Target Audience

The target audience for this needs assessment is 9th-grade, chronically absent girls. Chronically absent means missing two or more days per month, totaling 18-20 days per year (American Federation of Teachers, n.d.). Assessment is needed to plan interventions for this group of students.

Astramovich, R. L. (2011). Needs assessment: A key evaluation tool for professional counselors. Retrieved from http://counselingoutfitters .com/vistas/vistas11/Article_41.pdf

and Assessment (2^nd ed. pp. 12-18). Cognella.

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice

(10th ed.). Brooks/Cole.

Images from Forest Grove High School. (n.d.). https://fghs.fgsdk12.org/. Retrieved December 12, 2023, from https://fghs.fgsdk12.org/.

Stone, C. (2022).  Groups in Schools: Legal and Ethical Concerns. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss &

Based off of high demands from staff members and data, the identified group topic will be anxiety with freshman girls that are experiencing attendance issues. According to, A School Counselor’s Guide to Small Groups(2022), children and adolescents who experience anxiety are thereby at risk of facing increased barriers to achieving their academic, career, and social/emotional goals. An approach for our small group will be to help teach coping strategies in order for our students to better manage their symptoms of anxiety. In Chapter 11, in A School Counselor’s Guide to Small Groups (2022), while symptoms of anxiety are typically manageable at first, they may quickly escalate- that is, if coping strategies to mitigate sensations of anxiety are never acquired and applied, symptoms may worsen. Therefore, a cognitive behavioral approach would be to focus on changing cognitions to produce desired changes in affect and behavior (Corey et al., 2018). Using group activities that are developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, for the freshman girls, we will teach how to better cope with feelings of anxiety, as well as support one another, especially in regard to attending school.

Hello staff,

This email is notifying you of the counseling small group focused on Anxiety and Attendance. If you are receiving this email that means that you have a student(s) that will be attending and it may impact their time with you on the days that we meet. The group will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays starting December 18^th, 2023 and go through February 7^th, 2024. The group will be held in room 18 from 1pm-1:45pm. *See attached flyer for these details.

You will be notified in another email with the name(s) of your student that is a part of this group.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for supporting this group of girls, so that they can better cope with their anxieties which will improve their attendance in the long run.

-School Counselor

The parameters for the group will be freshmen girls who have been identified as chronically absent due to anxiety. Group size will be kept at a maximum of 8 members in order to foster an environment of trust and safety, allowing for open communication and sharing. A group this size will also allow each member the opportunity to share equally while still feeling they belong to a group of like minded peers (Corey et al., 2018). Only 9th grade female students will be considered for the group. These restricted age specifications will also allow the group to form relationships more quickly as they will have a higher probability of shared experiences and will be similar in their development and developmental challenges. A side benefit of working with teens in a group setting is that it allows the counselor to witness interactions between students and offers facilitators a clearer understanding of the individuals social anxiety and interactions with peers (Grover, 2017).

This group will be primarily psychoeducational, meaning it is learning based, time limited and structured (Grande, 2015). It is based on skill building and engaging coping strategies. Because of the nature of the group, it will have elements of a support group, allowing each group member space to discuss experiences and both extend and receive support. In addition to being psychoeducational, the group will be short term, consisting of  8 sessions. 

The group is designed as a closed group. This will allow facilitators to have a clear understanding of lessons, goals and objectives in the allotted time frame. It will also allow group members to build trust in both group facilitators and each other without adding additional members, which could alter group cohesion (Corkley et al., 2022), creating anxiety or lessening the feeling of safety. As members of the group move through the lessons they will also have a clear vision of the progression they are making as a whole, moving through the curriculum and engaging in celebrations as they meet milestones and surpass goals.

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

COSchimmel,  A School Counselor's Guide to Small Groups: Coordination, Leadership and

Assessment (2nd ed. pp. 19-26). Cognella.

Grande , T. (2015, March 19). Group counseling - types of groups. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d9DdDCSzOs 

Grover , S. (2017). 5 reasons group therapy is the best choice struggling teens. Psychology Today . https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/when-kids-call-the-shots/201712/5-reasons-group-therapy-is-the-best-choice-struggling-teens 

The rationale for selecting this population is multifaceted. As 9th graders they are experiencing a time of great transition. Moving from junior high school into high school can be an extremely stressful time for students as they work to meet higher academic and social expectations (Katzenstein, 2023). Along with higher expectations from school staff and peers, these students are also in the midst of an intense stage of development, both emotionally and cognitively (Broderick & Blewitt, 2020).

According to an article released by the National Library of Medicine, there are many advantages to school based interventions for students suffering from anxiety (Herzig-Anderson et al., 2012). One such advantage is relieving the barrier of accessibility. School based programs are easily attended by the majority of students without additional transportation concerns and there is little to no expense on the part of the family. This allows low income students to attend the group equitably. In addition, by interweaving mental health education into traditional school settings, stigma related to mental health decreases and mental health care can become increasingly normalized. 

