Cultivando Caminos [Creating Paths] is a closed group. Therefore, at the faculty meetings, the counselor/facilitator will inform teachers, administrators, and additional counselors about Cultivando Caminos [Creating Paths]. The facilitator will provide a google form for teachers and counselors to recommend students who would benefit from this focus group based on the following criteria: first-generation, Latinx, at-risk, seventeen or eighteen-years old who experience stress or imposter syndrome. The facilitator will provide a pamphlet including the group’s purpose, lesson objectives, guidelines for participation, contact information, time, dates, and location. 

After collecting quantitative and qualitative data and meeting with teachers and counselors, the facilitator will invite students to an individual meeting. With an established relationship with the student, the teacher will inform the student prior to meeting with the facilitator to conduct the pre-conference. 

 

Once the students are informed, the facilitator will arrange a one-to-one pre-conference with the potential group members. The facilitator will implement the “TAP-In” approach for pre-screening interviews (Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators, 2015). The facilitator will describe the group and discuss the objectives, confidentiality, expectations, and end goals and outcomes. The students will complete a Panorama SEL Survey during the meeting to assess participant readiness, willingness, and interests. The survey provides questions that target self-management, learning strategies, emotion regulation, and self-efficiency. Therefore, during the pre-conference, the students will complete the survey as a pre-assessment and provide the facilitator with the necessary information before having a productive first group session. The facilitator will ask the students to explain his/her understanding of the group and rate their interest in engaging in the focus group. The pre-assessment will also demonstrate which students will benefit from the Cultivando Caminos [Creating Paths] group. Additionally, the facilitator will provide alternatives such as an invitation to a workshop that focuses on dealing with stress and brochures for organizations that help first-generation students to prevent the feeling of isolation or rejection for students who are not selected. 

 

Based on the student’s assessment results and teacher observations, ten students will be selected to participate in this focus group. The facilitator will ensure students’ expectations are aligned with the group’s SLO outcomes and can apply this experience to other aspects of their lives. To ensure the facilitator establishes group cohesiveness to develop relationships and help students accept vulnerability, the focus group will be a close-ended group of first-generation Latinx students. The facilitator will provide a sealed envelope with a formal invitation, contract, and consent forms for potential group members. 

As per Title 2 Public Education Code Sec. 33.004, it is essential to provide participants’ parents with a consent form that includes detailed information about the program in which the student will participate and a preview of the program. It is essential to consider that for many Latinx students, family is a priority, but depending on the student’s situation, family obligations may be seen as a negative factor as parents may suffer from imposter syndrome. If parents prohibit their child from participating, the facilitator may host a parent conference and provide a pamphlet including contact information, time, dates, and location of the group. Additionally, the facilitator will request a written assent from each student stating he/she is a willing participant who will follow all guidelines. 

 

To initiate stage 1, the facilitator will begin the session with a low-risk Paper Ball Fight icebreaker, where students will answer the question, “If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” on a piece of paper and then crumble it. After the students have the paper ball fight, they will read out loud some of their responses. There may be group members who feel comfortable sharing with the rest. It is essential to model positive interactions with the members to encourage other students to participate and establish a safe environment (Hansen, 2009). An icebreaker provides the facilitator insight into students’ interests. The students and group facilitator will discuss the group norms. As a group, we will state the norms and discuss their reasoning. For example: “We may agree to disagree,” meaning we each have our thoughts and opinions, but it is essential to respect each other. The facilitator will provide clear guidelines and expectations regarding attendance and confidentiality and reinforce an open communication line. The facilitator will explain the importance of maintaining confidentiality throughout all sessions and at the end. The facilitator will explain the limitations of confidentiality and provide an example of where the facilitator will have to breach confidentiality. According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2014), counselors may disclose information when a client is in severe or foreseeable harm. The facilitator will also inform the parents about the importance of maintaining a confidential relationship with the students to serve them best. 

