The core professional values and professional responsibilities outlined in ASCA state  that counselors are expected to follow and fulfill, in order to help clients achieve their mental health, wellness, education, and career goals (The American Counseling Association, 2014). The small group counseling’s target population are 11-12 year old 6th grade low-income middle school students who are experiencing anxiety. Small group will help the 6th graders approach the new phase of their life as they transition into a new setting with the confidence and security needed. Being aware and sensitive to the rights and responsibility of the students and parents/guardians will help to build the trust to strengthen the therapeutic alliance. 

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

The purpose of the needs assessment for the small group is to determine which 6th grade students are experiencing anxiety and facing economic challenges. The counselors will implement a Likert Scale Assessment. The students will use the scale Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.

Below is the sample Needs Assessment Survey for the small group:

Name: _________________________________     Grade: _______________

Directions: Read the following statements below. Shade the circle that best reflects how you feel about the new school year 2023-2024.  

◯ Strongly Agree  ◯ Agree ◯ Undecided ◯ Disagree ◯ Strongly Disagree

◯ Strongly Agree  ◯ Agree ◯ Undecided ◯ Disagree ◯ Strongly Disagree

◯ Strongly Agree  ◯ Agree ◯ Undecided ◯ Disagree ◯ Strongly Disagree

◯ Strongly Agree  ◯ Agree ◯ Undecided ◯ Disagree ◯ Strongly Disagree

◯ Strongly Agree  ◯ Agree ◯ Undecided ◯ Disagree ◯ Strongly Disagree

The expected result of the needs assessment will reflect that at least half of the 6th grade middle school student population are experiencing anxiety and economical challenges. The result of the needs assessment will help the counselors meet the objectives, educate the small group about anxiety and mindfulness-based strategies, and set goals as to how they can effectively cope with their circumstances.

Reference:

Department of Education. (2001). Comprehensive Needs Assessment. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/compneedsassessment.pdf

Jenkins, J. H., Sanchez, G., Miller, E. A., Santillanes Allande, N. I., Urano, G., & Pryor, A. J. (2023). Depression and anxiety among multiethnic middle school students: Age, gender, and sociocultural environment. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(3), 784–794. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640221140282

Stone, C. (2022). Groups in schools: Legal and ethical concerns. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel (Eds.),  A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment  (2nd ed., pp. 12-18). Cognella.

The following are the target ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors (2021):

The small group aims to help students increase self-esteem to be able to cope with anxiety and achieve self-efficacy. Self-esteem helps students realize their worth and feel satisfaction with themselves (Broderick & Blewitt, 2022). Achieving self-efficacy will help students develop belief in their ability to control their lives, specifically overcoming challenges (Broderick & Blewitt, 2022). The small group objectives provide students with opportunities to develop positive behaviors, such as believing in themselves and their capabilities of achieving any goals they put their minds into. This will lead to having a healthy overall well-being. 

The small group objectives aim to foster a safe, diverse, and inclusive environment for students. Transitioning to middle school can be overwhelming for students. It is essential that they feel a sense of belonging, respect, and acceptance. Early adolescence is a stage where children’s self-perception is affected by their social network (Broderick & Blewitt 2020).

 Middle school years are the most crucial years for students to gain career awareness, develop career knowledge, and begin the goal setting process for their future careers (Grant et al., 2021). School counselors play a vital role in inspiring growth and development in the career-development aspect (Grant et al., 2021). 

The small group aims to help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as a strength, in order to make their own informed decisions. This will help students foster independence and resilience in coping with their anxiety and other challenges in school or at home.

  The small group objectives aim to help students develop cultural sensitivity and increase their awareness regarding the differences between them and others. The small group objectives will foster an environment wherein the group’s differences will be respected and celebrated. The students will be encouraged to collaborate with one another in order to reach their set goals and achieve success.The small group objectives aim to support students adjust to their new environment by teaching them effective communication skills to be able to build relationships with their new peers, teachers, and school community.

References

American Counseling Association. (2021). ASCA Student standards: mindsets & behaviors for student success. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

Broderick, P. C. & Blewitt, P. (2020). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.

