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This small group is named Drug-Free Phoenix as it aims to help students become or continue to be drug free. Students involved in this small group will learn about the many risks of drug use, gain a deeper understanding on why they may feel the desire to partake in substance abuse, and learn strategies to help them abstain from drug use.

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The aim of this small group is to develop mindset 1, "Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being," mindset 3, "Self-confidence in ability to succeed," and mindset 5, "Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes" (American School Counselor Association, 2021).  In theory, the small group should help students learn how to utilize healthy coping mechanisms as an alternative to substance abuse, which overall should lead to a healthier individual. Many of the self-management skills can be applied to this small group. However, B-SMS 6, "Ability to identify and overcome barriers," and B-SMS 7, "Ability to identify and overcome barriers," are the most prominent (American School Counselor Association, 2021).

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Due to the selective criteria of this small group, I would like to talk to students individually to invite them to participate in the group. Along with this meeting, I would also create a flyer to send home with the student to present to their parent/guardian. Overall, I want the small group to feel a bit personal while also being fun and interesting.

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After narrowing down the number of students with previous substance abuse records, I will conduct individual meetings with this students. The purpose of this meeting is to inform them about the group and determine if they would be a good fit. While students may not necessarily show interest, they could be accepted into the group. However, if they show obvious discomfort or begin to get defensive, this would eliminate them from participating in the group. Preference would be given to students who ask questions and engage in conversation about the group. Another detail I will be looking for is a desire to fix drug related behaviors. For example, if a student admits that they realize their substance abuse use is a concern.

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The school at which I work follows district policy involving informed consent. This district policy is based on the education code, stating that "The consent form shall include specific information on the content of the program and the types of activities in which the student will be involved" (Education Code 33.004).  Once the student has been fully invited to participate in the small group, a modified version of the attached consent form will be sent home for both the student and parent/guardian to sign. While this consent form was intended for research purposes, there are several aspects that I feel are important to have on the form. For example, it does discuss that participation is completely voluntary, and can be stopped at any time. Another key aspect is that the form discusses possible risks and discomforts. These are important for me to include to ensure that the students that agree to be in the small group are aware of what they are agreeing to, and therefore make a more educated decision of their participation.

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I plan to use this resource to help guide my group collaborations and preparations. It notes in particular the use of reflection, which is an aspect I would like to incorporate within my small group. Some rules, such as those regarding mandating reporting and confidentiality, would be established by myself in the individual screening meetings, as well as at the start of each meeting. However, I want the students to be involved in establishing other rules and guidelines to ensure they feel comfortable and have a solid understanding of the expectations of the group. For example, students will decide what gives someone permission to speak (i.e. whoever is holding an assigned object, going in clockwise order).

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Stage 1: To begin building trust with the students, I would begin with sharing a story of my own involving substance abuse. I have had family members who had serious substance abuse issues, yet I still loved them dearly. I want the students to understand that while I do not support their substance use, I will support. During the first meeting, I will set aside time to discuss what expectations the students may have for the small group. This may include what goals they have for the group, but also what they expect from others in the group. I will also take time at the beginning of each meeting to remind the group that while everyone should not be discussing the contents of the group to those not in the group, there is no way to guarantee confidentially from other students, and ensure that students know to be mindful of what they choose to share; inform students that if they are caught sharing private information about others, there may be consequences.

Stage 2: In order to maintain a solidified group, I would include a short group discussion each session. I would also like to have small assignments for them to complete together in partners or groups of three. This allows for all members of the group to interact with each other. At the end of every other session, students will fill out short surveys to asses their progress. These surveys will include questions about how they feel about the small group, and a short self-assessment.

Stage 3: The small group will close with a session focused on self-reflection. Not only will this show me what the students learned, it will also hopefully help them comprehend the important of their new skills. At the end of this session, I will remind them that the things we discussed need to be kept private, even if the group is over. I would also make sure the students know where and when to find, and let them know that even though the group has ended, I am always there for them to talk to if wanted and/or needed.

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The leadership style I would use for this group is participative leadership. I do intend to spend a portion of sessions talking and educating students, I want there to be group interaction between the students. One of the goals of the small group is to help students feel supported and not alone. If students are able to work together in a group, it is more likely that they will feel a sense of belonging.

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Leadership styles are classifications of how a person behaves while directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. There are many leadership styles. Some of the most widely discussed include: authoritarian (autocratic), participative (democratic), delegative (laissez-faire), transformational, transactional, and situational.

Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate. As you start to consider some of the people who you think of as great leaders, you can immediately see that there are often vast differences in how each person leads.

Fortunately, researchers have developed different theories and frameworks that allow us to better identify and understand these different leadership styles.

Lewin's Leadership Styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership.﻿﻿ While further research has identified more distinct types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles that have provided a springboard for more defined leadership theories.

In Lewin's study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. The researchers found that democratic leadership tended to be the most effective at inspiring followers to perform well.

Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic)

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.

Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership.﻿﻿ Lewin also concluded that it is harder to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.

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Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

Lewin's study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin's study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a higher quality.

Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic 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.

Delegative Leadership (Laissez-Faire)

Lewin found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently.

Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members. While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin noted that laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work.

Observations About Lewin's Leadership Styles

In their book, The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, Bass and Bass note that authoritarian leadership is often presented solely in negative, often disapproving, terms. Authoritarian leaders are often described as controlling and close-minded, yet this overlooks the potential positives of stressing rules, expecting obedience, and taking responsibility.

While authoritarian leadership certainly is not the best choice for every situation, it can be effective and beneficial in cases where followers need a great deal of direction and where rules and standards must be followed to the letter. Another often overlooked benefit of the authoritarian style is the ability to maintain a sense of order.

Bass and Bass note that democratic leadership tends to be centered on the followers and is an effective approach when trying to maintain relationships with others. People who work under such leaders tend to get along well, support one another, and consult other members of the group when making decisions.

Additional Leadership Styles and Models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, researchers have described numerous other characteristic patterns of leadership. A few of the best-known include:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.

These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential.

Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles. One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members.

Transactional Leadership

The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed.

Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Situational Leadership

Situational theories of leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership stylesis one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

1. Telling: Telling people what to do

2. Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages

3. Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process

4. Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions

Later, Blanchard expanded upon the original Hersey and Blanchard model to emphasize how the developmental and skill level of learners influences the style that should be used by leaders. Blanchard's SLII leadership styles model also described four different leading styles:

1. Directing: Giving orders and expecting obedience, but offering little guidance and assistance

2. Coaching: Giving lots of orders, but also lots of support

3. Supporting: Offering plenty of help, but very little direction

4. Delegating: Offering little direction or support

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It seems like there are as many different styles of leadership as there are leaders. Discover some of the most common leadership style frameworks.

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The curative factor that would be the most applicable for this small group is direct advice. I will be directly teaching students skills that they may able to use in place of substance use. However, a large factor will be imparting of information. I want students to understand that substance abuse can lead to addiction, which is a medical disease, rather than simply bad choices, as well as provide statistics on the dangers and risks associated with substance abuse. Hopefully there will also be a degree of interpersonal learning. Students should feel comfortable sharing their experiences, and discussing what coping mechanisms work best for them.

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One ethical concern is the boundary between providing counseling and referring to an outside party. According to the American Association of School Counselors, "School counselors do not provide therapy or long-term counseling in schools to address psychological disorders. However, school counselors are prepared to recognize and respond to student mental health crises and needs" (2020). Working with students with previous records of substance abuse can cause certain concerns to arise. While I am trying to help prevent further substance use, the intent of this small group is not to treat substance addiction. If it is brought to my attention that one of the students in the small group is currently engaging in substance use, I am still required to report it to the proper channels, to include the suspension of substance addiction.

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Another serious legal requirement is ensuring confidentiality. The American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors states, "Inform students of the purposes, goals, techniques, rules and procedures under which they may receive counseling. Disclosure includes informed consent and clarification of the limits of confidentiality" (2022). As a school counselor, maintaining confidentiality is an important factor in establishing a rapport with students, however, it is important that students in the small group are informed on what type of statements or actions may cause me to have to break this confidentiality.

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American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

Board policy manual. TASB. (n.d.). https://pol.tasb.org/PolicyOnline/PolicyDetails?key=166&code=BF

Kendra Cherry, Mse. (2023, June 27). 6 leadership styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

The school counselor and Group Counseling. The School Counselor and Group Counseling - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (2020). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Group-Counseling

Thomas, R. V., & Pender, D. A. (2008, June). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best Practice Guidelines 2007 Revisions. https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/513c96_93df348d51134a08b789df5374b6dfb7.pdf

University of Michigan. (2023, May 9). Informed consent guidelines & templates. Informed Consent Guidelines & Templates | Research Ethics & Compliance. https://research-compliance.umich.edu/informed-consent-guidelines

Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). Basic Books.