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The program will be based on the results from the initial anxiety self-assessment students received at the beginning of the school year. The purpose of this program is to implement both a lunch and after school peer support group to help assimilate students into middle school post Covid-19 and to assist in developing meaningful peer connections. The peer support groups will serve as a way for students experiencing similar levels of anxiety to receive that social support while also learning coping skills to help manage the level anxiety they are experiencing. Alfano and Gamble (2009, as cited in Jones & Kuo, 2019) explain how it has been clinically proven that anxiety has the following impacts: poor academic performance, school isolation, lower attention span, decreased short term memory, poorer sleep quality, and higher dropout rates. Students who display high levels of anxiety within an academic setting are often worried about the opinions and acceptance of others in regard to their school work and performance (Jones & Kuo. 2019). Having some level of social support provides students with an outlet they can look to when the pressures of school and home life are building. Social support has been found to have a positive impact on the well-being of adolescent youth (Velez et al., 2016).

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These anxiety coping groups will start off as closed, meaning not open to all students. However, if there is an increase in need, the groups will move to a more open group format allowing other students to join. Any student that feels their anxiety levels are increasing over the course of the school year prior to the shift to an open group format will be encouraged to reach out to the group facilitation team. Students who rated their anxiety level to be high but are reluctant to participate will have the option to be met individually for a set amount of time as a way to ensure they are receiving the same resources and support. During each group session students will be provided with resources and tools to help manage their anxiety levels whether it be from academics and school or their home life. Some of the tools that will be provided for students to help cope and manage their emotions during anxiety induced events are deep breathing, mindfulness coping skills, a quick 5-minute guided meditation, and different journal prompts they can engage in during their free time. Prior to the termination of the support groups, a follow up self-assessment will be given to all participants as a way to determine the effectiveness of the program and decide if more long-term support will be needed for students. In the case that long-term support is needed, referrals to outside community mental health professionals will be sent.

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School Counselor's Roles and Responsibilities

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School Counselor's Roles and Responsibilities

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The following list will note some of the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor faciliating each social support group:

Administer a pre-assessment to all middle school students during the first week of the academic school year regarding their current levels of anxiety.

Collect the data from the assessment and formulate groups based on students who rated their anxiety levels 4 or 5 on the likert scale provided.

Send emails to students who rated their anxiety 4 or 5 and invite them to join the lunch or after school support groups.

Generate a set plan for each group with activities, discussion topics, goals and obectives.

Provide students with tools, resources, and coping strategies to help manage their anxiety both at school and home.

Administer a post assessment regarding anxiety and student’s experiences within the social support groups.

Consult with other members on the social support group team to discuss long term services for students who did not show much improvement.

Send out referrals to outside community mental health centers for students who will need more long term services.

Gauge the effectiveness of the program by analyzing and comparing grades, attendance and behavior reports for students who did engage in the social support versus those who did not.

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With the return of in-person schooling since the initial Covid-19 outbreak, there has been an increase of students needing generalized mental health services to help with the anxiety, stress, and pressures that developed over the course of time. Merikangas et al.(2010, as cited in Sinyor et al., 2020) emphasizes how mental health related problems affect around 20% of students and half of these students before the age of 14. This a student centered challenge because adolescence alone is a difficult time for students as it comes with many physical and cognitive changes (Larsen & Luna, 2018, as cited in Turk et al., 2021). With the addition of Covid-19 related stressors, students within the adolescent stage of development have been reported to have high rates of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms (de Miranda et al., 2020, as cited in Turk et al., 2021). High rates of mental health related problems can be displayed by a student in many ways: decrease in grades, decrease in attendance rate, lack of peer involvement, below standard test scores, and much more. The advocacy and leadership role of a school counselor is essential for these students as it is important that they are receiving the best quality of care to help promote and ensure future success. Without anxiety and stress being recognized and managed during this stage of development, it can transpire over into future stages of development and may even worsen. It is important to note that during this time, it may be hard for school counselors to reach all students, however with the development of an anxiety and coping based program, students who are in need of help can be reached and provided with the proper tools, resources and help necessary.

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By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, middle school students scoring a 4 or 5 on a quarterly self-assessment measuring anxiety related to school or home life will decrease in the number of students who report high levels of anxiety related school or home life by 20% from 60 students (at the beginning of the school year) to 48 students (by the end of the school year).

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Sinyor, M., Hawes, D., Rector, N. A., Cheung, A. H., Williams, M., Cheung, C., Goldstein, B. I., Fefergrad, M., Levitt, A. J., & Schaffer, A. (2020). Preliminary investigation of a novel cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum on the wellbeing of middle schoolers. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Journal de l’Académie Canadienne de Psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent, 29(2), 66–75.

Turk, F., Kul, A., & Kilinc, E. (2021).
Depression-Anxiety and Coping Strategies of Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Turkish Journal of Education, 10(2), 58–75.

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Mindsets for Students  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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Mindsets for Students  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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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: Self-confidence in ability to succeed.