Bostick, D. & Anderson, R. (2009). Evaluating a small-group counseling program- a model for program planning and improvement in the elementary setting. Retrieved from https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=58c65d3a-7afb-4fae-bbb2-f6100cc237bf%40redis 

Grant, K., Springer, S., Tuttle, M. & Reno, M. (2021). Small-group counseling intervention to support career exploration of rural middle school students. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work 2021, Vol. 46, NO.1, 108-127. Retrieved from https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=56db7123-ac36-438f-849c-1a75b996bc09%40redis 

Grade level: Incoming 6th grade students

Group type: Closed group

Length of group: 8 sessions

Day and time of group meeting: Monday’s at lunch time

What are the expectations for the group: For students to learn how to self-regulate their anxiety

Where: In the School Counseling Conference room

When: 6th grade lunch period on Monday’s

What: The students will meet for the first 25 minutes of the allotted lunch time. The students will eat lunch as a group during the session. 

Schedule: We will set up our “Lunch Bunch” group schedule for the year. Our group will meet during lunch for 8 sessions. We made our schedule out around state testing dates, special school events and holidays.

Prior to the group meeting you must find a good time for all the desired students to meet.  With the class schedules, teacher preferences, other intervention schedules, the school counselor's schedule, and all other time commitments considered to schedule a small group session.  The challenges of scheduling times, in and of itself, can be daunting so a schedule for the year will be made to help assist all parents, teachers and administration involved. (Tyson et al., 2004)

Reference

Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. L. (2004). Screening of Members: "Everyone is Welcome". 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 AssociationSupport general information from resources

School counselors will advocate, consult, and collaborate with teachers and administration before setting the meeting dates for groups to help assist the students in being successful. The counselor will work with the teachers to see how small group instruction can improve relationships, lower anxiety and maximize student achievement in the classroom. The students will not be pulled out of classroom instruction however the counselor will contact the teachers and administration with weekly updates on the student's progress or to address concerns when needed.

Parents: You can use various methods, such as newsletters, emails, and phone calls, and social media. Parental engagement is important and for this reason, we will connect with parents by introducing ourselves through a newsletter, we will have an open line of communication through email and phone calls. The counselor will contact the parents individually through positive phone calls. This will give the parents positive feedback about their child and improve the relationship. A phone call will be one to two minutes long; just to introduce yourself and the idea of making a positive change. The counselor will also send letters and emails to involve the parents and to show them what we are working on as a group. This type of involvement will allow the parents to have a relationship with the counselor and feel comfortable reaching out to discuss their child.

The counseling department will also have a social media page. We will have a social media page that will be a great resource for the parents to utilize and provide helpful information that will include weekly topics and activities from the Anxiety group. We will also list what we are covering in our lessons so that parents can feel engaged.

Family engagement can influence the efficacy and dissemination of these types of programs, and the relationship with intervention outcomes (Sim, Jorm & Yap, 2022).

 

Parents: The Counselor will use various methods, such as newsletters, emails, phone calls, and social media to share logistics of the anxiety group. 

Teachers/Administration: The Counselor will deliver notes in their mailbox when students are participating or information needs to be discussed. Email will be utilized for daily communication for times of immediate need. All sixth-grade teachers will receive updates, tips and strategies to use in classroom instructions.

References 

Castillo, B. M. (2022). “Equity Work is Messy”: Exploring a Family and Community Partnership in One School District. Education and Urban Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245221076074

 

Sim WH, Jorm AF, & Yap MBH. (2022). The Role of Parent Engagement in a Web-Based Preventive Parenting Intervention for Child Mental Health in Predicting Parenting, Parent and Child Outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042191

American School Counselor Association.(2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7704-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf 

Member Selection/Screening:

Students meet the criteria for selection. Sixth-grade students who have been referred will be individually interviewed. Included below are the Interview questions to assist with screening Middle School Students for the group.

