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Breaking Financial Barriers Counseling Group!

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Breaking Financial Barriers Counseling Group!

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A new group on campus will address stress caused by the cost of college. Gain access to financial aid programs and learn financial literacy basics. The group is designed for high-need students! For ages 18-23.

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The group will strive to develop the following ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success:

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

M3 - Positive attitude toward work and learning

B-LS 3 - Time-management, organizational and study skills

B-SMS1 - Responsibility for self and actions

B-SMS 2 - Self discipline and self-control

B-SMS 7 - Effective coping skills

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The Director of financial aid will supply a list of students that they believe would be good candidates to benefit from the group. The facilitator will conduct individual zoom meetings with each student to assess readiness, willingness, and interest with an emphasis on the purpose of the group of coping with financial stress of paying for college with low income and discuss the tools that will be shared during the sessions. The student will be informed how and why they were selected based on their survey they completed during the financial aid session and that it is voluntary. The facilitator will ask if financial stress is impacting their academic success and if financial aid is a barrier to their success and continuing staying enrolled at the university. The facilitator will look for impulse control, ability to communicate and other potential factors that need to be referred to university counseling services. The facilitator will explain the expectations of the group with their participation and contributions to the sessions and the time commitment involved with the eight sessions to see if it will fit with their school and work schedules. Confidentiality exceptions will be expressed and consequences of expulsion of the group and further university disciplinary action will be enforced if confidentiality and other group rules are broken. If the student shows interest in participating, the facilitator will ask what goals they have for their participation. If their goals align with the group goals that were set, the facilitator will send the student consent forms to sign and submit.

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The facilitator will seek permission from the Vice President of Enrollment Services and the Director of Financial Aid. Once approved, the facilitator will meet with the financial aid counselors to explain the survey and the requested population to screen and interview. Students visiting the financial aid office for appointments will be asked their interest. The group is targeting a specific, high-need at-risk population that the financial aid staff can identify. The group facilitator will work closely with the financial aid office to determine the most appropriate candidates to be group members.

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The consent form informs on the summary and key information for the group. The form discloses the detailed information of the expectations, tools used, meeting places, and risks of participating in the group. The potential risks are further detailed and the need for signed consent. The consent form details the intent of the group facilitator but explains that any potential harm could occur. The form gives notice to the participant where they obtain assistance if any rights are violated. The voluntary nature of the group is detailed. Relevant risk associated with the group process is explained. The signature, acknowledging the content of the consent form is obtained by the participant and a signature of the person obtaining consent also signs and dates the form. A copy is given to the participant, Director of Financial Aid, and the original is kept by the group facilitator.
The research is being conducted on adults so parental consent is not required

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Stage 1 - Getting acquainted/setting norms/building trust:

The group will open with each member sharing a challenge with the financial aid process. Each member will respond to create trust and universality (Yalom, 1995). The facilitator will reinforce the ground rules and confidentiality during stage one of the group. To continue building trust among the group members, the facilitator will ask the group if they would like to add or address any ground rules. There will be ice-breakers where the group will share experiences. The facilitator's active listening and empathetic responses will set the norm of a trusting and caring group.

Stage 2 - Work Together to achieve group and personal goals:

Each session is structured in two parts; the first is a structured lesson with the facilitator instructing and teaching. The next part of the lesson is structured as an open group discussion that is led by the facilitator. During group discussions, the facilitator will model appropriate behavior and active listening. They will check in on each member through participation, listening, and assessing the discussions on financial aid/literacy. During the discussion, the facilitator will reinforce the commitment and effort it will take to achieve the desired goals and can only do it together as a group. There will be routine encouragement by the facilitator for openness and honesty. The facilitator will also ask the group directly how the group feels about their progress and will routinely check in with the members during the group discussion and one-on-one with members showing distress. If there are distractions and group members unmotivated on working towards achieving the goal, they will be excused from the group and referred back to the financial aid office due to the risk of student withdrawing and owing funds to the university.

Stage 3 - Ending:

The final session will be a group reflection on the lessons and literature. The members will re-take the survey from the initial assessment and see how their knowledge and attitudes have changed from the first session. The facilitator will empower the group to help others who are feeling stressed over finances and show others the resources and tools to attend an expensive university on a low income to reach the point of earning a degree. The facilitator will remind the group of the confidentiality agreement and the importance of maintaining trust. The facilitator will let the group know they are always available to talk.

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Document 8 from The Small Group Counseling Module Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program--Responsiveness Services (2015) will serve as the source for the ground rules for the group, established by the participants.

This guide will help include the group in what rules the group will establish and follow.

The rules set out by the facilitator that are non-negotiable:
1. Respect
2. Participation
3. Confidentiality

The facilitator will refer to and remind the group of the ground rules before each "open discussion" during the session.

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A Democratic leadership style is the best approach for this group. Participation, trust, and respect from the group are necessary for the group's success. The facilitator will take the group's considerations on the rules but has the final say and direction of the group lessons and discussions. The group consists of young adults, and their commitment and mutual respect from the facilitator are crucial to them learning the lessons and tools and for empowerment to help others.

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Instillation of Hope:
Through group discussions and sharing, the facilitator will emphasize the victories and moments of change throughout the course work. Applying for new scholarships and receiving letters from donors are actual evidence that the exercises and approach are working.

Universality:
Utilizing icebreakers and team building group discussions, the group will realize that other group members share the same stresses about finances. The facilitator will reinforce the importance of mutual support.

Imparting of Information:
The first half of each lesson will impart actual financial skills to the group.

Altruism:
The facilitator will empower the group to help others, which has mutual positive feelings and benefits.

Corrective Recapitulation of Primary Family Group: Commonly found in first-generation students, the student’s financial knowledge could be a familial issue where they never had a model to know how to handle substantial finances with a financial aid award package and never had to budget those funds. The group dynamics and lessens will impart a new way of handling financial responsibility and stress.

Catharsis:
Beginning with the norming group and brought out through group discussion, the group will experience catharsis as the stressful emotions are expressed.

Direct Advice:
Through lessons and group discussion, the facilitator will give the group direct financial and stress-coping advice to achieve the goal.

(Yalom, 1995)

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A.9.b. Protecting Clients

In a group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma.

The high-need group is considered at high risk for withdrawing and no longer continuing at the university due to stress and financial hardships, so an ethical consideration into confidential family trauma is considered by reinforcing the ground rules. The facilitator is responsible for ensuring that the group feels safe and supported. The facilitator will remind the group of the ground rules so emotions do not escalate to be physically threatening and provide boundaries for disclosing harmful and personal information.

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B.2.e. Minimal Disclosure

To the extent possible, clients are informed before confidential information is disclosed and are involved in the disclosure decision-making process. When circumstances require the disclosure of confidential information, only essential information is revealed.

Due to the sensitive, private nature of personal finances and personally identifiable information, FERPA is discussed with every introduction to the group discussion. The boundaries of what information should be disclosed and the signed confidentiality agreement are routinely discussed, and privacy measures such as privacy screens for laptops are made available during group exercises such as completing financial aid applications.

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References

America Counseling Association. (2014) ASCA 2014 Code of ethics – American counseling association. American Counseling Association. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2021). The ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College-and Career Readiness for Every Student. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviours.pdf

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to lead: 6 leadership styles and frameworks. Verywellmind.
https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Texas Woman’s University. (2023). Texas Woman’s University Human Participant Research Confidentiality Agreement. https://twu.edu/institutional-review-board-irb/resources/.

Missouri Professional School Counselors and School 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://missouricareereducation.org/doc/smallgroup/smallgroupcousneling.pdf

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