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This is a short-term closed grief group for adolescent students ages 16 – 17. It is intended for students who have experienced the loss of a family member, friend, teacher, etc. This grief group aims to help students develop healthy coping strategies and tools to work through their grief and provide a safe space to express and understand their personal emotions and feelings related to grief and loss.

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American School Counseling Association Mindsets:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being

M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

(ASCA, 2021)

American School Counseling Association Behaviors:

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them

(ASCA, 2021)

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Once the school counseling team and administration have approved the group, the group information will be posted on flyers throughout the campus and on the High School Google Classroom page. It will include the purpose, type of group, dates, times, location, and other necessary information. Every student is a member and has access to the campus Google Classroom page, which includes school updates and important announcements. Teachers and school staff will also receive information about the group through their school email. Lastly, parents will receive information through the parent communication app, Parent Square. The flyers will include the counseling department's contact information for further questions or concerns.

Since this group is a support group, the screening process will look different, and some members will be selected by a teacher or parent referral. However, the counseling team may not be aware of each student who has endured a loss, so students, parents, and school staff can contact the counseling team to show interest or inquire further.

Since this group is a support group, the screening process will look different, and some members will be selected by a teacher or parent referral. However, the counseling team may not be aware of each student who has endured a loss, so students, parents, and school staff can contact the counseling team to show interest or inquire further.

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Teachers will receive a Google Form through their school email to refer a student to the grief group. The form will include:

The student's name

Grade

Reason for referral

Area of concern

Any additional information that would benefit the counselor.

Students will receive a Google Form through their Google Classroom page, including their name and grade, area of student concern, reason for joining the group, and any additional information that would benefit the counselor. The referral forms will allow the counselor to keep track of the data and narrow down which students to interview. For example, suppose a student has lost a pet and is excelling well emotionally and academically. In that case, that student will probably not be selected for the group versus a student who has lost a friend or family member and is reporting concerns. Parents will also have the option to refer their students through the same Google Form that they can access on Parent Square.

From this point, the counseling department will obtain parental consent to interview the student. An official grief screener will not be administered because there is currently no district-approved screener, and the focus is on the student's ability to participate in the group fully and if there is an identified need. Many of the grief screeners will measure items based on clinical depression, and that is beyond the scope of the school counselor. The counseling team will base their interview questions on district policy, the American School Counseling Association, and the "TAP In" process (tell, ask, pick) developed by Rosemarie Smead (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 22). The interview will first discuss information about the group's purpose, expectations, confidentiality, goals, meeting times/dates, and participation (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 22). The counselor will then ask the student questions about their areas of concern, interest, personal goals, and willingness to participate (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 22). Since grief is such a heavy topic, it is important that the counselor explains the limits of confidentiality and that anything the student reveals that is threatening to others, themselves, or signs that abuse has occurred will reported to the proper agency or parent/guardian. The counseling department or counselor will select members based on priority of concern and need, which is up to the school district's discretion. It is important to note that at any time, if the student reveals something concerning or suicidal in any way, the counselor will stop and go through the district suicide or threat screener and contact the parents immediately. Once the members have been selected, the students will be given an invitation and consent form to join the group. The parents will be given a parent consent form and personal phone call to set up an in-person meeting to go through the group purpose, procedures, topics, goals, confidentiality, and meeting dates/times, and will allow time for the parent to ask questions. The students who were not selected will be provided a brief explanation of why they were not chosen and a list of online and outside grief resources available to them.

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Currently, Seminole Independent School District does not have information regarding informed consent on its website or in the student handbook. The district also does not have an official informed consent form they use. However, the student handbook includes information regarding mental health services and consent. "The district mental health liaison will notify the student's parent within a reasonable amount of time after the liaison learns that a student has displayed early warning signs and provides information about available counseling options"(Seminole Independent School District et al., 2024).

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The counseling department does not currently have established group rules. I plan to use the group rules provided by the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Counseling Program to create my own ground rules and guidelines. First and foremost, the most significant group rule is confidentiality and the limits within what is shared; once this ground rule is established, the group members can discuss and develop other ground rules. I would allow the participants to create their own ground rules that everyone agrees upon. I would also suggest rules and norms throughout such as respect and participation, but I would like for the members to have the majority of the say in ground rules. "Encouraging group members to monitor participation creates a sense of ownership and facilitates group members' mutual responsibility for the effectiveness of the group" (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 26). Once ground rules have been established and written on an anchor chart or poster, the group would discuss the rules and what each rule sounds and looks like. The ground rules will be discussed and reviewed at the beginning of each group session and implemented into each session's routine and format (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 26).

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Stage 1:  During the first stage, my goal will be to establish trust and rapport between the group members and myself. Group norms will be established primarily between the group members and what they feel is important to them. However, I will begin the process by establishing non-negotiables such as confidentiality and respect. It is important for me to be upfront and transparent on the limits of confidentiality and that I am required by law to report abuse and anything that I deem to be indicating harm to others or themselves. Discussing grief and death can often warrant heavy emotions, and it will be important to explain the school resources available to students and the emergency and outside resources available, such as hotlines and local mental health agencies. Although confidentiality is not guaranteed, it is a group norm that what is mentioned in this group stays in the group (except the exceptions), and if a member is caught repeating group information, they will be removed from the group (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015, p. 7). The group norms and confidentiality limits will be discussed at the beginning of each session, and the resources and hotlines will be provided in written form and digital at the end of each session.

