You Belong: A Group Counseling Manual for Newcomer Children

Contents:

1. General Introduction………………….…………………………………….3
2. Literature Review………………………….……………………………….5
3. Group Leadership……………………………………………………….….9
4. Recruitment and Screening…….…………………………………….……11
5. Confidentiality and Disclosure……………………………………………15
6. Group Development………………………………………………………17
7. Record Keeping and Group Assessment/Evaluation…………………..…21
8. Termination………………………………………………………………27
9. Diversity and Multicultural Considerations……………………….…….29
10. Community Collaboration……………………………………….………32
11. Group Session Outlines/Plans……………………………………………35

You Belong: A Group Counseling Manual for Newcomer Children

            You Belong is a counseling curriculum designed for groups of children who have recently moved to the United States as refugees from their home country.  The purpose of You Belong is to provide a place of security and belonging to refugee children by providing a safe space to process traumatic events associated with being a refugee, to equip them with coping strategies that will assist them with the residual effects of their traumatic experiences, and to provide relevant skills and strategies that will positively affect their level of academic, social, and emotional success.

            According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a refugee is defined as “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion” (www.unhcr.org). The students in a You Belong group are from families whose situation coincides with the definition given. Ideally, this group should have between eight and twelve student participants who are no more than two years apart in age. This is so that students will be able to process their experiences with peers of similar developmental understanding of the traumatic events that have taken place. This particular version of You Belong is targeted toward nine to eleven year olds but could be modified to reach older students without much difficulty. You Belong groups will last for eight sessions that are approximately sixty minutes each.

            In order to ensure that appropriate numbers of student participants are available at the same time, this group ideally occurs in a school setting.  This curriculum certainly allows for alternative locations to be used in the community, but many parents are more apt to agree to pick up their child from school an hour later than usual than they are dropping off and picking up students from an alternative location.  If an alternative location is desired, I recommend one that has access to a natural setting. I do so based on a wealth of contemporary studies on outdoor therapy and adventure-based counseling, as well as my own personal experiences of counseling sessions making use of the novelty of outdoor settings. 

Literature Review

            John Berry leads the way in providing insight into the challenges refugees face, specifically in regards to how well refugees adjust to living in their new country.  Berry’s work entitled Immigration, Acculturation, and Adaptation, published in 1997, is cited numerous times in literature regarding how to best serve refugee children in cultural adjustment groups. Even though this work may be considered a bit dated, I believe it has a place in this review as it serves as a bedrock for this emerging topic of literature. According to Berry, a key focus of “cross-cultural psychology has been to demonstrate the influence that cultural factors have on the development and display of individual human behaviour” (Berry, 1997, p. 6). Berry also suggests that a key question to consider when serving the psychological needs of refugees is “what happens to individuals, who have developed in one cultural context, when they attempt to live in a new cultural context” (Berry, 1997, p. 6)?

            “Integration, assimilation, separation/segregation, and marginalization are all different possible ways in which a refugee may attempt to resolve the crisis of entry into the dominant society” (Berry, 1997, p. 11). According to the 2018 work of Killiam, Cardona, and Brottom, Berry’s acculturation strategy of integration is the only one of these that manifests in a positive way, with marginalization having the most negative effects.  They also “argue that Berry’s (1997) model of acculturation constitutes a powerful and effective tool for creating transitional groups, also called cultural adjustment groups, to support refugee students” (Killiam, Cardona, and Brottom, 2018, p. 15). Any program or setting serving the needs of refugees should focus on how to equip and encourage them to both assimilate to some parts of their new culture, while maintaining meaningful aspects of their home culture and identity.

            Killiam, Cardona, and Brottom (2018), in their work Refugee Children Counseling, lean heavily on Berry’s work while applying best practices in an effort to show the importance of acculturation groups.  They offer structural suggestions that have been shown to yield successful group experiences. The authors offer insights into the lives and experiences of refugees, pre and post relocation.  When preparing to serve refugees in this way, it is important to note:

When planning these groups, it is important for school counselors to be aware of the background specifics on each refugee, which include the following: language proficiency, amount of time spent in the US, mental health concerns, academic concerns, and any behavioral problems within the school. (Killiam, Cardona, and Brottom, 2018, p. 18)

I appreciate how these authors build upon Berry’s work and offer guidance to the counselors that will be serving the refugee population via cultural adjustment groups.

            Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher (2021) tell more about how the experience of being a refugee specifically affects school students and why counselors should be focusing on their mental health.  They postulate that these traumatic “experiences have implications for student refugees’ well-being and their social/emotional, academic, and career development in K-12 schools” (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021, p. 4). When discussing specific challenges that face refugee students, “student refugees are at risk for mental health issues due to war related trauma” (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021, p. 4), specifically psychological symptoms. Students who are refugees face “high rates of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention – deficit/hyperactivity disorder, all of which may have implications for their social/emotional development” (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021, p. 4).  As a teacher in public education for many years, I can verify this common display of depleted mental health in my refugee students over the years.  Like the authors of Supporting the Success of Student Refugees Using a Multi-Tiered System Approach, I can also attest to the negative academic effects that refugee and war related trauma has on academic performance (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021).

            This work offers a great look into an appropriate tiering of services for students who are refugees.  This tiering is gaining popularity and momentum in many school systems, especially in diverse communities.  The tiering system offers trauma informed care and teaching to all students in the school before upper tiers offer more specific support in the way of individual and group interventions (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021).  When expanding the argument that group counseling for refugees is an effective method for serving the needs of the population (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021), we see that “cultural adjustment groups that explore student refugees’ experiences in their native and host countries may provide them with safe counseling experiences where they can explore their feelings and thoughts following the migration and acculturation process”  (Isawi, Bamgbose, & Fisher, 2021, p. 9).

            In his work, Creating Communities: Working with Refugee Students in Classrooms, Kevin Roxas (2011) reports his findings from spending an extended amount of time in a classroom consisting of a significant refugee population. He speaks of the quality of life of a students as they enter our American classrooms, specifically how many are “facing problems such as poverty, depression, and loneliness,” and how “students often long for meaningful connections with their peers and teachers in school but sometimes struggle in initiating and sustaining these relationships” (Roxas, 2011, p.4).  Roxas (2011) shares how the same students who were in such challenging physical and emotional states upon entering the school are now thriving due to the impact of the interworking of an intentional school community.  Roxas states that:

“By explicitly focusing [the] instructional efforts on the building of community within the classroom environment, [the teacher] was able to foster for refugee students and their families a sense of belonging and connectedness to local communities, schools, and classroom peers” (Roxas, 2011, p. 7).

            As You Belong group members are carefully selected and as curriculum and plans are adjusted to be most appropriate for the group, we can rest in the evidence laid out before us.  As educators, mental health practitioners, and others who help enrich the lives of children who have experienced trauma because of war or refugee status, the literature and many years of experience strongly support cultural adjustment groups. Thus, we are setting up some of our most vulnerable students for positive and meaningful relationships and experiences, ultimately leading them towards social, emotional, and academic success.

Group Leadership

            The best style of leadership for this group can be considered as a combination of several personality traits. To begin, a leader must be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses regarding interaction with a diversity of clients. Self-awareness allows a leader to know how to present themselves in a way that yields a favorable response from clients. In this case, the clients will be refugee children or adolescents and the leader should have an awareness of how they interact with this demographic who brings a multiplicity of possible social norms, behaviors, and emotional reactions when dealing with trauma. “Without this knowledge leaders not only open themselves up for potential problems in the group but also jeopardize their effectiveness in utilizing their own personal resources in directing the group” (Trotzer, p. 168).

            Closely connected to self-awareness, a counselor’s attitude has a direct impact on the group process. In multicultural groups like You Belong, “counselors need to have a firm grasp on their values, beliefs and attitudes so that they can be as transparent to the group as possible” (Trotzer, p.169). The counselor will need to check their beliefs, attitudes and any stereotypes they have regarding children, teens, refugees, and the nationality, religion and ethnicity of refugees.  This includes assumptions a leader may possess about the refugee experience.  Leaders cannot assume to know much about a person until that information is disclosed to them.

            The ability to show openness and flexibility will benefit the leaders and the participants of this group.  There are defined structures in place regarding session scheduling and activities but the leader must stay flexible and open to capitalize on unplanned organic and meaningful moments that may occur. Trotzer reports that “there is a direct positive correlation between the possession of these two qualities and the range of people of whom the counselor can effectively work” (Trotzer, 169).