For this group referrals will be gleaned from within the comprehensive counseling program as best practices and counseling competencies dictate (Corey, 2018) and from school staff members who voice concerns related to attendance and anxiety.

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Brooks/Cole.

Herzig-Anderson, K., Colognori, D., Fox, J. K., Stewart, C. E., & Masia Warner, C. (2012). School-based anxiety treatments for children and adolescents. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 21(3), 655–668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2012.05.006

Katzenstein, J. (2023, July 7). Anxiety and stress in teens. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anxiety-disorders/anxiety-and-stress-in-teens 

Finning, K., Ukoumunne, O.C., Ford, T., Danielson-Waters, E., Shaw, L., Romero De Jager, I., Stentiford, L. and Moore, D.A. (2019), Review: The association between anxiety and poor attendance at school – a systematic review. Child Adolesc Ment Health, 24: 205-216. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12322

Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. L. (2004). Screening of Members: "Everyone is Welcome"Links to an external site..  In Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. L. Editors (Ed.), Critical Incidents in Group Counseling (pp. 9-14). American Counseling Association.

Hadfield, K., Pecorino, S. (2023) Anxiety Presents Itself in Many Different Ways. thepathway2success.com accessed December 14, 2023.

One such data source which will be used in this group is participation data. Participation data is an important variable which adds context and insights to assist us in clearly understanding outcome data (Hatch et al., 2022). By understanding the engagement of participants, we can more easily consider the value of their individual contributions to the group and their personal outcomes. 

Another way efficacy will be measured is through engaging the students in pre and post assessments which would allow group facilitators to gauge the levels of anxiety before and after a student has engaged in the group.

Feedback from students and staff regarding how they are feeling and presenting in class will also help gauge the effectiveness of the group. 

data is concrete and quantifiable. The most clear and quantifiable way that efficacy will be ensured is through attendance data of those engaged in the group compared to their previous attendance as well as the data of  students who were not engaged in the group. 

Hatch, T., Kruger, A. & Pablo, N. (2022). Using Data to Inform and Advocate for Small Group Counseling Practice In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel,  A School  Counselor's Guide to Small Groups: Coordination, Leadership and Assessment (2nd ed.1.  28-36). Cognella.

There are a lot of reasons that CBT is a good fit for a group like this, one is that CBT is a therapeutic approach that can be altered to fit the individual as well as the group as a whole, meaning it can be implemented in individual therapy and expanded on within the group setting (Corey et al., 2018). It relies heavily on skill building and education, which is a natural fit for a school based setting.  CBT can be utilized by taking loose concepts and cheating concrete goals. CBT can also be shaped to work well with the developmental stage of our students.  With the flexibility that CBT allows there are countless techniques that therapists can engage along with worksheets and curriculum which can be used which are the best fit for our group (Drake, 2022)

While using CBT students can learn through psychoeducational group sessions  firstly, how to recognize and identify problematic negative thinking and thought patterns and work toward restructure those maladaptive thoughts  and / behaviors (Therapist Aid, 2016) leading to group members successfully reaching their goals and minimizing anxiety and increasing attendance and satisfaction with school and building confidence wtihin themselves.

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Drake, K. (2022, February 18). Treating anxiety disorders with CBT. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/cbt-for-anxiety#other-treatment-options 

Jacobs. E, & Wilson, H. (2020) Essential Skills for Leading Small Groups in Schools. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel,  A School Counselor's Guide to Small Groups: Coordination, Leadership and Assessment (2nd ed. pp.61-69).

(N.d.-b). Overcoming OCD. Retrieved December 12, 2023, from https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/cognitive-behavioural-therapy/.

Therapist Aid. (2016a, April 29). Treating anxiety with CBT (guide). https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-guide/cbt-for-anxiety 

Group Justification

• Insights from Research on Necessity and Effectiveness: The leap from middle to high school marks a pivotal developmental juncture, frequently rife with heightened academic and social demands. These can amplify anxiety-related concerns (Rice et al., 2017). CBT, renowned for its emphasis on pinpointing and counteracting cognitive misperceptions and honing coping skills, has proven its mettle in mitigating anxiety in adolescents (Hofmann et al., 2012). For this particular group, integrating mindfulness techniques within the CBT model can be especially advantageous, promoting a conscious recognition and acceptance of thoughts and feelings (Semple et al., 2010).

• Developmental and Cognitive Factors: At the freshman stage, students are navigating through the complex process of forging their identities and independence. It's essential to customize interventions to resonate with and captivate them (Erikson, 1968). Integrating interactive and hands-on learning exercises that align with their cognitive and developmental phase can bolster engagement and efficacy (Piaget, 1972).

Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. Basic Books.

Rice, F., Rawal, A., & Riglin, L. (2017). The mental health of children and adolescents. International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(3), 926-937.

Semple, R. J., Lee, J., Rosa, D., & Miller, L. F. (2010). A randomized trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children: Promoting mindful attention to enhance social-emotional resiliency in children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(2), 218-229.

