# data[].attributes.headline
Description of Group:  Conflict Resolution for High School Students

# data[].attributes.subject
Description of Group:  Conflict Resolution for High School Students

# data[].attributes.body
This series of six courses is designed to help high school students learn positive strategies for navigating the complex world of relationships.  The courses will utilize video, presentations, bibliotherapy, role-playing, self-assessments, and group discussion to help students learn to deal with conflict in healthy ways.

Students will learn to identify healthy versus unhealthy relationship characteristics, gain knowledge and practice of various conflict resolution strategies, and be able to identify and access campus based resources and supports.

# data[].attributes.body
As members of the group sessions "Conflict Resolution for High School Students" students will learn to identify healthy versus unhealthy relationships, gain knowledge and practice utilizing a variety of conflict resolution strategies, and identify resources and supports on campus for when additional help is needed.

Upon completion, the students will have experienced positive development in the following ASCA Mindset and Behavior Standards

(American School Counselor Association, 2019)

Category 1:  Mindset Standards

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

M2:  Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment.

M4:  Self-confidence in ability to succeed.

M5:  Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.

Category 2:  Behavior Standards

Learning Strategies
B-LS 1.  Critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.

B-LS 2. Creative approach to learning, tasks and problem solving.

B-LS 9.  Decision-making informed by gathering evidence, getting others' perspectives and recognizing personal bias.

Self-Management Skills
B-SMS 1.  Responsibility for self and actions.

B-SMS 7.  Effective coping skills.

B-SMS 9.  Personal safety skills.

Social Skills
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 5.  Empathy

B-SS 6.  Effective collaboration and cooperation skills.

B-SS 7.  Leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse groups.

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.

B-SS 10.  Cultural awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness.

# data[].attributes.body
Disseminating Information:

Once the need for the group has been established, and the sessions planned, the next step is to advertise the group to various stakeholders.  The process for this will vary depending on the following stakeholders.

Counselors:  The counseling department will determine the need based upon the data derived from the Assessment of Students' Perceived Needs (Missouri Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling Programs, 2015). Upon creating the action plan for the conflict resolution sessions, I will submit the proposal to the counseling department to gather feedback prior to presenting it to the school's administration.

Administrators:  Once the final action plan has been established, I will present the data from the needs assessment to the administrator along with the plan for the proposed group sessions.  I will solicit feedback to ensure that I have considered all risks and liabilities and follow their guidance for bringing it to parents, students, and staff.

Teachers:  After making any changes or additions based off the administrator feedback, I will present the information to the teachers at a faculty meeting.  I will share the data indicated by the Assessment of Students' Perceived Needs indicating gaps in identifying healthy versus unhealthy relationships, in knowledge of appropriate conflict resolution strategies, and in identifying and accessing resources and supports on campus (MCGCP, 2015).  I will share with them the process for selecting students, the timeline for completing the sessions, as well as the days, times, and locations of the sessions.  I will provide them with resources to share with the classes in order to help advertise the sessions and solicit participants.  These resources will include, QR codes to application forms, digital flyer outlining objectives and sessions, and a printout of flyer to hang in classroom.

Parents:  Parents will receive information about the group sessions so that they may talk to their students about the topic and help them decide if this is something that would benefit them.  The information will be featured in the weekly community newsletter, posted on the campus website, emailed to all families with an email on file, and sent home as a flyer with students.  The information will include a presentation of the data supporting the need for the group sessions, contact information in the event there are additional questions, as well as detailed information about the timeline and the content of the sessions.  Information about confidentiality, parental consent, and student assent will also be provided.

Students:   The information about the group sessions will be disseminated to students in a variety of ways.  Teachers will be asked to post the provided information and QR codes to access registration on the course classroom pages.  Teachers will be asked to post the informational flyer in their classroom and have a brief discussion with the students about the opportunity.  Announcements will be made daily leading up to the sign up date to inform students of the purpose, timeline, benefits, and process for registering to participate in the group.  Students will also receive daily emails leading up to the sign up deadline containing all information and sign up process.  Students will be encouraged to reach out to their counselors if they have any questions regarding the opportunity.

# data[].attributes.body
How will I inform students about the group?

Pre-sign up information:  Prior to receiving volunteers, it will be important to make sure students are fully informed about the group.  According to the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Programs (2015),  potential members need to be clear about what the group sessions will entail.

The information about the group sessions will be disseminated to students in a variety of ways.  Teachers will be asked to post the provided information and link to the google sign up form on their course classroom pages.  Teachers will be asked to post the informational flyer in their classroom and have a brief discussion with the students about the opportunity.  Announcements will be made daily leading up to the sign up date to inform students of the purpose, timeline, benefits, and process for registering to participate in the group.  Students will also receive daily emails leading up to the sign up deadline containing all information and link to the google sign up form.  Students will be encouraged to reach out to their counselors if they have any questions regarding the opportunity.

The information will include:
-Group topic
-Lesson outlines
-Goals
-Activities
-Expectations
-Parental consent requirement

(MCGCP, 2015)

How will I assess student readiness to participate, willingness, and interest?

