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After group members have been selected, a consent form will be sent home to parents. They will also have received the newsletters and any flyers associated with the group. The communication sent home will explain the purpose of the group. Each group member will also have a form to complete with parent permission previously obtained.

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I plan to inform participants of the group by having a minute meeting with them to explain the details of the group. The students would be given a short survey to assess interest and willingness to participate. I will screen students together as a group. The students who show interest in the group would receive an invitation to participate. I would aslo reach out to the parents to gauge their interest for their child.

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According to (ASGW, 1998), Group Workers define confidentiality and its limits (for example, legal and ethical exceptions and expectations; waivers implicit with treatment plans, documentation and insurance usage). As a group leader, my responsibility is to ensure the group members know the importance and need for confidentiality. As I mentioned previously, students will also need to know the ramifciations of not maintaining confidentialty.

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The factors I can see myself using during the group sessions include Universality and Development of socializing techniques. Members of my group can benefit from universality because they will have an opportunity to see that their situation is not unique. Each person in the group is experiencing homelessness. The situation of homelessness may cause social isolation. Developing socializing skills will be beneficial to group members to talk to others outside of their situation.

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I will take on the leadership styles of authoritarian, transformational and participative. Each style will be used at different times. In the beginning, I will use authoritarian to select certain things like the topics to be discussed in the group. The students will not have an opportunity to select topics. I will use participative when setting group customs and norms. This will give the students an opportunity to be creative. The majority of the group time will be led using a transformational leadership style. Members of the group are already experiencing homelessness. With this approach, it contributes to the overall well-being of the students through motivation and inspiration.

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American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindset and Behaviors for Student Success.

Cherry, Kendra, MSEd, How to Lead: 6 Leadership Syles and Frameworks, (June, 2023).

The Theory of Practice of Group Psychotherapy, 4th edition, Basic Books, 1995.

Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW). (1998). ASGW best practice guidelines. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 23, 237-244.

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Some of the legal requirements for group and member participation is getting informed consent. The group worker should communicate information in ways that are both developmentally appropriate and culturally appropriate ( ASGW, 1998). Members of the group and parents should know that their participation is voluntary and not required. Group Workers obtain the appropriate consent/assent forms for work with minors and other dependent group members (ASGW, 1998). These legal requirement support me because I will be working with minor children where consent is required from the parent or guardian.

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The students participating in this group are 10-11 year olds who are experiencing homelessness. The dynamics of the group will be distinctive.

In stage 1, I plan to start off with an explanation of the group and then complete an ice breaker activity. I will participate in the ice breaker with the students. If I show some vulnerability they may be more inclined to open up. Group norms will be established by me suggesting some but also encouraging group members to contribute. I plan to explain limits to confidentiality to the group using examples. After the explanation, there will be age appropriate confidentialty statements that I have the students write and sign.

In stage 2, there will be incentives and small "treasure box" rewards available to students to give them something to look forward to at the end of the sessions. The students will have an opportunity to determine the things they would like to earn and I would create a box to put the items in. Based on their participation and contribution to the group, they will have an opportunity to earn a reward. To determine progress throghout the group, I would give mini-assessments to see what students think about the groups after 3 sessions. I would also do temperature checks to see if the students think the group is effective.

In stage 3, we would close the group by setting short term goals that we want to continue once the group is done. I would also complete a full group assessment of how each student felt about the sessions and how what they learned ties to their goal. The students will work with me individually to set up a follow up plan. The plan will allow me to continue checking-in with students and avoiding feeling abandoned. I will reiterate the importance of keeping the group sessions confidential and discuss the ramifications of not doing so. During the follow ups, I would also check in with classroom teachers to get feedback on progress they see in the students.

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At the beginning of the first session, group expectations will be established. The expectations will include I WILL statements.

1. I wil respect other group members.

2. I will listen when others are speaking.

3. I will respect the privacy of others.

4. I will ask to decline to share if I am uncomfortable.

5. I will be sensitive to others' differences.

6. I will follow the topics provided by the group leader.

My plan is to ensure that the main points of the ASGW guidelines are used. For example, I will summarize the importance of having a cohesive and fucntioning group to be successful. The rules determined by me will be ones such as the topic we are discussing. Together, we can determine the other rules for the group.

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The plan to advertise for this group is by using the Counselor's Corner section in the school's newsletter. I would also advertise by using the school messenger and send out emails to families. The information about the groups would be shared with teachers and administrators via email and staff meetings.

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As participants of this group, students will meet the following standards according to (ASCA, 2021).

M1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being

M2: Sense of acceptance, respect, support, and inclusion for self and others in the school environment

M4: Self-confidence in ability to suceed

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The name of my group is Family Matters! And the age group that I will work with will be 10–11-year-olds. The topic to be addressed will be children experiencing loss of housing. Some of the issues we will cover in the group include academic challenges, behavior challenges, building trust, emotional support, goal setting, and self-care. The purpose of the group is to help students who are transitioning into homelessness learn how to cope with their current situation. We will also discuss ways to progress and be successful in school regardless of their living situation.