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Cubs Club is the name of the group chosen for students ranging in age from 8-9. The topic that the lessons will incorporate will be focusing on learning Executive Functioning Skills (EFs) starting with social skills. The students will learn practical ways of making friends, giving and taking compliments, peer pressure, and looking at issues through other points of view. The high school students are known as the Lions at our district. Naming this group, the Cubs Club will give our students the desire to grow into a roaring Brownwood Lion.

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To publicize this small group, I will create posters and flyers to hand out during Meet the Teacher night. I will work with the teachers, administrators, and review needs assessments to identify possible group members.

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According to Lewin's Leadership style, I feel that a Participative Leadership style would be most beneficial with my small group. The need of the leader would be more for guidance and encouraging participation as I would like all group members to feel validated. The set skills that the group will be working on would be social skills. I would encourage the group leader to make the group feel important and part of the team.

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Cubs Club is a small group that would benefit from Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment; I believe that several factors would be instrumental in creating a small functional group.
Universality- as members began to work together as a cohesive small group, they will realize that they are not alone in their emotional struggles or issues.
Development of socializing techniques-  as the group participates in different social games and activities, they will be actively learning and developing their interpersonal skills.
Interpersonal learning- the small group is set up for giving and receiving feedback to group members. They will have the opportunity to share their victories or struggles weekly and feel confident to ask for help when needed.

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Expectations and Guidelines for Cubs Club

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Expectations and Guidelines for Cubs Club

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Pre-established rules and guidelines are as follows: (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015)

1. All participants (counselor and student) observe confidentiality.

2. Everyone will be an active listener.

3. Be positive and respectful in all group sessions.

The attached guideline/rules form will be discussed and additional group rules can be determined during the first session.

If confidentiality is broken within the group, you will no longer be able to participate in the group.

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Students that are interested in the group will be assessed individually. The process will include informing the students of group requirements,  assessing the level of interest, and readiness. The counselor will actively work with teachers and administrators on any referrals of students that would benefit from the small group learning sessions. The counselor will then meet individually with referred students informing them about group topics, group goals, group tasks, and procedures. The goal of pre-group interview/screening is to select students that will contribute to a small group and who will actively participate in individual and group goals. The counselor will demonstrate ethical responsibility throughout the screening process.

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Brownwood ISD                 Mission and Vision 

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Brownwood ISD                 Mission and Vision 

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The following ASCA Mindsets standards will be met through participation and completion of group sessions.

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

M 5. Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcome

B-SS 2. Create positive and supportive relationships with other students

B-SS 4. Demonstrate empathy

B SS 5. Demonstrate ethical decision-making and social responsibility

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Legal Requirements -           Texas Education Code

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Legal Requirements -           Texas Education Code

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Following the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Program will ensure that a the varying needs of students will be met legally to have a strong group program that will contribute to life-long learners.

Title 2 Chapter 33
Sec. 33.005.  Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.

(a)  A school counselor shall work with the school faculty and staff, students, parents, and the community to plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program that conforms to the most recent edition of the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs developed by the Texas Counseling Association.

(b)  The school counselor shall design the program to include:

(1)  a guidance curriculum to help students develop their full educational potential, including the student's interests and career objectives;

(2)  a responsive services component to intervene on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems put the student's continued educational, career, personal, or social development at risk (2019).

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Cubs Club was created to expand learning opportunities through creating small counseling groups. Students will benefit learning from peers and counselors in a social context. Building a small group focused on executive functioning skills will help students become better learners emotionally and academically. The small group will be a pre-set structured group consisting of 4-10 pre-screened students. It will contain six-weekly sessions pertaining to various executive functioning skills.
Stage 1- Will focus on activities that will get students acquainted with each other and team bonding activities to start to build trust with one another. The purpose of the group will be reviewed and establishing group norms such as homework will be required, discussing voluntary participation, policies, and procedures. The counselor will discuss confidentiality and have members sign confidentiality form, as it is a crucial trust factor between members and the counselor.The counselor will discuss that confidentiality is expected but not guaranteed, if group members do not follow confidentiality, he/she will no longer be able to participate in the group.  Group members must feel safe in order to participate and share during activities.
Stage 2- will maintain trust and interactive team bonding activities/games to ensure active, productive participation, review confidentiality and ground rules, and check-in with each group member. The session's purpose will be introduced, and the group members will establish a SMART goal. A SMART goal means that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. They will establish the goal individually to what they would like to get out of the group sessions and then come together, working as a team to establish a group SMART goal. A goal that they can work together as a team to make a difference.
Stage 3- will end the small group counseling. The counselor and  group members will reflect on group and individual  SMART goals.  Confidentiality guidelines will be reviewed and reinforce that what is said in the group stays in the group even though it is the last group session.  Group discussion will occur about feelings about  the group ending. Plans for follow-up session and making sure all group members are leaving the group on a positive note.

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Although each group member will already have a parent/guardian signed consent form on file (District policy), an additional consent form will be sent home before the first meeting, along with an informational letter about the group. As a requirement to participate in the small group, each member will also sign a consent/assent form during the first session.

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Referring to the ASCA Professional Standards and Competencies and the ACA Code of Ethics, applying the stated legal and ethical principles will be a guideline to Best Practices for a professional school counselor to follow and to maintain a legal and ethical comprehensive school group counseling program.

B-PF 3. Apply legal and ethical principles of the

school counseling profession

a. Practice within the ethical principles of the school counseling profession in accordance with the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

b. Adhere to the legal responsibilities of the role of the school counselor including the unique legal and ethical principles of working with minor students in a school setting

c. Adhere to the ethical and statutory limits of confidentiality d. Fulfill legal and ethical obligations to families, teachers,

administrators and other school staff
e. Consult with school counselors and other education,

counseling and legal professionals when ethical and legal

questions arise
f. Resolve ethical dilemmas by employing an ethical decision-

making model in accordance with the ASCA Ethical

Standards for School Counselors
g. Model ethical behavior
h. Engage in continual professional development to inform and

guide ethical and legal work (ASCA, 2019).

Attached is the Best Practices Guideline.