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1. Worry Warriors: Small Group Action Plan 

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1. Worry Warriors: Small Group Action Plan 

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The Worry Warriors small group at Mina Elementary will focus on and address the topics of fear and anxiety. 3rd and 4th grade students will participate in the Worry Warriors small group.

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ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors students will master upon group completion:

M 1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being
M 2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment
M 4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed
M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions
B-SMS 2. Self-discipline and self-control
B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers
B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills
B-SMS 10. Ability to manage transitions and adapt to change
B-SS 1. Effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills
B-SS 2. Positive, respectful and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them
B-SS 3. Positive relationships with adults to support success
B-SS 8. Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self, when necessary
B-SS 9. Social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment

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I plan to disseminate information about my small group through an infographic and referral form on the Mina Elementary newsletter that is sent out to teachers and parents each week.

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After receiving referrals for the group from parents and teachers, I will complete individual pre-group interviews. Students will first be informed of the group, goals of the group, and group expectations. Qualitative data will then be collected through a series of interview questions centered around readiness to participate, willingness, and interest.

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The following group rules will be discussed in the initial group session and will also be displayed in the counseling office at every group meeting. The first four rules regarding respect and confidentiality were pre-determined by me, the counselor, but there is space for the group to establish their own rules and norms as well.

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•       Stage 1- I plan to build relationships and trust between group members and myself by cultivating an inclusive, supportive environment from the very first session. Group rules and norms will be discussed at the first session through a counselor-led collaborative discussion. One of the pre-establish group norms regards confidentiality (what happens in the group, stays in the group) and although this will be introduced as an important expectation, I will also discuss how it cannot be guaranteed and my limitations on confidentiality as well (if information is disclosed during group that I am legally and ethically required to break confidentiality for).

•       Stage 2- I plan to keep group members working cohesively and productively by having high expectations and by also continuing to cultivate an inclusive, supportive environment at every session. I will check in with group members with informal assessments (thumbs up, thumbs down, exit tickets, etc.) to gauge progress.

•       Stage 3- My plan for closure of the group is to first complete a dice game where student have the opportunity to review the skills they have learned throughout the group. Next, the counselor will lead a discussion regarding how group members are feeling about the group ending. Each group member will also have the opportunity to illustrate or write action steps to plan for continuation of newly learned skills. There will also be a discussion centered around confidentiality and how confidentiality must continue to be held even though the group has ended. I will follow up with students 2 weeks and then 4 weeks after the last session.

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Student assent will be obtained verbally at the pre-group interview. Once students are selected for the group, the attached permission slip will be sent home to obtain parental consent.

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Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that I could potentially see during group factors include:
Instillation of Hope - group members might demonstrate this because they will be learning techniques to manage their worries/fears.
Universality - students recognize they are not the only ones that have worries and fears.

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The leadership style I would like to use with this group is the Participative Leadership style. I believe the Participative Leadership style would be the most beneficial with this age group of children because it fosters engagement. Additionally, Cherry (2021) reports that this leadership style is typically the most effective and under this leadership style team members are more committed because they feel valued by the leader.

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American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselors Association (2021). ASCA student standards: mindsets and behaviors for student success. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Cherry, K. (2021). Leadership styles and frameworks you should know. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Juan Seguin High School (2020). Classroom respect agreement. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/13rrZD1LUNaPxAkXZ5pmp6THgKaXhzVM2qWQLNtyDcmY/edit?usp=sharing

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015, May). 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.

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The  ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies states:
B-SS 3. Provide short-term counseling in small-group and individual settings

The key-word in this requirement is short-term. It would be inappropriate for a school counselor to complete long-term counseling in the school setting. This is why I designed my group to be completed after five 30-minute sessions.

The next standard states:
B-SS 4. Make referrals to appropriate school and community resources

If, after the group sessions, the counselor feels a student needs more long-term support from a professional, they should make an appropriate referral for that student.

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The Texas Administrative Code states:
(c) Standard II. Learner-Centered Skills
(3) counsel individuals and small groups using appropriate counseling theories and techniques in response to students' needs;

This legal requirement outlines how the school counselor should counsel small groups, which is with appropriate counseling theories and techniques. Additionally, this legal requirement states these groups should be created "in response to students' needs," which is why needs assessments are so important. The Worry Warriors group was constructed in response to a need that was very apparent in the data from my needs assessment.