            Lastly, a group leader must show warmth and caring.  When considering work with a group of refugees who have undergone a plethora of traumatic events, understand that these students need to see a smile and feel the warmth of a caring individual that is deeply vested in their best interests. Showing warmth and caring is critical for group leaders, providing the leader “with the necessary fortitude to deal with people who have problems.  It [also] gives them leverage in group interaction because of its importance to group members” (Trotzer, p. 171).  Trotzer also shares that these traits lay “the groundwork for strong mutual liking and respect in the group which is essential to success” (Trotzer, p. 171).

            Personally, I feel that I have just described several prevalent aspects of my leadership style.  This style of leadership will fit well within the group because it is one that offers warmth, kindness, and caring.  My leadership style embraces structure, yet understands that flexibility and an openness to the moment is a must.  Finally, I am continually striving to increase self-awareness as I know that my awareness, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes have a direct impact on the success of the group process. 

Recruitment and Screening

            The ideal setting for this group is within a school, with the group leaders being school counselors or mental health professionals who work in the building.  That being said, the recruitment for this group will be collaborative among the school counselor, mental health professionals, teachers, and school administrators.  All teachers and administrators will be notified of an upcoming You Belong group and will be asked via email or in person to recommend students for the group.  They will also be asked to report on the student’s emotional, social, and academic challenges and successes seen so far this year.  In addition to this, in middle or high schools, a recruitment flier will be posted in public locations advertising an upcoming group. (This is the same recruitment flier turned in with the pre-manual.) In the likely event that certain targeted middle and high schoolers do not sign up or respond favorably to offers to join this group, group leaders will work with teachers to find times to discuss this group in more detail with students. Expected recruitment window should be seven to ten school days long.  

As students are recommended and/or sign up for the group, group leaders will begin the pre-group screening process. The screening process for group members involves a one-on-one interview with one of the group leaders of the upcoming You Belong group.  The questions asked during the screening interview range in topic from challenges and successes at home and school to questions about the student’s social and emotional health.  After at least 15 students are screened, You Belong group leaders will collaborate to share information about each screened student to decide if that student is best for the group.  Leaders will select eight to twelve students and notify them of the first and subsequent meeting dates and times.

            This is an important process, as it is vital to consider the impact of each individual on the overall dynamics and success of the group. Trotzer (2006) speaks of the professional judgment needed while forming a group when he writes that “the counselor must try to determine how each client will best fit into group counseling and organize various groups around that knowledge (Trotzer, p. 400-401). He also states that “the impact of each client on other individuals as well as on the total group must be considered” (Trotzer, p. 400). The 2014 American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (2014) guides us as it states in section A.9. Group Work, that “To the extent possible, counselors select group members whose needs and goals are compatible with the goals of the group, who will not impede the group process, and whose well-being will not be jeopardized by the group experience” (American Counseling Association, p. 6)

Once the final list of pre-screened participants is decided upon by the group leaders, parents will be contacted by phone to inform them of the group that their child is being invited to participate in.  These phone conversations will likely be interpreted by district language interpreters, as all of the families are refugee families.  The interpreter will be able to more adequately share the purpose and benefits of such a group to the students. Once a parent agrees to their child participating in the You Belong group, paperwork will be sent home for the parent to sign.  This letter will have the goals of the group as well as confidentiality and disclosure information.  This letter will look different per school and school system depending on any guidelines or policies that may impact the contents of the letter.

1. How do you feel about being in a group with other people who have also had experiences as a refugee?

1. What do you think it will be like to be in a group like this?

1. What do you enjoy about school?

1. Do you have many friends?

1. What are some challenges you have right now in school or with friends?

1. How well have you been able to handle time of strong emotions since you moved here?

1. How well do you think you will do working with other people to reach goals that may be difficult?

1. How do you feel about me or another group leader asking you to try new things that you may have never done before or things that you think are difficult?

1. What else do you think I should know about you before we start this group?

Dear Parent/Guardian of ___________________________,

            We are excited to inform you that your child has been selected to participate in an 8-week group counseling experience.  These group meetings will help your child connect with other students who have recently moved here and will help your child develop strategies and skill for success in these areas:

• Creating and Maintaining Community
• Academic Success
• Social Interactions
• Emotional Health

            We look forward to working with your student and appreciate your help in making this possible.  Please read the enclosed confidentiality and disclosure page before you give permission for your child to be in the You Belong group.  Once you have signed this page, please return this form to school, where it will be given to Mr. Eppley.

