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Small Group Counseling: Decision-making Skills

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Small Group Counseling: Decision-making Skills

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Students with perceived difficulties will be introduced to strategies meant to improve deficits in the area of decision making. The group will target students in grades 6-8, aged 11-14. These students will have already been identified through campus discipline reports and the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) committee.

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American School Counselor Association Mindsets and Behaviors

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American School Counselor Association Mindsets and Behaviors

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o M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
o B-LS 7. Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/ emotional goals
o B-LS 1. Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions
o B-SS 5. Demonstrate ethical decision-making and social responsibility
o B-LS 9. Gather evidence and consider multiple perspectives to make informed decisions
o B-SMS 7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem
o B-SMS 1. Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility
o B-SS 9. Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment
o M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes
o B-SS 3. Create relationships with adults that support success
o B-SS 1. Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills o B-LS 8. Actively engage in challenging coursework
(American School Counselor Association, 2014).

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Small group counseling information will be relayed to parents through monthly newsletter, mass automated phone call, and mass automated parent text/email messages. Small group counseling information will be relayed to students through flyers posted within campus common areas, and the daily morning announcements.

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Students will be interviewed individually to assess for participant readiness, willingness, and interest, using the "TAP" process.
1. Students will be told about the group's schedule, purpose, expectations, and intended outcomes.
2. Students will be asked to evaluate their interest in group participation.
3. Students will be selected for participation based on probability for positive outcomes
(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015).

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Parental consent is required for small group counseling services provided to minors. A parent consent form and student assent form will be sent home with qualifying students
(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015).

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Stage 1: Group confidentiality will be discussed each session. Teambuilding exercises will assist students in forming connections with counselor and peers to recognize that everybody has strengths and weaknesses- that everybody has something to contribute and everybody has something to learn or improve. Explicit group norms will be reviewed, revised, and agreed upon, taking each member's voice into consideration.
Stage 2: Students will be working toward individualized SMART goals, as well as group objectives. Students will be responsible for self-monitoring their progress in and outside of the group sessions.
Stage 3: Group closure requires students to teach a lesson to younger, elementary-aged students based on something a valuable takeaway they gained from the group. This is meant to boost student confidence as well as instill a sense of pride and leadership so that they are able to present themselves as a role model to others. Self- monitoring may continue after formal sessions based on post-assessment responses. Follow-up session will be scheduled and students will say their goodbyes until a later date
(Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015).

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The counselor's leadership style is intended to be transformational and will closely mirror the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model of teaching, modeling, practicing, and reinforcing positive behaviors (Cherry, 2019).

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Students are likely to experience universality, direct advice, and interpersonal learning. While group members may have different underlying causes behind impulsivity, noncompliance, etc., they will come to realize they are not alone in their difficulties and things may actually be easier once they make a smart decision from the start. They may begin taking direct advice and rely on their peers as a system of support during personal growth (Yalom, 1995).

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Group norms and expectations will revolve around safety, respect, and responsibility. I believe that the expectations provided below are non-negotiables. However, students can take ownership of these rules by providing examples of what each one looks and sounds like (Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, 2015).

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B-PF 1. Apply developmental, learning, counseling and education theories

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B-PF 1. Apply developmental, learning, counseling and education theories

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d. Use counseling theories and techniques in individual, small-group, classroom and large-group settings to promote academic, career and social/emotional development

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f. Use principles of multitiered systems of support within the context of a comprehensive school counseling program to provide instruction and interventions matched to student need

Small group counseling in the area of decision-making is in compliance with these standards by working with a select group of students through multitiered systems of support to provide interventions and promote success, academically, as well as in social settings (American School Counselor Association, 2014).

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American School Counselor Association (2014). Mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 college-and career-readiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2019). 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.

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

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

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a. Select ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success standards to address student needs demonstrated in data

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b. Prioritize ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success standards aligned with school improvement goals

Small group counseling in the area of decision-making is in compliance with these standards through the lesson planning component, to include ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors selected to decrease the number of repeat offenders based on campus discipline data and reduce office referrals (American School Counselor Association, 2014).