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The Great Escape is a supportive group that will focus on individuals aged 14-18 years old who struggle with substance abuse of narcotics, drinking, and vaping. The group's primary goal is to provide a secure and caring environment to help members on their journey and develop skills for long-term recovery. This will be a closed group.

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M 1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being.

M 2: Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment.

M 6: Understanding that postsecondary education and lifelong learning are necessary for long-term success.

B-LS 7: Long- and short-term academic, career, and social/emotional goals.

B-SMS 1: Responsibility for self and actions.

B-SMS 2: Self-discipline and self-control.

B-SMS 5: Perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals.

B-SMS 7: Effective coping skills.

B-SS 1: Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.

B-SS 2: Positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with students who are similar and different from them.

B-SS 8: Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self, when necessary.

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Publicity for this group will be aimed toward teachers, counselors, and administrators more than the students at the beginning. Information and forms will be distributed in their mailboxes, asking them to identify any students they know who may benefit from this group. Once a list of potential members is compiled, I will have individual meetings with these students to see if the group is something that they will be interested in attending. I will provide an information form outlining this group session's purpose, issues being addressed, the expectations, and the importance of confidentiality.

I will not advertise this group publicly because I do not want stigmas or unwanted attention drawn to it.

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Once the teachers, counselors, and administrators provide a list of potential members, I will hold private meetings to see if the students are interested in attending the group. After I have a list of students who show interest, I will interview them individually and narrow the group down to ten members. I will assess members' readiness by asking questions directly correlating to the topics covered and their comfort in sharing their experiences and providing peer support. I will also evaluate members' readiness using a self-assessment questionnaire focusing on motivation levels, emotional resilience, and willingness to participate in group settings.

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Once the potential ten group members have been selected, I will send a letter home asking parents/guardians to attend a meeting to discuss the group's nature. During this meeting, I will clearly state the group will focus on helping students who struggle with substance abuse, explain the topics that will be covered, and ensure that parents/guardians understand the limits of confidentiality on my behalf. I will then ask parents/guardians for their written consent. After receiving consent from the parents/guardians, I will also hold private meetings with students before the group sessions to obtain their written consent.

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A list of Guidelines and Ground Rules will be presented for this group session. These will be:

1. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance.

2. Respect one another's thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

3. Everyone will have an opportunity to share what they feel comfortable with.

4. No judging or criticizing. Use supportive language and empathy.

5. Be punctual and consistent. Show up on time and attend regularly.

*Guidelines and Ground Rules can be added to and adjusted as needed*

During the first session, Guidelines and Ground Rules will be discussed. Group members will be asked to identify and explain at least three ground rules they would like to see implemented in the group. If there are recurring rules, those will be added to the outlined rules and expectations document. Rules mentioned only once or twice will be discussed and decided by the group if they should also be added.

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Stage 1 - "Storming/Norming Stage"

I will begin the first group session with a foundation of trust and openness. Everyone will play an icebreaker game to get to know each other better. I will start the icebreaker by showing vulnerability and transparency. By doing an icebreaker, members may discover common interests and backgrounds, creating connections. I will model active listening with support and empathy, hoping other members will also model this behavior.

The group members can create rules to add to the Guidelines and Ground Rules. This will promote ownership and accountability in maintaining the group's integrity. As a group, we will discuss and finalize norms and discuss any areas of concern.

I will discuss the importance of confidentiality with the group while acknowledging that it is not a 100% guarantee that it will not be broken. I will clearly explain the mandatory reporting law and limits to confidentiality. There will be an open discussion about trusting one another, and I will reinforce that it is a group effort to protect what is said within the group. Group members will receive written documents with the rules, expectations, and consequences that may happen if confidentiality is breached.

Stage 2 - "Performing Stage"

Each session will begin by recapping the previous session, sharing the homework given to them over the past week and any feelings or challenges they have dealt with since the last session. Members will be given outlines of what will be discussed in each session and what type of participation is encouraged. Members will be asked to participate in role-playing scenarios and provide constructive, non-judgemental feedback to one another. I will reinforce and model group norms in each session to remind members of the positive, trusting, and respectful group dynamic we want to have. I will use positive reinforcement by acknowledging when I see members following the group norms. I will do bi-weekly individual check-ins, focusing on five members each week, to see if they are progressing, discuss any challenges they face, any personal issues they do not want to share with the whole group, and how I can better support them. I will adapt and respond to the group dynamics by adjusting plans if certain activities do not work well and creating a safe space for members to voice concerns and suggestions for improving the group.