___ Check if you give permission for _______________ to participate in all You Belong group 

        sessions and activities.

___ Check if you have read the You Belong Group Confidentiality and Eastern Kentucky  

        University Disclosure form.

_____________________________     _______________          __________________

          (Parent Signature)                                 (Date)            (Best phone number to reach you)

Confidentiality and Disclosure

            Group confidentiality can be a challenge with child and adolescent clients who often want to share about an activity or something shocking that was shared in a group setting.  Part of the role of a group leader is to instill in the group participants that confidentiality is a crucial part of the success of our group.  A lack of confidentiality keeps the best of a group from being actualized due to a lack of trust within the group sessions.  Trotzer postulates that “a basic ground rule therefore must be the establishment of confidentiality, and group members must be made aware of their obligation to respect the confidence of each other and the group” (Trotzer, p. 273).

            Group leaders can only guarantee that they will adhere to standards of confidentiality.  Even so, they should absolutely assume it as a group norm and speak of it regularly as such.  In the You Belong group, a confidentiality discussion occurs during each of the first three sessions, but it is not a bad idea to speak of confidentiality more often than that. To this degree, Trotzer adds that “the leader must do everything possible to model, nurture and establish confidentiality and then hold members accountable for maintaining it” (Trotzer, p. 273).

            Regarding disclosure, group members will be made aware of the contents, plans, and goals of the group as part of the pre-screening interview. The group leader will disclose to the student that they will be working in a group of similar aged peers who have also recently moved to the United States, they may be asked to meet individually with the leader if a need arises, and that they are expected to work with others to achieve goals.  They will also be told that they will be making personal goals to achieve and will have support as they work on achieving these goals.  Students will also be told about how they and other group members may have the opportunity to be process observers, along with a brief explanation of what process observing is and will look like in the group. Since the group members are minors, their parents must sign a permission form for them to participate in You Belong sessions and any related activities.  I would like to facilitate this You Belong group as part of my EKU practicum or internship, so I will be using the EKU Practicum and Internship Counselor-in-Training Disclosure/Informed Consent Statement which is provided with this manual.   The aforementioned form also requires the parents of minors to sign and give permission for their children to fully participate in the group.

Group Development

            A group’s success is largely dictated by how well the leaders understand the best practices and applications of group development.  Trotzer (2006) lets us know that as a group is being developed and executed, a group must experience the stages of the group process, which are security, acceptance, responsibility, work, and the closing.

            The first stage is called the security stage, as it is in this stage that “each group member’s need for psychological safety” and where group members start to initiate trust with others in the group “which is essential to therapeutic and constructive interaction and necessary for members to disclose personal problems or assets and become meaningful contributors” (Trotzer, 134).

            The security stage is clearly shown in You Belong, starting with the first session.  Is it here that participants learn each other’s names with two separate name-learning icebreaker activities.  During both the name game with gestures and the beach ball name game, students have fun learning names and low-risk information about each other.  This occurs while engaging in physical movement that also adds to the satisfaction of the session, connecting the emotions of a fun experience to the greater small group experience. The security stage is also seen again in session two as students work together to complete the helium hula hoop activity. It is here that they also start building trust as they are collaborating together toward a common goal. To serve as a regular security activity, each session starts with a check-in activity that allows the participants to warm up to themselves and each other.

            In addition to getting acquainted, having times of interpersonal warm-up, and building trust, Trotzer (2006) makes it clear that boundaries must be set very early on during the group process.  As it is a pivotal part of the security stage, Trotzer shares that boundaries, guidelines, or group norms must be established for participants to “sense limits and expectations that remove much of the ambiguity associated with beginning groups” (Trotzer, 135). Trotzer (2006) also writes that group members feel more centered, oriented, and feel that they have more control when group boundaries are set and predictable.  Boundaries “are a form of protection and insurance against personal harm in the group, and they are the seeds from which group norms develop” (Trotzer, p. 135).

            The next stage of the group process, the acceptance stage, focuses the process “on the development of group cohesiveness that is an outgrowth of our psychological need to belong” (Trotzer, p. 139). In this stage, group members start to share about themselves and the journey that led them to the group.  Once individuals experience being listened to, they feel cared for by the group, and are therefore motivated to offer the safe, caring, and listening ear to others.  