The primary objectives of the group should encompass several detailed aspects:

• Identifying Anxiety Triggers: Help students recognize specific situations, thoughts, or stimuli that exacerbate their anxiety. This identification is a critical step in managing their reactions and responses (ASCA, 2020).

• Cognitive Restructuring Techniques: Teach techniques like challenging irrational beliefs, cognitive reframing, and the use of positive self-talk. This helps in altering negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety.

• Developing Coping Strategies: Introduce a range of coping mechanisms such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness practices. These techniques can help students manage anxiety symptoms in real time.

• Building Emotional Intelligence: Encourage students to understand and express their emotions effectively. This includes recognizing their own emotions, understanding the effect of their emotions on others, and learning how to regulate emotions.

• Creating a Supportive Environment: Facilitate a group atmosphere where students feel safe to express their concerns and challenges. Peer support can be instrumental in normalizing their experiences and promoting a sense of belonging (ASCA, 2022).

ASCA Domain Impact

• M1 (Belief in the Development of Whole Self): This intervention helps students understand and manage their emotions, which is a key aspect of personal development. By learning to handle anxiety, students can better focus on their personal goals and academic achievements.

• B-SS 2 (Demonstrate Self-Discipline and Self-Control): Through CBT techniques, students learn to regulate their thoughts and reactions, which enhances their self-discipline and ability to maintain self-control in stressful situations.

• B-SS 9 (Demonstrate Effective Coping Skills): The group aims to equip students with practical tools to manage stress and anxiety, fostering resilience and adaptability.

  
  

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. [Link](https://schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf)

• Boundaries of Confidentiality: It is crucial to establish clear boundaries regarding confidentiality, which should include mandatory disclosures in situations involving self-harm, harm to others, abuse, or illegal activities. This demarcation is vital for sustaining trust in the group context (Association for Specialists in Group Work, 2021).

• Complexities in Group Dynamics: The complexity of maintaining confidentiality within a group setting increases significantly, depending on the level of respect that the group members have for each other's privacy. It is of utmost importance to establish clear and comprehensive confidentiality norms from the very beginning.

  
  

Embracing Diversity:

• Cultural Sensitivity in Counseling: Cultural sensitivity is of utmost importance for counselors as it enables them to have a thorough comprehension and appreciation of the diverse cultural backgrounds of students. This entails being mindful of cultural perspectives on mental health and adapting counseling techniques accordingly.

• Promotion of Inclusivity: Counseling approaches and available resources must embrace diversity and encompass a wide range of cultures and beliefs. This fosters an environment where each student is recognized and appreciated.

  
  

Ethical Considerations:

• Commitment to Ethical Standards: Consistent revision and adherence to the most current ASCA Ethical Standards and ASGW Principles are crucial to maintain ethical, professional, and contemporary counseling practices.

• Continual Professional Growth: Actively pursue ongoing professional growth to remain informed of ethical considerations and best practices in school counseling, particularly in group settings and diversity matters.

• Seeking Guidance through Supervision: Regularly engage in supervision or consultation for navigating ethical complexities and intricate cases, ensuring decisions align with the paramount interest of the students.

• Ethical Use of Technology in Counseling: Precise attention to ethical practices in using technology for counseling is essential. This entails ensuring the protection of student privacy in digital communications, maintaining data security, and responsibly managing social media interactions in professional environments.

• Advocacy for Adolescent Mental Health Needs: Advocating for the mental health needs of adolescents is of utmost importance. This involves efforts to remove the stigma surrounding mental health conversations, guarantee fair access to mental health resources, and collaborate with relevant parties to promote the overall well-being of students.

• Ethical Challenges in Virtual Counseling Settings: Diligent consideration of ethical concerns in virtual counseling is vital. Focus on maintaining confidentiality in online group dynamics, addressing the challenges of remote counseling, and ensuring equitable access to these services for all students.

Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016). Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making. In American Counseling Association (pp. 1–6). https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/practioner-39-s-guide-to-ethical-decision-making.pdf

Reference

The school counselor and Group Counseling. The School Counselor and Group Counseling - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Group-Counseling

Teachers pay teachers

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counseling-Consent-form-3481886?st=786c652595e61a8545bc081bc5c10d4a

Teachers pay teachers

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Counseling-Consent-form-3481886?st=786c652595e61a8545bc081bc5c10d4a Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C . (2018). Groups: Process and practice(10th ed.). Brooks/Cole.

The school counselor and Group Counseling. The School Counselor and Group Counseling - American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (n.d.). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Group-Counseling

Wadsworth, A. E. (2022). How to elicit and implement group feedback. Counseling Today, 64(11), 46–50.

The encouragement of self-awareness, awareness of others’ worldviews, knowledge of world- views, and culturally appropriate counseling skills is supported in the literature as a requirement to becoming a multiculturally competent counselor (Haley-banez & Walden, 1999).