According to the MCGCP (2015), it is important select participants who will positively contribute to the learning environment and maximize sharing amongst group members.  It is also important to select members who have strongly identified their reasons for wanting to participate as well as their establishment of measurable goals (MCGCP, 2015).

The google sign up form will provide information as well as solicit information in the following areas:
-Establish understanding that participation is voluntary.
-Establish understanding of expectations of group confidentiality.
-Establish understanding of group leaders role and their limits to confidentiality.
-Provide students with an opportunity to express why they want to participate.
-Provide students with an opportunity to express their goals in relation to the group topic.
-Gain student assent to participate.

How will I screen students?

Once I have received all applicants via the google form process, I will review each applicants' responses to the questions to determine who will most likely benefit from this group setting.

After narrowing the applicants down to the desired number of 6-9 per group, I will begin calling in students for a one to one assessment of readiness to participate, their understanding of confidentiality expectations and limitations, their interests and goals, as well as gain verbal assent to participate.

During individual screening process I will address the following:
-Give out all pertinent information about the group sessions.
-Discuss objectives, goals, and outcomes.
-Discuss group member expectations.
-Discuss confidentiality and its limits.
-Ask for verbal assent.

(MCGCP, 2015).

# data[].attributes.body
Parental Consent:

It is the policy of this high school to ensure that parents have given their informed consent for their children to participate in counseling services.  This informed consent is gathered at the beginning of the year as a part of the initial student registration process.  However, it is also the policy of the counseling department to obtain specified informed consent when working with students in additional counseling groups that occur outside of the typical one on one sessions.

Student Assent:

It is the policy of this high school to ensure that students have given their assent to participating in group counseling sessions.  Students will express their assent via a google form as a part of the volunteering process.  They will then be asked to also give their assent verbally in the opening session during the first meeting.  The group leader will discuss the expectations and limitations of confidentiality within the group.  The students will be informed of their ability to share or pass as they feel comfortable.  Students will then be asked individually if they agree to the terms of confidentiality and are still interested in participating in the group.

# data[].attributes.body
Setting the ground rules:

This resource provided by the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program (2015) is an excellent tool to use with group members as you seek to establishing the group ground rules.

I will use this tool during the opening session, following the pre-assessment.  This tool will serve as a structure for discussion.  As a group we can decide how we feel about each item and whether or not each item pertains to our group.  We can also choose to add or subtract from any of the items as well.

The "looks like" and "sounds like" columns within this guiding document will be very important as we begin to establish ground rules and expectations (MCGCP, 2015).  These two columns will serve to open up valuable discussion among the students and leader as to what participants want and don't want in their group counseling setting.

There will be some rules that will be predetermined by the group leader.  These include:
-Giving verbal assent to participate.
-Commitment to attendance.
-Maintaining the confidentiality of what group members share.
-No use of phones or recording devices during sessions.

# data[].attributes.body
According to the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program (2015), all groups will inevitably experience three stages as they move forward in their objectives.

Stage 1:  In this stage it is important to establish relationships and begin to build trust with one another.  This stage is often referred to as the "storming/norming stage'' (MCGCP, 2015, p. 7).  This is an important first stage in setting a positive climate for the group.

Establishing Norms:  It is important to establish norms right away as it is easy for conversations to lose focus if these are not structured up front.  The group leader will initiate the norms setting process by defining the role of confidentiality as well as its limitations within the group setting.  From there, the group leader will open up the norms setting for a group discussion with the members.  Students and leader will work together to establish agreed upon norms for attendance, participation, and other decided upon elements.

Introductions:  Once the norms have been established and agreed upon, the group leader will lead the group in a paired introductory activity.  Students will introduce themselves to the person next to them and they will share various information about themselves including what they hope to get out of the sessions.  Students will then introduce their partners to the group.  This activity immediately creates a trusting environment between the two people who paired together.  Through the process of introducing out to the whole group, students will find that they may have things in common with other group members which will have a positive impact on the environment as well.  This activity allows students to gradually enter into the arena of public sharing by doing so safely with a partner first.

Confidentiality:  In this stage it is very important to the establishment of a trusting environment that students understand confidentiality and its limitations.  The group leader will clarify that students may share anything they want but that the leader is ethically and legally bound to report any indication of self-harm, abuse, negligence, or intent to harm others.  During this discussion it is also important to discuss that while the expectation is that group members will honor confidentiality, that may not always happen.  As a group it will be important to have this discussion ahead of time to discuss an agreed upon protocol in the event that a group member breaks the confidentiality agreement.

Stage 2:  In this stage it is important to ensure members are working cohesively toward established goals and outcomes.  This stage is often called the "performing stage" (MCGCP, 2015, p. 7).  The group leader serves as a facilitator during this stage to ensure that students are on-task.  The group leader can set time-limits and interject with questions to assess group progress and adherence to tasks.