Stage 2: Setting and having a common goal is important to ensure members work together and feel motivated within the group. I plan to ensure that each session has a goal or outcome and that the activities and format are also explained beforehand. For group members to feel motivated and valued, I have to ensure that their opinions and thoughts are valued, and that comes from creating a safe environment that has structure and routine. Each session will have an established routine and clear objectives and activities. I plan to establish a routine at the beginning of each session where members will share a peak and valley of their week, and at the end of each session, students will share or complete an informal exit ticket to share what they learned or took away from this session (Dobmeier, 2021, p. 22). When the group members know what to expect for each session, they will feel more confident to share and participate.

Stage 3: As the group closes, I plan to spend time at the end and beginning of each session summarizing and discussing what we have been learning. My goal is that the members feel equipped as the group ends. During the last two sessions, we will begin to create an action or follow-up plan, including their coping skills learned, support system, and available resources. It is essential to emphasize how to implement what we are learning into their daily lives with each session. A good way to reinforce the learning is through real-world application by encouraging group members to practice one or some of their coping skills in their lives or even documenting their emotions throughout the day. My goal is for students to determine what works and doesn't work for them so that, by the end, they will feel equipped with the tools and knowledge they have learned. Students will also take a post-assessment to assess their knowledge and feelings about grief and coping moving forward, which will, in turn, help me evaluate the effectiveness of the sessions.

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In my personal experience teaching and working with adolescents, when students have ownership and somewhat control over their own learning, there are better outcomes and fewer discipline problems. I believe the same is true with group counseling, which is why I believe the democratic leadership style is the best fit for this grief group. "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" (Cherry, 2023). Although I would have the final say, my goal is for the group members to be able to engage in their own discussion and learning, and I am there as a guide to facilitate their learning and help them meet their goals.

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The Hope and Healing Group is a very targeted group created for members who have endured a loss in their lives. Since each group member has or is experiencing loss, that is a commonality they all share, which is known as the universality therapeutic factor. Each group member is aware that they are not alone in their struggles, especially after getting to know and hearing a little bit about others' stories and feelings. Knowing they are not alone can provide a sense of belonging and comfort. The second possible therapeutic factor is the instillation of hope. As members continue to share and express their feelings, the goal is for other members to gain hope and motivation from seeing the growth through other members. Some members will come to the self-realization that certain thinking styles or coping methods work or do not work for them, which can provide hope to the other members that they, too, can come to their own self-realizations.

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American School Counseling Association Ethical Standards

A Responsibility to Students

A.1 Supporting Student Development

G. "Recognize their primary ethical obligation for confidentiality is to the students but balance that obligation with an understanding of parents'/guardians' legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children's lives" (American School Counselor Association, 2022, p. 2).

This ethical standard is important for me to keep in mind in group counseling because students must understand confidentiality in the realm of school counseling and group counseling. School counselors are not therapists, and I often feel like the role of a school counselor is misunderstood or interpreted. I must remind students that there are limits to confidentiality when it comes to abuse, neglect, threats, and potential harm to self or others. As much as I want the student to feel safe to share, parents have a right to know certain information, and the goal is for the parents to have an active role in their child's life and education. "School counselors understand the need to balance students' ethical rights to make choices, their capacity to give consent or assent, and parental or familial legal rights and responsibilities to make decisions on their child's behalf"(American School Counselor Association, 2022, p. 2).

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Seminole Independent School District Student Handbook

Consent to Provide a Mental Health Care Service

"The district's mental health liaison will notify the student's parent within a reasonable amount of time after the liaison learns that a student has displayed early warning signs and provides information about available counseling options" (Seminole Independent School District et al., 2024)

This policy is aligned with the Texas Education Code and is part of a parent's informed consent. This district policy is important for me to remember as I must communicate and inform parents of the signs and concerns that I am noticing with their students, as well as provide options and resources. I must also be aware of what is outside the scope of school counseling but still be prepared to share outside resources and referrals with parents.

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References

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

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to Lead: 6 Leadership Styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312#toc-participative-leadership-democratic

Dobmeier, J. (2021). Grief Small Group Curriculum: Small Group Activities for Upper Elementary Students Dealing with Grief. RED: A Repository of Digital Collections. https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/488

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). A Professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing & evaluating school-based counseling groups. Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators.  https://www.missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgrou p/SmallGroupCounseling.pdf

Seminole Independent School District, Wimmer, S., Darby, R., Dickson, T., Wood, M., Peters, H., Rosalez, C., Wrigh, Dr. L., Lynch, K., Suarez, Dr. S., Ritchey, B., Lashaway, J., Campbell, C., Osburn, C., Waldo, T., Kirkpatrick, E., McCallister, W., Scott, T., Martinez, T., . . . Danley, T. (2024). Seminole High School Student Handbook. In Seminole ISD, Seminole High School Student Handbook (pp. 2–6). https://4.files.edl.io/024a/07/10/24/031333-cabda570-07c5-48ed-a776-2db009eb3818.pdf