            The acceptance stage is seen in several opportunities in the You Belong sessions.  In session one, members make a silly sculpture of themselves doing whatever they do, then share the meaning behind the sculpture with the group.  In session two, members are asked to go slightly deeper in their sharing of good memories from home.  The medium for this is a chalk drawing which allows each member some quiet space to recall positive aspects of how things were.  Session three offers what I feel is the most personal activity within this stage.  Participants share their journey as a refugee coming to the United States.  This is possibly the first time that strong emotions are stirred up.  Even then, most participants will feel comfortable offering an empathic listening ear to a fellow refugee’s story. This then creates an environment of acceptance, which serves as preparation for the next stage: responsibility.

            As the group moves into the responsibility stage, the focus is less on acceptance of self and others and focuses more on the individual “recognizing responsibility for their own problems [as] group members [make] a commitment to help each other work to resolve them” (Trotzer, p.141).  

            The participants of You Belong will not necessarily have a problem that they can take responsibility for.  They had nothing to do with the trauma that their families experienced due to war, persecution, famine, or corrupt governments.  Consequently, the responsibility stage may manifest itself as members offering mutual respect as a member chooses how they will react to those who caused trauma and how they choose to work through emotions that could student social, academic, or emotional growth. As members are moving into the responsibility stage, the group can move into the next stage, the work stage.

            The work stage shows why the group was developed and formed.  As a group and its members successfully journey through the stages of the group process:

The atmosphere and relationships in the group are such that individuals can examine personal concerns without fear or reprisal or rejection, explore alternatives for resolving problems, and experiment with new behaviors in a safe environment prior to risking changes in the outside world. (Trotzer, 2006, p. 143)

In the You Belong group, the work stage consists mainly of writing an action plan.  In this plan, students write down the state of things regarding an area of their life that they would like to change.  Whether the challenge is academically, socially, or emotionally related, the first part of the plan is to understand how things are currently.  From there, group members write a goal of how they want things to be.  Once the goal is set, group members then write up to three steps that they hope will help them get to their goal from where they currently are.

            According to Trotzer (2006) part of the work stage involves group members offering feedback to each other as they are developing their plans.  I also find this to be a helpful part of this stage, yet time does not allow for much collaborative evaluation among the group members during the allotted time frame. If this group consisted of more than eight weeks, the work stage would include more collective feedback before action plans are shared and celebrated during the closing stage.

The last stage, the closing stage, provides resolution to the group members after completing the process of addressing the most pressing concerns addressed during the group process. “It is characterized by members actively pursuing change in their lives outside the group while still experiencing the support, encouragement, and accountability of the group” (Trotzer, p. 145).

During the final You Belong group session, participants share their action plans with the group. Participants have discussed group termination for a couple of weeks prior and understand that this presentation is the culmination of their work in You Belong.  During this presentation of their action plans, group members are given support and encouraged by other members.  Their work is also celebrated by the group leaders, as they affirm and confirm each individual’s growth during the group process.  Group members are made aware of how they can keep in touch with the group leaders and group leaders make plans with the group as to how to assist them in keeping in touch with each other.  In doing so, the group is prepared for group termination.

Record Keeping and Group Assessment/Evaluation

Record Keeping       

Some aspects of record keeping are dependent on the school, system, or organization that is hosting this You Belong group.  Some schools and organizations provide a particular software that the counselor is expected to use as part of their record keeping. This software or online space would be one that is already vetted and deemed a secure location for use. With this somewhat unknown variable in mind that will serve as more permanent and official records, I plan on using certain tools designed to fit my specific needs.  These tools include a Group Roster and Session Attendance sheet for easy attendance documentation and the Group Participant Session Summary sheet. The summary sheet will be an important tool as it guides the leader to consider each member’s participation and growth as an individual, how each member interprets the growth of the group, and provides space to note concerns and thoughts to remember for next session.  Both of these tools are provided at the end of this section.

Group Assessment/Evaluation

According to section E.1.a of the American Counseling Association’s (2014) Code of ethics and standards of practice:

Prior to assessment, counselors explain the nature and purposes of assessment and the 

specific use of results by potential recipients. The explanation will be given in terms and 

language that the client (or other legally authorized person on behalf of the client) can 

understand. (American Counseling Association, 2014)

Consequently, group members will be made aware of group assessment and evaluation tools used during the pre-screening process.