According to the Association for Specialists in Group Work (2021), C.7 states that a member screening group specialist will screen prospective group members appropriate to the group being offered and the modality being used. Group facilitators will identify group members whose needs and goals are compatible with the group goal. Group facilitators will ensure equity in the group screening processes and avoid having potential group members being screened out of the group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, values, worldview, et cetera. They make every effort to provide appropriate referrals for those who are screened out.

Reference: 

Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW guiding principles for group workLinks to an external site.. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

 

Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. L. (2004). Screening of Members: "Everyone is Welcome". 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.

The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is to alter dysfunctional emotions, actions, and thoughts by challenging and eliminating false or unjustified beliefs.  CBT is appropriate for children, adolescents and adults and it addresses numerous conditions such as depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorders, eating disorders, etc.  Through the identification, challenging, and replacement of distorted thoughts with realistic ones, CBT can teach individuals how to break the cycle of anxiety.  Patients may be given homework between sessions, such as tasks to track and identify their thought patterns and apply the techniques they learn to actual life circumstances.

For instance, a person with social anxiety may think, “I feel so awkward at school. Everyone must think I'm strange.” This idea could make you feel sad, guilty, or afraid, which might make you withdraw yourself from others and avoid interactions with peers.  

Mindfulness based interventions will include breathing techniques such as belly breathing to gain control of the anxiety, guided imagery includes picturing the words one hears in one's mind, journaling allows to put ones thoughts on paper to decompress, and grounding which entitles finding a total of 10 sensory items—5 that you can see, 4 that you can touch, 3 that you can hear, 2 that you can smell, and 1 that you can taste. By using these techniques you can help relax yourself and lessen your worry (Hoffman, 2017).

References:

Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/cognitive-behavioral-therapy

The small group counseling’s target population are 6th grade low-income middle school students who are experiencing anxiety. The age range for this group is between 11 to 12 years old. School counselors are expected to be observant of the rights and responsibilities of students and other stakeholders due to the legal and ethical complexities of working with minors (Springer & Schimmel, 2022). 

The following are the ethical considerations that the small group counseling counselors need to me mindful of:

Counselors need to collaborate with the small group in devising counseling plans that are appropriate to the students’ abilities, developmental stage, and circumstances (ACA, 2014). Counselors need to encourage involvement and freedom of choice among the small group. Self-esteem is important as well to the development stage of middle school students and being involved in goal setting, planning, and strategizing for their small group will help build their competence and level of self-esteem (Broderick & Blewitt, 2016). 

It is imperative for the counselors to inform the small group of the purpose, goals, and techniques that will be implemented throughout the counseling process. Counselors need to review the rights and responsibilities of both the counselors and the small group (ACA, 2014). Informed consent is essential for counselors to achieve when working with groups, for sharing sensitive information occurs in front of their peers (Springer & Schimmel, 2022). Since the small group’s target population are minors, the counselors will seek parental consent from the students’ parents or legal guardians. 

The counselors aim to work with an at-risk population, specifically low-income small groups. Therefore, it is expected that counselors communicate the entire counseling process with the small group and their parents or guardians in a culturally relevant manner (ACA, 2022). Counselors need to ensure that the small group is able to comprehend the counseling process, and if need be, the counselors need to make appropriate adjustments (ACA, 2022). 

According to the National Library of Medicine (2012), some evidence shows that the psychotherapy process is grounded in a middle-class worldview which places low-income individuals in a disadvantaged position. Economically challenged populations are less likely to seek professional help due to their lack of access to resources and healthcare (Kim & Cardemil, 2012), and when they do, they do not get to receive appropriate evidence-based interventions. As counselors, it is important to advocate for at-risk populations, specifically low-income groups. The counselors will advocate that the small group and their families will have fair and seamless access to resources, such as counseling services, healthcare, and basic needs (transportation, shelter, food, etc.). Being able to address these potential barriers will help the small group achieve academic and/or developmental success.

The counseling relationship should be founded in trust, and the counselors have the responsibility to protect that trust by respecting the client’s privacy and confidentiality (ACA, 2014). Counselors respect the private information of clients and their families. Counselors are only to request sensitive information when necessary and beneficial with the counseling process. The information will only be disclosed with proper consent and only to parties that will help the counseling process, such as administration, school psychologist, teachers, and parents and/or legal guardians.