Stage 3 - "Mourning Stage"

I will begin discussing the group's ending weeks in advance to prepare the members. I will reinforce that the group ending is not a loss but a personal growth milestone on their recovery journey. I will highlight the connections between members, the skills they have developed, and how they now have lifelong skills that they will continue to use. In the last few sessions, I will open time for members to discuss any anxiety, fear, or sadness they may feel with the group ending and provide support and advice on coping with these feelings while reassuring them that these feelings are normal. During the last session, we will celebrate the progress made throughout the group and ask each member to share their action plan to maintain sobriety. During the last session, I will provide group members with an ongoing support form that offers information about individual counseling, school counselors, and community resources they can access. Members will also be told that I am still available to them and that follow-up meetings will be scheduled.

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I believe the participative leadership style will work best in this group.

Participative leadership will be beneficial because it will allow group members to be active in decision-making and group processes, empower them to be leaders, build trust with members and myself, and create a sense of responsibility over their recovery process. Participative leadership will create a collaborative, supportive environment where members feel heard and valued and take responsibility for their recovery.

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Universality - the demonstration that we are not alone in our misery or our "problems."

Substance abuse often leads adolescents to feel isolated and stigmatized. Through the group sessions and sharing personal experiences, members will realize that their struggles with addiction are not unique and that others deal with this, too.

Altruism - the opportunity to rise out of oneself and help somebody else; the feeling of usefulness.

Adolescents often feel more empowered when they can support or advise their peers. Members will be encouraged to give constructive, non-judgemental feedback, share their successes, and actively listen to each other.

Interpersonal Learning - receiving feedback from others and experimenting with new ways of relating to others.

Substance abuse often impacts relationships and social interactions. Members will be offered an open and understanding space to help individuals receive constructive and non-judgemental feedback about how their behaviors affect others and how to practice new and healthier interactions.

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From the American School Counselor Association's Ethical Standards for School Counselors:

Standard A.7 Group Work

School counselors:

a. Offer culturally sustaining small-group counseling services based on individual student, school and community needs; student data; a referral process; and/or other relevant data.

b. Provide equitable access to participation in groups, including alleviating physical, language and other obstacles.

c. Assess student needs to determine if participating in the group is appropriate for the student.

d. Inform parents/guardians of student participation in and the purpose of the small group.

e. Facilitate short-term groups to address students’ academic achievement, postsecondary and career exploration, and social/emotional well-being.

f. Use data to inform group topics, establish well-defined expectations and measure the outcomes of group participation.

g. Reflect on group outcomes and determine adjustments that may improve future group interventions.

h. Communicate the aspiration of confidentiality as a group norm, while recognizing and working from the protective posture that confidentiality for students in small groups cannot be guaranteed.

i. Select topics for groups with the clear understanding that some topics are not suitable for groups in schools (e.g., incest survivorship, eating disorders, dating violence) and accordingly take precautions to protect members from harm as a result of interactions with the group.

j. Facilitate culturally sustaining groups from the framework of evidence-based or research-based practices.

k. Practice within their competence level and develop professional competence through training and supervision.

l. Provide necessary follow-up and/or referrals to additional resources for group members.

This standard supports my role as a counselor by providing a framework to guide a group counseling session using ethical practices. This standard ensures that I create an inclusive, supportive, and safe space promoting student growth.

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From the American School Counselor Association's Ethical Standards for School Counselors:

A.9 Serious and Foreseeable Harm to Self and Others

School counselors:

a. Inform parents/guardians and school administration when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others. This notification is to be done after careful deliberation and consultation with appropriate professionals, such as other school counselors, the school nurse, school psychologist, school social worker, school resource officer or child protective services. Even if the danger appears relatively remote, parents/guardians must be notified. The consequence of the risk of not giving parents/guardians a chance to intervene on behalf of their child is too great.

b. Recognize the level of suicide risk (e.g., low, medium, high) is difficult to accurately quantify. If required to use a risk assessment, it must be completed with the realization that it is an information-gathering tool and only one element in the risk-assessment process. When reporting risk-assessment results to parents/guardians, school counselors do not negate the risk of students’ potential harm to self even if the assessment reveals a low risk, as students may minimize risk to avoid further scrutiny and/or parental/guardian notification. The purpose of reporting any risk-assessment results to parents/guardians is to underscore the need for parents/guardians to act, not to report a judgment of risk.

c. Collaborate with school administration to ensure a student has proper supervision and support. If parents/guardians will not provide proper support, the school counselor takes necessary steps to underscore to parents/guardians the necessity to seek help and, at times, may include a report to child protective services.

d. Provide culturally responsive mental health resources to parents/guardians.

e. Report to administration and/or appropriate authorities (e.g., law enforcement) when a student discloses a perpetrated or a perceived threat to another person’s physical or mental wellbeing. This threat may include but is not limited to verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, dating violence, bullying or harassment. The school counselor follows applicable federal and state laws and school and district policy.

This standard supports my role as a counselor by providing a framework for managing situations where a student may pose a severe risk to themselves or others. It will help guide my decision-making and actions to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. It will help me manage high-risk situations ethically and legally.

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American School Counselor Association. (2016). Ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

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

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.