Purpose (I have attached a copy of an example of how the final product should look like)
The purposes of this assignment are to:
identify a topic which can be addressed through group counseling;
design a counseling group to address the issue;
prepare and present a group design proposal suitable for school/agency/grant funding.
Group Design Details
There are 5 components to this submission. Each group design must include:
1. Needs Assessment
Each group design will include a needs assessment. The purpose of the needs assessment is to give general information about the group to potential members and provide a means for them to give feedback about topics and/or structure.
If the group design is for a school, the assessment would be distributed to parents of the population targeted by the counseling office. (4th grade, 10th grade, etc.)
If the needs assessment were for an agency or private practice, the form would be similar, except it would go out to the community and address behaviors found in the community – addictions, spousal abuse, sexting, social skills, anger management, etc.
Create a one-page needs assessment form that fits your group design topic.
2. Executive Summary & Anticipated Results
Write a one-page explanation (in the style of an executive summary) addressing a research-based need for the group; your proposed strategy for the group design, and your anticipated (hoped for) results in terms of percentage impact/improvement.
Provide statistical evidence of the presence of the behavior, whether in a school or in the community. If X number of occurrences are recorded within a population, then the rationale for the group is that it will address the problem and you expect occurrences to reduce significantly. Funders and school administrators need this information to justify the use of time, money, and personnel.
The first paragraph should:
Investigate and provide available statistics related to your chosen topic. This justifies need for the group.
The second paragraph should:
Succinctly describe the group and provide a SMART goal. This is a goal written in sentence format which is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, and Time-bound. (See this information about SMART goals: https://www.baylor.edu/hr/doc.php/308719.pdf )
Keep this Executive Summary to one page, including the references on the bottom.
The Executive Summary can be single spaced if needed to keep it to one page.
Use 3-4 cited sources providing statistics supporting need for this group.
List the references used in this section at the end of this section.
3. Group Program
This is the actual design of your group – it’s curriculum and logistics. This group program needs to be guided by a stated and described counseling theory.
Guiding questions:
What specific topic will be addressed?
What is the theoretical counseling framework? (Describe components of the theory and how these can be applied to the group).
What techniques will be utilized from this theory?
What are potential ethical concerns?
What cultural issues, both positive and negative, could impact participation/access to this group? (Consider gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, etc…).
What is the target demographic of your group?
What should be the minimum and maximum size of the group?
What is the duration of the group?
What are the objectives of each weekly session?
What activities will you use?
How should it start and where might it convene?
What are your needs in terms of space, furniture, snacks, books, etc?
Be creative and comprehensive.
Create a document that addresses, at minimum, all the questions above in an organized fashion, which defines your group design. Lay out your group progression, week by week.
The group program should be 3-4 pages in length.
Use 2-3 cited references and list these references at the end of this section.
