The Breakfast Club by

Group Action Plan

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ASCA Mindset & Behaviors

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B-LS 1. Students will learn critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.

B-LS 9. Students will learn decision-making informed by gathering evidence, getting others' perspectives, and recognizing personal bias.

B-SMS 1. Students will learn responsibility for self and actions.

B-SMS 2. Students will learn self-discipline and self-control.

B-SMS 7. Students will learn practical coping skills.

B-SS 3. Students will learn positive relationships with adults to support success.

B-SS 5. Students will learn to make ethical decision-making and social responsibility.

(ASCA, n.d.).

Disseminating the Information

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Host an assembly with teachers, administration, and students.
Walk into classrooms and tell them about the group counseling sessions.
Make flyers around the school informing students, teachers, and administration about the group counseling sessions.
Send a letter home to parents informing them about the group counseling sessions.
Post a flyer on the school website and the school's social media.

Group Description

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The counseling group will comprise economically disadvantaged and at-risk third-grade students aged between 8 to 9 years old. The group's name will be The Breakfast Club. The group will provide a safe and supportive space for students to share their experiences, build social connections, and develop skills. The structured group will be closed, with no new members allowed to join once the sessions have commenced. The type of group that will be in the sessions will be support groups. This group will have similar needs and experiences. They will be modeling and helping one another because they have had similar experiences (Kelly, T et al., 2022).

Pre-group Screening

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The school counselor will assess students referred to or shown interest individually. They will be asked questions to ensure they are interested in group counseling sessions. The school counselor will inform participants about topics covered in the group counseling sessions, such as problem-solving skills, learning to be responsible for their actions, and self-discipline and self-control.

Informed Consent

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Ground Rules

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The school counselor will review the ground rules and provide examples of how the rules look and sound like with each student. The school counselor will ask students if they have any other suggestions that may be added to the rules. If the school counselor deems them appropriate, they may be added. Rules that the school counselor will implement are:

Be respectful to your peers and yourself.
Be kind and choose your words wisely.
Be polite by listening to others and do not talk over them.

Ground Rules

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Group Stages

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Stage 1: The school counselor will have icebreakers for the students to get to know one another. This activity will allow students to get comfortable and start talking to one another. The icebreakers help alleviate initial awkwardness and create a more relaxed atmosphere. The icebreakers can also encourage students to share information about themselves, establishing a common ground between individuals.

Stage 2: The students could work on common goals together. They could also work on the new skills learned and reinforce those skills and coping strategies with one another. They could provide feedback and room for improvement to each other. Students can hold each other accountable for their commitments and actions.

Stage 3: Students will reflect on what has been learned and applied to their daily lives. They will also take a survey to ensure they have learned everything discussed in the sessions. Students will discuss one thing they enjoyed from the group counseling sessions and provide a positive comment to a peer. It will have to be a peer someone has not said something about. That way, everyone in the group will receive positive feedback.

Leadership Style

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Participative Leadership

Involving students in the decision-making process is essential because they have a sense of being in control. It makes students "feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster a commitment to the goals of the group" (Cherry, K, 2023). Students feel more invested and engaged in their learning When they have a voice in shaping their educational experience. Having students contribute to their learning can also boost their self-esteem and self-confidence. It can also build a positive relationship with the school counselor, creating a supportive personal growth and development environment.

Yalom's Curative Factors

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Universality: Students will see they are not alone in their situations and problems. Students will realize that other students have similar experiences.

Altruism: Students will be helping their peers out in the group counseling sessions. Helping others will give them the sense of being useful. Students will act with kindness, compassion, and generosity. This will allow students to foster empathy and cooperation.

Direct advice: Students will receive and suggest different advice from their peers based on their experiences. Receiving and suggesting advice helps students gain insights into new perspectives, insights, and information they may not have considered. Students can learn from other people's mistakes and avoid making those mistakes. Advice can help students make a more informed decision.

Legal & Ethical Requirements

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A.7.h "Communicate the aspiration of confidentiality as a group norm, while recognizing and working from the protective posture that confidentiality for students in small group cannot be guaranteed" (ASCA, 2022). As a school counselor, informing students about their confidentiality is required. It is also necessary to state the school counselor's limitations when keeping their information confidential.

A.2.f A school counselor must inform students that if they plan to harm themselves or others and if, in any case, legal requirements demand information, then confidentiality may be breached (ASCA, 2022).

The school counselor will review the ground rules and expectations of the group sessions. The school counselor will inform students about their confidentiality and when it may be breached.

A.9.b "In a group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma" (ACA, 2014).

The school counselor is responsible for the well-being of the students at all times. The school counselor ensures students get along and respect each other's opinions and viewpoints.

References

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American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. American Counseling Association. https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

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

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

Kelly, T., Lyons, K., Pemberton, G., & Garvin, C. (2022). Working with groups: a group facilitation manual for helping professionals. National Center for Training Support & Technical Assistance, 1-75.

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