As I have perused through the literature regarding the methods and importance of deciding upon a group assessment and/or evaluation system that works, I find that some of Trotzer’s (2006) thoughts serve as a springboard in developing the most helpful evaluation tools.  Trotzer (2006) reminds us that “evaluation is concerned with what is happening or what has happened in order to determine the value and worth of the assessed occurrence in that situation” (Trotzer, p. 420). He continues by postulating that “evaluating group counseling is pivotal to both the individual group experience and the ongoing group program” (Trotzer, p. 420).

One of the most valuable examples of an evaluation that I plan on using is the process evaluation.  This tool monitors and reports on the effectiveness of the group counseling process, for all involved parties, including both the leaders and participants. Trotzer states that the “evaluation of process is generally associated with observation, analysis, and feedback” (Trotzer, p. 422). A sampling of goals that may be evaluated by a process observer are:

(1) Determining leader methods, attitudes, and characteristics to assess the effectiveness of approach; (2) determining member attitudes, reactions, and characteristics to better understand the effect of the group on the individual; and (3) identifying the focus and themes of group interaction to establish their relevance to the goals of the group and its members. (Trotzer, 2006, p. 422)

            When deciding how to best go about evaluating a You Belong group through process evaluations, special consideration must be made regarding asking students to be process evaluators called process observers.  I believe that young group participants can be very honest and beneficial process observers with age-appropriate questions and goals to pay close attention to. Trotzer goes on to say that after training the participants how to be successful process observers, “input from the process observer during the group, at the end of  group, and on an impromptu basis stimulates the group and gives each member an additional learning experience as well” (Trotzer, p. 422).

            Personally speaking, a recent opportunity to serve the group as a process observer was a very valuable experience for me.  As an observer, all of the pressure was off of me as a participant and I was able to look for strengths and concerns within the group. It was rewarding for me to be able to offer thoughts about what went well in the group and was encouraging to the group members for me to be able to let them know that they were heard and valued by me as an observer.  This activity also allowed everyone to see the group as a living organism, experiencing holistic growth while individuals were personally growing and being fulfilled.

            In addition, I plan to have each member evaluate the group process at the end of each session.  The Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation tool will take the form of a brief questionnaire asking them to anonymously report on how they feel about several aspects of the group.  This will allow me, or the group leader, to take a quick read of how individual group members feel the group is progressing and of how they feel about their own personal progress. Participants will score five statements using a one to three scale, one meaning no, two meaning some, and three meaning yes. This tool is provided at the end of this section.

You Belong

Group Roster and Session Attendance 

Group Leaders: ______________________________________________________________

Group Meeting Site: __________________________________________________________

You Belong

Group Participant Session Summary 

Group Participant Name: ______________________________________________________

Group Session Date: _____________________  Session Number: _____________________

Group Leaders: ______________________________________________________________

Group Meeting Site: __________________________________________________________

You Belong

Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation

Group Session Date: _____________________  Session Number: _____________________

Termination

            An effective closing to each session and to the group as a whole allows the closing to not “disrupt or undermine growth or generate regression” (Trotzer, p. 117).  Trotzer (2006) provides a list of the purposes of termination, in which he includes such purposes as “to provide a therapeutic exodus from the group for each participant, including the leader” as well as “to enable group members to assume credit and responsibility for their own changes” (Trotzer, p. 117).

            You Belong groups all include meaningful and repetitive closures that fulfill Trotzers thoughts mentioned above.  Most sessions are closed with the opportunity for each participant to provide a take-away from the group session, an explanation of the homework assignment to prepare them for the following session, as well as a few other discussion questions that are specifically designed to prepare students for the next group session. 

            As You Belong starts to near the final group session, plans to prepare group members for termination are in place.  At the conclusion of session six, group leaders ask participants to begin thinking about something that they need to work on that would make them more successful socially, academically, or emotionally.  Leaders let participants know about the upcoming action plan that will be created during session seven and shared during session eight, which the leaders share will be our last meeting together. At the close of session seven, participants are asked to share feelings about the upcoming termination of the group.  This allows the students to start processing only having one more session together.  Finally, session eight focusses on student presentation of action plans, which are celebrated by the whole group and followed by rewarding the presenter with a certificate of completion.  This session is then concluded with how students can reach out to the group leaders and a reminder of how this group now has each other to lean on for strength and accountability.

