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Concerns around the privacy of student records and related
information frequently arises for school counselors (Texas Classroom Teachers Association, 2023).

During group counseling sessions, the school counselor may encounter situations with students where abuse or neglect presents itself. The school counselor must follow the local policies of Pine Tree ISD for the best interest of the student. PTISD's local policy pertaining to confidentiality is as follows: “In accordance with state law, the identity of a person making a report of a suspected child abuse or neglect shall be kept confidential and disclosed only in accordance with the rules of the investigating agency” (Pine Tree ISD, 2023).

Texas law pertaining to confidentiality is as follows: “The educator shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes is required by law” (19 TAC § 247.2).

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as FERPA, applies to all instructors. This federal legislation compels educators to carefully safeguard the confidentiality of student records and personally identifying information while granting appropriate parties access (TCTA, 2023).

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Positive Pirates is a school counseling small group consisting of elementary students in grades 3 and 4 who are considered homeless. This group will focus on increasing students’ self-esteem.

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Parkway Elementary Counseling Groud Rules

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Parkway Elementary Group Counseling Rules are predetermined by the counselor.  These rules will be displayed and discussed at the start of each session and referenced as needed (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). This will enable students to understand what is expected of them and to promote a feeling of security and community among the participants (Mindwell Psychology NYC, 2023).

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The American Counseling Association's (ACA) Ethical and Professional Standards (2014) states that “counselors maintain awareness and sensitivity regarding cultural meanings of confidentiality and privacy” (p. 6). To establish a favorable, secure, and productive learning environment, it is critical to abide by this policy so that a breach of ethics does not occur. By following this standard, school counselors will enable trust to be built between the counselor and students during group counseling.

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Yalom's Therapeutic Factors that can be used during the Positive Pirates sessions are as follows:

Instillation of Hope: Group members will learn techniques to handle self-esteem challenges.

Universality: Group members will see that they are not alone in their struggles with low self-esteem.

Imparting of Information: Group members will learn what self-esteem is and learn techniques to help them in the future.

Altruism: Group members will be motivated to support and assist each other which can improve the students' self-esteem.

Corrective Recapitulation of the Primary Family Group: Group members will be given a chance to talk about family experiences that may have contributed to their low self-esteem.

Catharsis: Group members will have a chance to talk about their feelings and experiences.

Existential Factors: Group members will talk about what their purpose in life is and share with others the feelings that trigger their low self-esteem.

Interpersonal Learning: Group members will see how their actions and attitudes affect other people.

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Initially, the counselor will use the "TAP-in" method to inform potential members about the group counseling sessions  (Morganett, 1990).

T - Tell the student about the counseling group.
A - Ask the student about the expectations of the group and determine if the student is willing to participate.
P - Pick the students that will take the needs assessment.

If informed consent has been received, the counselor will then conduct a student needs assessment to determine if the student is suitable for small-group counseling based on the need for help with low self-esteem (ASCA, 2022).

The needs assessment will be a survey about feelings of low self-esteem and potential participants will be screened individually.

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American School Counselor Association. (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards and competencies. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-Competencies.pdf

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As stated in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) School Counselor  Professional Standards & Competencies (2019), school counselors should “apply legal and ethical principles of the school counseling profession” (p. 3).  It is crucial to be knowledgeable about district policies and procedures, as well as local, state, and federal laws to carry out a successful comprehensive school counseling program. This ensures that students' rights and well-being are protected while enabling school counselors to offer effective assistance, advocacy, and guidance to students in group counseling.

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A participative leadership (democratic) style will be used in the Positive Pirates group counseling sessions. This type of leadership style will promote group participation while maintaining final decision-making authority (Cherry, 2023). The students in this group will more likely be driven and inventive because they feel invested in the group process and objectives (Cherry, 2023).

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Informed consent from the parent/guardian will be received before the student will be allowed to attend the group counseling sessions. Pine Tree ISD does not require parental consent prior to counseling sessions, however, at Parkway Elementary, we feel that parents should be informed if their student has been asked to attend counseling sessions.

A signed confidentiality form from the student will also be collected to ensure the students understand the need for confidentiality to be a group norm (ASCA, 2022).

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American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA mindsets and behaviors for student success: K-12 College-, career-, and life-readiness standards for every student.  https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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Responsive Services Small Group Counseling Module   

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(Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

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American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf

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Cherry, Kendra. (2022, November 14). How group therapy works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-group-therapy-2795760

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

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Davis, R. (2022, May 2). A 4 step guide to successfully terminating individual and group counseling sessions. Bright Futures Counseling. https://brightfutures-counseling.com/blog/a-4-step-guide-to-successfully-terminating-individual-and-group-counseling-sessions

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Ethical Standards, 19. Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2

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Mindwell Psychology NYC. (2023, March 15). How to build trust in group therapy. Mindwell Psychology NYC. https://mindwellnyc.com/how-to-build-trust-in-group-therapy/

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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. https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/guid-respon-serv-small-group-counseling-guide-2015.pdf

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Morganett, R. S. (1990). Skills for living: Group counseling activities for young adolescents. Chicago: Research Press.

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Administrators and teachers will be informed of the counselor's plan to implement a small group for homeless students who are experiencing low self-esteem.

A personal invitation (permission slip) will be given to the students labeled as homeless in grades 3 and 4 that they will take home and get signed.

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Stage 1 Getting acquainted/setting norms/building trust 

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Stage 1 Getting acquainted/setting norms/building trust 

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At this stage, trustworthy relationships between group members must be built to create a safe, supportive environment that encourages open dialogue (Mindwell Psychology NYC, 2023). The counselor will create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable speaking their opinions without judgment or fear of punishment. This will be achieved as students participate in an icebreaker to become acquainted. The group will go over the ground rules that everyone will follow and a discussion of the confidentiality agreements will be had. Clear boundaries and expectations regarding behavior will be set.

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Pine Tree ISD (PTISD). (2023). Student welfare: Child abuse and neglect. Pine Tree ISD.
https://pol.tasb.org/PolicyOnline/PolicyDetails?
key=541&code=FFG#legalTabContent

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Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA). (2023). Counselors making the right call. Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
https://www.tcta.org/legal-updates/counselors-making-the-right-call#:~:text=All%20educators%20must%20observe%20the,strictly%20maintaining%20their%20confidential%20status

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Stage 2: Working together to accomplish individual and group goals

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Stage 2: Working together to accomplish individual and group goals

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Students who participate in this group will see that others are experiencing the same emotions as them, which can help make them feel less alone (Cherry, 2022).  Communication can successfully improve relationships and foster growth within the group (Cherry, 2022). Group rules will be revisited at the beginning of every session to ensure they are being followed so that each session is productive and the learning outcomes can be accomplished. While interacting and communicating with each student throughout each session, the counselor will be able to gauge the progress each student is making within the group.

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Yalom, ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

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It's crucial that each student comprehends what closure means before the last group session (Davis, 2022). The counselor will begin talking about the meetings coming to an end prior to the last session. Because the students will know what to expect, they can better prepare themselves for the end. The counselor will monitor how the group is adapting to the closure so that the students' emotions can be reinforced if need be. This will ensure students have the knowledge, tools, and assistance they need to effectively handle the issues that they were faced with prior to group counseling (Davis, 2022).

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(American School Counselor Association, 2021)

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Upon completion of this group, students will have mastered the following ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors:

Category 1 - Mindset Standards
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

Category 2 -  Behavior Standards
Self-Management Skills
B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers
B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills