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Career Development Small Group Counseling

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Career Development Small Group Counseling

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By the time a student has graduated high school, they are expected to take responsibility for deciding what’s next for their future personal and professional life.  Through a needs assessment, it was determined that some seniors were concerned about their future post high school graduation.

This group is designed to enhance college and career planning skills, for seniors that have expressed post-high school graduation uncertainty.

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By the end of the group, students will be able to demonstrate the following standards:

M 4. Understanding that postsecondary education and life-long learning are necessary for long-term career success
M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes
B-LS 1. Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions
B-LS 7. Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/ emotional goals
B-LS 9. Gather evidence and consider
multiple perspectives to make
informed decisions
B-SMS 5. Demonstrate perseverance to achieve long- and short-term goals
B-SS 3. Create relationships with adults
that support success

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Stage 1- During the early phase students will work on open communication and sharing thoughts and ideas that come to mind. Discuss where they would like to see themselves at the end of group, and to always be encouraging. Each student will be responsible for bringing a snack. Counselor will also provide the drinks and paper goods.
Stage 2-  All students will work cohesively towards the target and appreciate each other’s experience and skills. All the sessions will allow for engagement, and seniors should be building each other up. Group should focus on graduation, and be excited for each other.
Stage 3- Continued team building, and encouragement through college applications and deadlines. Students are encouraged to hang out and meet up with each other to catch-up or continue to excel with college and career planning. Follow-up session will be planned for eight weeks later.

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Students who have expressed interest in the group will then go through screening.
Criteria to be met are:
1) Classified senior
2) Student has taken and passed at least two sections of the TSI test
3) Student has senior release.

If the three criteria items have been met, they will then meet with a counselor to determine if they can adhere to confidentality rules. Students  must also show readiness and eagerness to learn more. And be willing to gain the knowledge that the group will give.

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Research Paper: Using Group Counseling to Implement Career Development Program with High School Students

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Research Paper: Using Group Counseling to Implement Career Development Program with High School Students

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This paper provides a study where a group went through a career development program, and a control group that did not go through a program and results from the study.

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Using Group Counseling to Implement a Career Development Program

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A.7. Group Work
School counselors:
a. Facilitate short-term groups to address students’ academic,
career and/or social/emotional issues.
b. Inform parent/guardian(s) of student participation in a small
group.
c. Screen students for group membership.
d. Use data to measure member needs to establish well-defined
expectations of group members.
e. Communicate the aspiration of confidentiality as a group
norm, while recognizing and working from the protective
posture that confidentiality for minors in schools cannot be
guaranteed.
f. Select topics for groups with the clear understanding that
some topics are not suitable for groups in schools and accordingly take precautions to protect members from harm as a result
of interactions with the group.
g. Facilitate groups from the framework of evidence-based or
research-based practices.
h. Practice within their competence level and develop professional competence through training and supervision.
i. Measure the outcomes of group participation (participation,
Mindsets & Behaviors and outcome data).
j. Provide necessary follow up with group members.
(ASCA, 2019)

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According to the Professional School Counselor Small Group Counseling Guide, “Professional school counselors are ethically required to maintain current knowledge about state/national legislation, local school board policy,
and the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) Ethical Standards for legal and ethical guidelines” (p. 10).

Sec. 33.007.  COUNSELING REGARDING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION.  (a)  Each school counselor at an elementary, middle, or junior high school, including an open-enrollment charter school offering those grades, shall advise students and their parents or guardians regarding the importance of postsecondary education, coursework designed to prepare students for postsecondary education, and financial aid availability and requirements (TEA, 2019). This group expands on postsecondary education for the seniors.

Sec. 33.252.  EXPANDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.  (a)  Expanded learning opportunities may be provided during:
(1)  an extended school day;
(2)  an extended school year; or
(3)  structured learning programs outside of the regular school day, including before- and after-school programs and summer programs.
(b)  Expanded learning opportunities may be provided by offering:
(1)  rigorous coursework;
(2)  mentoring;
(3)  tutoring;
(4)  physical activity;
(5)  academic support; or
(6)  educational enrichment in one or more subjects, including fine arts, civic engagement, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (TEA, 2019). This group will provide expanded learning opportunties and offers academic support, and mentoring efforts.

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Interpersonal Learning - Group will provide an opportunity for the students to learn about relationships. Group members can honestly communicate with individuals who will support them and provide them with respectful feedback. This will be very useful for students that are first generation. They need the support and guidance.

Altruism - There will be ample opportunities for students to cheer on their group mates, and help each other research a college and career fit for them.

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Transformational Leadership -  Committed to helping the school achieve its goals, but also helping the student gain their full potential while being in the group. I want to be supportive of the seniors in any path that they choose after graduation.
Participative Leadership - I want to be a leader and offer guidance, but I want the seniors to feel comfortable giving their input and offer suggestions of things they would like to experience. Perhpas they would like to have a certain career speaker come out, or a college admissions counselor, or a college tour. I want them to feel comfortable enough to voice that.

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Advertising for this group will be made through the use of flyers, and announcements will be made on the teleprompters on campus. Information will also be announced during staff meetings so teachers understand what the purpose of the group is as well.

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Each group will be responsible for identifying their own rules for the group. However some of guidelines are to include:

Give everyone an opportunity to speak. Each person should avoid dominating the discussion.

Good listening is important. Hear what a person is saying before speaking. Don't interrupt others.

Speak from one’s own experience.

Be honest.

Value and validate others' differences and experiences.

Confidentiality. All discussion and contributions are confidential – no personal information ever leaves the room without express consent.

Arrive on time.

Attend regularly and contact the counselor if unable to attend a meeting or if deciding to leave the group to explain their reasons

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Parents will need to sign an informed consent form allowing their student to be a part of the group. Once the consent form has been returned signed by the parent , the student is allowed in the group. They will also sign the form that will be kept in their confidential school records.

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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.

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

Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW). (2000). ASGW professional standards for the training of group workers. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 25, 327–342

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.