks on time. By simply realizing strategies exist to improve their skills -- as well as realizing they are not alone in their struggles -- these students may find themselves more optimistic for the future.

Additionally, the lessons students will be exposed to in the "OG Organizers" small group will give them a toolbox of information and advice to apply to their specific circumstances. Theoretically, this will help them improve their organization and time management skills, and thereby improve their academic performance and reduce their stress levels as they relate to schoolwork.

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From the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

A.7. Group Work
e. Facilitate short-term groups to address students’      academic achievement, postsecondary and career exploration, and social/emotional well-being (ASCA, 2010).

This ethical standard supports the leader's role as a counselor conducting a small group in that it confirms the established need for groups to assess "students' academic achievement" and "students' social/emotional well-being," which are two needs addressed by the OG Organizers small group counseling group.

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From the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

A.7. Group Work
f. Use data to inform group topics, establish well-defined expectations and measure the outcomes of group participation (ASCA 2010).

This ethical standard supports the leader's role as a counselor conducting a small group counseling group in that it confirms the benefit of the data collected by the small group leader in the Group Proposal Literature Review. Using the Group Proposal, the leader supports the need for the group using established research and input from stakeholders.