 

In the performing stage, group members gain confidence and may challenge other members, including the facilitator, but it is essential to maintain boundaries as an active listener and leader (Hansen, 2009). The facilitator will continue modeling positive interactions and creative problem-solving to reinforce the end goals and outcomes of the focus group. Through this stage, students have developed a growth mindset that will aid them in self-motivation to take initiation to complete activities or engage in a discussion on their own. Therefore, the facilitator will step back and allow group members to bond, discuss, and support each other. For example, in lesson 4 of the action plan, the students will complete a reflective assignment and develop 1-2 strategies that will enable their growth. The facilitator will encourage participation and creativity as students complete the task to identify their strengths and growth areas. However, if needed, the facilitator will step in to guide and model a positive interaction if members cannot resolve a conflict or issue. By the facilitator stepping back, it will also allow the group members to prepare for the closure of the group and ensure it is a positive experience. 

 

To conclude the final session of the focus group, the students will apply what they have learned to create a path and set short-term and long-term goals. The facilitator will reinforce the previous lesson outcomes to remind students how to self-regulate their emotions and understand the power they have to create their path. To demonstrate the students’ growth, the facilitator will provide the students with their pre-and-post assessment SEL survey results. The facilitator will set up a post-group follow-up session six weeks later to discuss students’ experiences with their short-term goals. In the final session, the facilitator will provide a participant evaluation form for students to provide any constructive feedback and reminisce on their experience as a member of the group. The facilitator will guide the members to discuss their achievements and knowledge gained throughout the sessions or assist them with additional resources. Ultimately, the facilitator will thank the students for their active participation and reinforce the importance of maintaining confidentiality after the group ends through role-playing. 

 

Installation of Hope is instilled in the participants because it showcases how other members can cope with similar challenges and overcome them. Participants may reflect and think, “If she/he can do it, so can I!” and use it as motivation to overcome their barriers and challenges. 

 

Universality is a familiar feeling that all group members share throughout the sessions. Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors (1995) explains how group members share the same feeling of isolation at the beginning of the session. However, as the sessions continue, the students’ perspectives will change, and they will not feel alone; instead, they will feel understood and heard. For many, it may be the first time they experience this feeling. 

 

Direct Advice is integrated and implemented in all sessions as group members have the opportunity to share and listen to any constructive feedback. Direct Advice will enable students to use their voice and share their perspectives respectfully. 

 

Interpersonal Learning plays an essential role because the ultimate goal of the focus group is for students to self-regulate their emotions and build the confidence to create their paths. The group members develop their self-esteem through reflection and constructive feedback through interpersonal learning. 

 

Understanding counseling-related research techniques and practices are essential because it will enhance one’s counseling practice when conducting group sessions. To effectively follow this responsibility, one must understand how to conduct research, identify scholarly sources, and analyze literature reviews to identify the best counseling practice for the specific focus group. 

 

The A.7.b Confidentiality and Advocacy ethic helps a role of a counselor understand the importance of always seeking consent. It may be in the counselor’s best interests to assist the client by advocating, but the client may see it as overstepping from the client’s perspective. Therefore, seeking consent is essential to maintain a collaborative and trusting relationship. 

Cherry, K. (2022). What are prominent leadership styles and frameworks you should know? Verywell Mind. Retrieved September 11, 2022, from 
https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312 

Education Code Title 2. Chapter 33. service programs and extracurricular activities. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.33.htm#33.000 

Education, P. (Ed.). (n.d.). Panorama Student Survey. Home | Rhode Island Department of Education. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.ride.ri.gov/ 

Hansen, S. (2009). The Five Stages of Group Development. 

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

National Center for Training Support, & Technical Assistance. (2009). Working with Groups: A Group Work Facilitation Manual 

Texas Administrative Code. Texas administrative code. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2022, from https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=239&rl=15 

Tello, A. M., & Lonn, M. R. (2017). The role of High School and college counselors in supporting the psychosocial and emotional needs of Latinx first-generation college students.
The Professional Counselor, 7(4), 349–359. https://doi.org/10.15241/amt.7.4.349 

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