References

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2020). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.

Kim, S. & Cardemil, E. (2012). Effective psychotherapy with low-income clients: The importance of attending to social class. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from doi: 10.1007/s10879-011-9194-0

Springer, S.I., Moss, L. J. & Schimmel, C.J. (2022). A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment (2nd ed). Cognella.

Syeda, M. M., & Andrews, J. J. W. (2021). Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy as a Targeted Group Intervention: Examining Children’s Changes in Anxiety Symptoms and Mindfulness. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 30(4), 1002–1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01924-4

Rating scale 1-4: (1-low 2-some 3-medium 4-high)

How would you rate your anxiety today?

How would you rate your skills on managing your anxiety?

How frequently do you experience anxiety?

How has the group impacted you personally?

What specific changes have you made within yourself since your first group session?

What are some lessons you've learned that you'd like to remember the most?

References:

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

Reference:

American School Counselor Association. (2021). The school counselor and cultural diversity. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Cultural-Diversity

American School Counselor Association. (2021). The school counselor and cultural diversity. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Cultural-Diversity

American School Counselor Association.(2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors.https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7704-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf 

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Association for Specialists in Group Work. (2021). ASGW guiding principles for group workLinks to an external site.. https://asgw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ASGW-Guiding-Principles-May-2021.pdf

Bostick, D. & Anderson, R. (2009). Evaluating a small-group counseling program- a model for program planning and improvement in the elementary setting. Retrieved from https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=58c65d3a-7afb-4fae-bbb2-f6100cc237bf%40redis

Broderick, P. C. & Blewitt, P. (2020). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.

Castillo, B. M. (2022). “Equity Work is Messy”: Exploring a Family and Community Partnership in One School District. Education and Urban Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245221076074

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

Department of Education. (2001). Comprehensive Needs Assessment. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/compneedsassessment.pdf

Grant, K., Springer, S., Tuttle, M. & Reno, M. (2021). Small-group counseling intervention to support career exploration of rural middle school students. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work 2021, Vol. 46, NO.1, 108-127. Retrieved from https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=56db7123-ac36-438f-849c-1a75b996bc09%40redis 

Hofmann, S. G., & Gómez, A. F. (2017). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety and Depression. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 40(4), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2017.08.008

Jenkins, J. H., Sanchez, G., Miller, E. A., Santillanes Allande, N. I., Urano, G., & Pryor, A. J. (2023). Depression and anxiety among multiethnic middle school students: Age, gender, and sociocultural environment. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 69(3), 784–794. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640221140282

Kim, S. & Cardemil, E. (2012). Effective psychotherapy with low-income clients: The importance of attending to social class. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from doi: 10.1007/s10879-011-9194-0

Sim WH, Jorm AF, & Yap MBH. (2022). The Role of Parent Engagement in a Web-Based Preventive Parenting Intervention for Child Mental Health in Predicting Parenting, Parent and Child Outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042191

Springer, S.I., Moss, L. J. & Schimmel, C.J. (2022). A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment (2nd ed). Cognella.

Stone, C. (2022). Groups in schools: Legal and ethical concerns. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel (Eds.),  A school counselor’s guide to small groups: Coordination, leadership and assessment  (2nd ed., pp. 12-18). Cognella.

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Cognitive behavioral therapy. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/cognitive-behavioral-therapy

Syeda, M. M., & Andrews, J. J. W. (2021). Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy as a Targeted Group Intervention: Examining Children’s Changes in Anxiety Symptoms and Mindfulness. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 30(4), 1002–1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01924-4

Tyson, L. E., Pérusse, R., Whitledge, J., Coy, D. R., Akos, P., & Moore, I. L. (2004). Screening of Members: "Everyone is Welcome". 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 AssociationSupport general information from resources

Video References:
https://youtu.be/QC4djxIR-8E?si=-e09_NV86VWbgsQm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_P-I-WCvDQ