Stage 3:  This is the final stage of the group.  In this stage it is important to ensure that the group establishes closure and is able to identify and reflect on individual and group celebrations (MCGCP, 2015).  It is also important during this stage to remind members of the confidentiality agreements that were made at the beginning of the sessions.  This stage is often referred to as the "mourning stage'' (MCGCP, 2015, p. 7).  As the group comes to an end it is important for the group leader to discuss how the students will incorporate their new skills into their personal lives.  It is also a good idea to let students know that you will continue to be a source of support for them and that they can contact you anytime they need support.  Making and communicating a plan to follow-up with students in the weeks to months following the sessions is also important in making sure that students do not feel as though they have been abandoned (MCGCP, 2015).  During this final stage it may also be appropriate to have a ceremony in which to celebrate each other's accomplishments and have fun together.

# data[].attributes.body
The group leader plays a very important role in group counseling sessions.  There are many different types of leadership styles and depending on the type of group some may be better suited than others to effectively lead their participants.

Participative Leadership
For this type of group counseling setting the participative or democratic leadership style will be the most effective.  According to Cherry (2022), this type of style tends to be the most effective in motivating and inspiring their members.  The participative leader serves as a facilitator for the group and provides guidance to the group as needed.  This type of leader also participates and contributes to group discussion but solicits and encourages input from members as well (Cherry, 2022).

This type of leadership allows students to feel like they are valued and an essential part of the group process and outcome while allowing for structure in that the leader does have the final say in the big decisions (Cherry, 2022).

This leadership style is important in this group setting because there are boundaries and confidentiality limitations that must be adhered to in order for this to be a safe environment for students to participate. Having a leader who firmly manages these expectations while allowing students to participate, allows students to feel comfortable in sharing while knowing they are protected.

# data[].attributes.body
There are several of Yalom's therapeutic factors that may contribute to the learning environment of these group sessions  on conflict resolution.  Some of the factors are as follows:

Instillation of Hope:  This factor indicates that a participant has a belief that the strategies in these sessions will be effective in their lives. Student participants in these group counseling sessions have volunteered to spend their time in this environment.  It is possible that because they have chosen this learning environment, that they are experiencing stress in some of their relationships.  They must have some level of faith that they will be affected positively by participating in this setting.

Universality:  This factor is at the heart of group counseling sessions.  One of the most positive features of having students share in a group environment is learning that there is commonality among them.  High school students may often feel isolated in their problems but by sharing and discussing in a group session they can learn from each other and can experience solace in knowing that their problems are common.

Altruism:  As a part of a group setting, students will often benefit from the experiences of others.  A student may improve their self-confidence and experience personal satisfaction from realizing that they have helped another person just by sharing from their own lives.

Development of socializing techniques:  Students will gain confidence as they learn to effectively socialize with members of their peer group outside of the academic setting.  They may also benefit from establishing connections with students who may belong to different peer groups.

Catharsis:  Students in a conflict resolution group have a great potential for experiencing the benefits of catharsis.  Students are likely experiencing stress in one or more of their relationships and having the ability to discuss this in a safe environment will serve as a form of stress relief.

Direct Advice:  As a part of the lessons in these conflict resolution sessions, students will learn about various conflict resolution strategies.  As a group we will discuss the possible pros and cons to utilizing different strategies.  Students will participate in role-playing activities as well so that they may gain practice in utilizing various techniques.

Interpersonal learning:  Students will be working with partners as well as with the whole group throughout each of the sessions.  Students will have multiple opportunities to give and receive feedback from others regarding their concerns.

(Yalom, 1995).

# data[].attributes.body
When working as a counselor, it is always important to adhere to ethical standards.  The American Counseling Association (2014),   is a comprehensive list of ethical code that guides the counselor in ensuring they maintain an ethical counseling practice.

Section A.2.
Informed Consent in the Counseling Relationship

This  ethical standard is very important when working with students in a group counseling setting.  These groups are voluntary and often require parental consent as well as student assent.  In order for both parties to comfortably enter into this agreement with the counselor, they must be informed in all areas of the process.

It is the counselor's duty to ensure they have provided adequate information to both students and parents about the content, timeline, activities, confidentiality and its limitations, and any other pertinent information.

According to the ACA (2014), informed consent should be offered in both a written format as well as discussed verbally.

For this group counseling setting, I will ensure that both parents and students have received all necessary information and will be open to further discussion at any point in the process.  According to the ACA (2014), informed consent should be ongoing during the process.  This step is important due to the natural and developing nature of the group dynamic. If at any point a student no longer wants to assent, they should have that opportunity.

# data[].attributes.body
Section A.9. Group Work
A.9.a. Screening

The ACA (2014), indicates that counselors should appropriately screen group members to ensure they are creating a cohesive group whose members will not only positively impact the group, but who will also personally benefit from the group topic as well.

For this group, I will pre-screen potential members two times.  Students will voluntarily register for consideration via a google form that asks about their interests and goals.  Once I have selected the members from the group of applicants, I will then screen each member in a one to one session.  During this session I will reiterate all information about the sessions and discuss the confidentiality expectations and limitations.  I will ask the students about their interest in the group topic and have them express their goals in being a member of the group.  Finally, I will gain verbal assent to participate.