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Member selection, Identification, and Screening

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Member selection, Identification, and Screening

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At Van Wick (public) Middle School there are approximately 700 students all with various backgrounds and diversity. In this school it is noticed that there are many different social statuses and cliques.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uvoNOx1iT0

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ObNMMT0woo

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Struggling With Emotions? Try DBT Emotion Regulation Skills

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Topic: Coping Skills for Emotional Regulation

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Topic: Coping Skills for Emotional Regulation

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"In light of the many challenges facing youngsters, effective group counseling interventions provide an avenue through which children and adolescents learn from each other and benefit from peer accountability (Steen, et. al., 2020). According to Steen, et. al., "the most common type of group intervention used by school counselors occurs in a small group setting of 3 - 9 students," (2020). There are many benefits to working with our population in small group, however there are some drawbacks working in this setting. "For example scheduling in school settings can be difficult because of the multitude of aspects that impact a school day," (Steen, et. al., 2020) For example. scheduling a time to meet which takes away from classroom time giving the student work to catch up on. Furthermore it is important for facilitators to focus on students developmental needs when running a group. "Throughout the glorious turbulence of adolescence, the personality celebrates its independence and seeks to explore the world in a new way. Within the young person the human being to whom years of education has been directed, is quietly maturing" (Barnes, 1991). One way to identify developmental areas is a needs assessment or screening to see how in touch students are with their emotions while they try to maintain their independence.
References:

Steen, S., Melfie, J., Carro, A., Zhu, L. & Genovese, E. (2022). Introduction: Group leadership considerations for effective facilitation in schools. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel (Eds.), A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment  (2nd ed., pp. 1-9). Cognella.

Barnes, H. (1991). Learning That Grows with the Learner: An Introduction to Waldorf Education. Educational Leadership, 49(2), 52–54.

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"Student database systems are the most efficient and effective way to query which students meet the identified need," (Hatch, et. al, 2022). Therefore, a needs assesment is required to see which students would benefit from a group about coping skills for emotional regulation. According to the Department of education, "A “need” is a discrepancy or gap between “what is” and “what should be.” A “needs assessment” is a systematic set of procedures that are used to determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and set priorities for future action" (1995). Our target audience is middle school aged students who have trouble speaking up in the classroom, isolate, are bullied, bullies, shut down students or those who have family problems although coping skills are beneficial for every student they will benefit these students the most.

Needs Assessment
1. Do you often have trouble identifying how you are feeling?
2. When you experience big emotions do you isolate or shut down or use unhealthy coping mechanisms?
3.Do you and your family talk openly about feelings at home? Or are feelings a sign of weakness in your culture?

Results: Out of 95 students, 30% answered yes to questions 1 and 2. 20% of students responded that they do not talk about feelings openly and it is a sign of weakness to share their true feelings.
Based on our proposed group for this population, 30% of students would benefit from our group.

Reference:

Hatch, T., Kruger, A. & Pablo, N. (2022). Using data to inform and advocate for small group counseling practice. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel (Eds.), A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment  (2nd ed., pp. 28-36). Cognella.

(1995). Planning and Conducting Needs Assessments: A Practical Guide. Department of Education.

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"Emotional regulation can be a particularly challenging skill for tweens and teens. At this point in their development, they can demonstrate social and emotional changes that may impact their ability to emotionally regulate in the school setting and that can affect grades, executive functioning, and overall health. When physical, academic, social, and peer pressures and fluctuations pile on, many tweens and teens struggle, to the point where they can feel like their lives are out of control," (Brukner, 2021). Coping skills for emotional regulation will help students use self-regulation to regain control. "Reports from the Carnegie Corporation Oackson & Davis, 2000) and the National Middle School Association (2003), as well as the expertise of veteran middle school teachers, point to seven conditions that young adolescents crave: competence and achievement; opportunities for self-definition; creative expression; physical activity; positive social interactions with adults and peers; structure and clear limits; and meaningful participation in family school, and community" (Wormeli, 2006). These are the primary developmental needs of middle schoolers and are important to consider when working with this population related to the groups shared goals.

Reference: Wormeli, R. (2006). Differentiating for Tweens. Educational Leadership, 63(7), 14–19.

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Through a shared group experience, all group members will be able to identify their feelings individually and chose various coping skills which work best for that individual. The process will be about each individual student as we work towards the goal of identifying feelings and sharing them collectively. "Young adolescents readily identify differences and similarities among themselves, and in their efforts to belong to particular groups, they can be judgmental about classmates' learning styles or progress. At this junction, then, it's important to show students that not everyone starts at the same point along the learning continuum or learns in the same way Some classmates learn content by drawing it, others by writing about it, and still others by discussing it—and even the best students are beginners in some things," (Wormeli, 2006). The group will process their feelings together which will create strong emotional regulation skills. Furthermore, several of the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors will apply to this group. First, mindset one whic h states, "Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being," (ASCA, 2019). This mindset will focus on the developmental needs for the group. The behavior which the group will benefit from most is, "B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions," (ASCA, 2019). For individuals to be responsible for their own emotions and not the emotions of others will give them sense of control over themselves as individuals and pride in that responsibility.

Reference:
(2019). American School Counseling Association. ASCA National Model: a framework for School Counseling Programs.

Wormeli, R. (2006). Differentiating for Tweens. Educational Leadership, 63(7), 14–19.