M. 5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.

M.6:  Positive attitude toward work and learning.

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Mindsets for School Counselors  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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Mindsets for School Counselors  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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M 1. Every student can learn, and every student can succeed.

M 4. Every student should have access to a comprehensive school counseling program.

M.5. Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving school counselors, students, families, teachers, administrators, other school staff and education stakeholders.

M 7. Comprehensive school counseling programs promote and enhance student academic, career and social/emotional outcomes.

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Behaviors For Students To Demonstrate  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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Behaviors For Students To Demonstrate  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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B-LS 4: Apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning.

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

B-SMS 6:Demonstrate ability to overcome barriers to learning.

B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.

B-SMS 8: Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home, and community activities.

B-SMS 10: Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing situations and responsibilities.

B-SS. 2: Create positive and supportive relationships with other students.

B-SS 3: Create relationships with adults that support success.

B-SS 4: Demonstrate empathy.

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Behaviors For School Counselors To Demonstrate  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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Behaviors For School Counselors To Demonstrate  [as written by the ASCA (2019)]

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B-PF 4. Apply school counseling professional standards and competencies.

B-PF 5. Use ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success to inform the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.

B-PF 6. Demonstrate understanding of the impact of cultural, social and environmental influences on student success and opportunities.

B-PF 8. Demonstrate advocacy in a comprehensive school counseling program.

B-SS 1. Design and implement instruction aligned to ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success in large-group, classroom, small-group and individual settings.

B-SS 2. Provide appraisal and advisement in large-group, classroom, small-group and individual settings

B-SS 4. Make referrals to appropriate school and community resource.

B-SS 6. Collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, other school staff and education stakeholders for student achievement and success.

B-PE 2. Identify gaps in achievement, attendance, discipline, opportunity and resources.

B-PE 4. Develop and implement action plans aligned with program goals and student data.

B-PE 5. Assess and report program results to the school community.

B-PE 7. Establish agreement with the principal and other administrators about the comprehensive school counseling program.

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American School Counselor Association (ASCA) (2019).The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, fourth edition (4th Edition). American School Counselor Association. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/978-1-929289-61-5

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The American School Counselor Association [ASCA] (2016) highlights the importance of school counselors working with other individuals to best meet the needs of students. With the involvement of families and outside individuals it has shown that there has been an increase in student achievement and attendance, promotes the success of one’s future and enhances school environment centering around resilience and care (Epstein & Sheldon, 2006, as cited in ASCA, 2016). Through collaboration and consultation with key stakeholders, school counselors can design and deliver a counseling program that fosters student success, development, and growth (Taylor & Adelman, 2000, as cited in ASCA, 2016).

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Students

Parents/ Families

Teachers

School Administrators/ Advisory Council

Fellow School Counselors

Community Mental Health Professionals

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Students

Without the involvement of students, this program will not be possible. Student’s are the key participants within this program as their voices, feedback, and constant participation will shine light on whether the program is effective in its intent and goal or whether it needs to be restructured. Students that participate in the program will be able to encourage their friends or peers who are going through something similar to either join the group or provide them with some of the tools given within the program to help mitigate what they are experiencing. Students will be able to make change through their own changed behaviors, almost like a chain reaction.

Parents/ Families

It’ll be crucial that what is practiced within the counseling program is utilized outside of the school setting. Parent and family involvement will provide a level of support to their student(s) beyond the academic setting. Students will not only be experiencing anxiety and stress from an academic standpoint, but from what may be happening in their home environment. Parents and families can provide information regarding the student that is not seen within the academic setting such as behaviors, relationships and key conversations in which the school counselor can help with.

Teachers

Teachers will have a deeper knowledge and insight into the students participating within the program. Due to the time spent, teachers can provide further feedback into whether they are or are not seeing a difference in the students behaviors or academics. It is important for school counselors to collaborate and consult with teachers as they have access to a larger population of students due to the various courses taught and the amount of students enrolled in these courses. Having an alternative perspective on situations that arise can be beneficial to develop programming that will best suit the students attending all the scheduled meetings.

School Administrators/Advisory Council

School administrators and the advisory council play the role as the backbone of the implementation of the intended counseling program. ASCA (2019) defines the advisory council as a representative group composed of many different individuals that come together to annually review and revise counseling programs to ensure they are meeting the needs of the students. It is the job of the school counselor to advocate for the importance of their program and ensure that administrators and the advisory council are aware of their position and the importance of it.

Fellow School Counselors:

Fellow school counselors may take on the role as a second pair of eyes. Being that school counselors are aware of the standards, competencies, ethical and cultural considerations needed to develop a successful counseling program, they can provide feedback and perspectives that may not be seen by the counselor creating the program. They can provide suggestions, advice, and potential revision in which they have seen to be successful in their own counseling programs. Developing a successful counseling program cannot be done without the help from outside individuals.

Community Mental Health Professionals:

Community mental health professionals can take various roles. One of the many roles these professionals can take on is providing resources and tools to a school counselor that they may not receive in a school setting. Outside professionals have the ability to run their own groups and have the experience of what worked for them and what didn’t. Providing that real life experience of what works and what typically doesn’t can serve to be helpful for a counselor getting ready to develop a counseling program. Outside mental health professionals can also collaborate with a school counselor in developing interventions and strategies to achieve the indeed goal. Lastly, an outside community mental health professional can be a consultant, someone who the school counselor can turn to for help, advice, or suggestions.

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American School Counselor Association. (2016). The School Counselor and School-Family-Community Partnerships - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Retrieved  from https://schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-School-Family-Community-P

American School Counselor Association (ASCA) (2019).The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, fourth edition (4th Edition). American School Counselor Association. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/978-1-929289-61-5

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The grade level that will be targeted for this advocacy issue will be middle school, 7th and 8th grade students. Each social support group will be grade specific.

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Reference: Lee, K. (2021). Tips to Ease Back-to-School Anxiety and Stress. Verywell Family. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily

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Common Signs of Anxiety In Middle School Students

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Common Signs of Anxiety In Middle School Students

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Often times, the signs of a mental health problem in adolescent children are overlooked and not dealt with when happening. Here is an image that lists some of common behaviors and signs a student may display if experiencing anxious feelings. This image does not show all the possible signs and symptoms as everyone experiences anxiety and present behaviors differently.

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Evidence Based Strategies & Interventions

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Evidence Based Strategies & Interventions

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Support Groups

One way school counselors can help support students experiencing anxiety related to school and home stress is implementing different support groups with students who are also experiencing similar things. Velez et al., (2016) found that students engaging and seeking social support was a helpful coping strategy when excessive thoughts and worry were low. Problem focused support, support that provides helpful solutions, is a positive strategy for handling problems and negative emotions (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989; Compas, Connor-Smith, Saltzman, Thomsen, & Wadsworth, 2001, as cited in Velez et al., 2016).

An intervention that can be used within the social support groups is teaching and demonstrating healthy ways of coping with anxiety. Although students may come to these support groups with the intention of removing any anxiety they may feel towards certain events, it is not feasible but rather students can be taught healthy ways to manage and cope with it. Jones and Kuo (2019) applied different methods of coping with anxiety school students and found them to not necessarily be effective due to the lack of acceptance by teachers. One way to approach this would be demonstrating coping skills such as mindfulness breathing and simple mediations, journaling, creating a checklist, and being able to engage in an activity that helps soothe the mind.

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Here is an example of a coping skills check list. A check list as such can be utilized in the weekly meetings, where it gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they may have done to cope when faced with times where anxious feelings were arising. This check list will also provide students with a reminder of things they can do that can be helpful within a classroom and home setting.

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Here is another video of two men demonstrating how to engage in deep breathing techniques. This technique can be useful for students who find their body beginning to tense up, heart rate increasing and their minds going a million miles an hour. This technique will help calm their body and mind and re center them to come back to the present day.

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Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life

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Coping Skill for Middle School and High School Kids: Taking Deep Breaths

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Mindfulness Mediation for Middle School Students

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Mindfulness Mediation for Middle School Students

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Here is a video of one of the many quick mindful mediations middle school students can engage in. This video and many others will serve as a way to settle the students down when first starting the group, as a lot can be going on during lunch and after school.

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5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation "Open Field" Guided Middle High School Students Calm Classroom Break

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Here is a website that provides many different journal prompts for individuals working through anxiety and anxious feelings. Students will be given one journal prompt a week and encouraged to answer it. However, with all the school work that is given to them, this is not to be something adding to their stress load or distracting them from dong their homework. More so, this is an activity they can engage in during their down time when they find themselves wondering what they can do.

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Journaling Prompts to Work Through Anxiety - Urban Wellness

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Your journal can just be a private space for you to write down what you’re feeling, which is why it’s a wonderful tool to work through anxiety.

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Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life. (2020). Coping skill for middle school and high school. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2j7S8dy8j0

Hauger, D. (2020). 5 minute mindfulness meditation "Open field. [Video].Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vARDGh069VA

Jones, T., R, A., & Kuo, N.-C. (2019). Helping Middle School Students Acknowledge and Navigate Anxiety: An Action Research. Current Issues in Middle Level Education, 24(2).

Lee, K. (2021). Tips to Ease Back-to-School Anxiety and Stress. Verywell Family. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily

Vélez, C. E., Krause, E. D., McKinnon, A., Brunwasser, S. M., Freres, D. R., Abenavoli, R. M., & Gillham, J. E. (2016). Social Support Seeking and Early Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms. Journal of Early Adolescence, 36(8), 1118–1143.

Vision, T. (2019). Coping skills checklist. TeacherVision. Retrieved from https://www.teachervision.com/coping-skills-checklist

Wellness, U. (2020). Journaling prompts to work through anxiety. Urban Wellness. Retrieved from https://urbanwellnesscounseling.com/anxiety-journal-prompts/