Diversity and Multicultural Considerations

            When considering how to care for and protect the beautiful tapestry of diverse clients in a group counseling setting, “culture and diversity must be acknowledged, understood, accounted for, incorporated, and valued” (Trotzer, p. 319). Specifically, as I consider the upcoming You Belong group, it has been designed to find commonalities while embracing diversity from session one.

            Since this is a group that focuses on the struggles of refugees, it is designed to be beneficial to international students who all bring with them the memories, many times traumatic, of the refugee experience.  Due to the nature of this group, there is the chance that other students will feel excluded from the group experience and bring this concern to a counselor’s or group leader’s attention.  Were this to occur, the counselor or group leader should see this as a sign that the desiring student may have some struggles that they would like to present and get some help with.  Such a student should be invited by the counselor for an informal interview time with the student in order to discover any reason that would warrant individual counseling or that would make this student a good candidate for another type of counseling group.

            While facilitating this group, one should be aware of some prevailing cultural norms that may present themselves as a negative experience from the leader’s perspective.  Many of our refugees come from countries or regions that do not place women as equals in the home or in social settings.  Due to this cultural norm, if the You Belong group has multiple genders from middle eastern or Muslim-dominant countries, plan for male dominant statements or attitudes to possibly alter conversations involving girls.  This possible negative aspect, as well as other conflictive social norms, can be addressed in the screening interview as well as the first sessions in an attempt to set a tone of equal value for all participants.

            Throughout the group sessions, activities and discussions are strategically located to serve as catalysts for group familiarity and safety that ultimately leads to a group that is ready to work together.  Among the variety of activities and conversation topics, all group members will have ideas and points of view to offer the group.  In addition, all participants will have many opportunities to share things about themselves that serve as an invitation for others to also share, allowing for maximum group cohesion.              

            As the group moves to the action plan stage of the process, individuals from some countries may have a difficult time planning an individual action plan.  Some students may come from cultures that are very “us” focused, frowning upon individual plans and goals.  In this case, the group leader needs to be prepared to discuss how to make an action plan more group oriented than individually focused.  The leader can encourage the client to simply write down ideas for their action plan during the session seven work time, then meet with their families and social circles after the group session in order to receive input from those in the client’s closest circles of influence.  Once this occurs, the client can talk with the group leader to discuss the action plan and prepare for the action plan presentations during the final group session.

            Niloufer Merchant discusses the multicultural competencies needed of group workers. Merchant states that these are an “awareness to self, [the] group worker’s awareness of group member’s worldview, and diversity-appropriate intervention strategies” (Trotzer, p. 326).  As a group worker, one must show a consistent vigilance to not only understand their own personal views but consider how the views of others affects the individual, as well as the group process as a whole. Merchant continues to say that:

A culturally competent counselor is one who is actively in the process of becoming aware of her or his own assumptions about humans behavior, values, biases, preconceived notions, and personal limitations; who actively seeks to understand the world view of his or her culturally different client without negative judgements; and who is in the process of actively developing and practicing appropriate, relevant, and sensitive intervention strategies and skills in working with his or her culturally different clients. (Trotzer, 2006, p. 326)

Community Collaboration

            As a school commits to hosting a You Belong group, they are offering support to both the student participants and the greater refugee community.  Through the process of planning for and facilitating a You Belong group, the group leaders create and lean on a network of community advocates that offer their expertise and opportunities to encourage these students and their families.

            Building a community support system is a multi-faceted task done for the good of the community as a whole, starting with those inside the school building.  As group leaders prepare for the formation of a group, they collaborate with teachers and school administrators to determine a list of targeted students that should be asked to join the upcoming group.  When teen students show an interest in the group, or when younger students are placed on the possible participant list, parents are notified of the group opportunity.  This is done with the help of language interpreters that are district employees.  As an example, in my current school, our Arabic interpreter is also an Arabic family advocate or our local school zone. He would assist me in contacting Arabic refugee families, explaining the purposes of the You Belong group and offer assurance to the parents that their child would be safe and benefit from participating in this group.  He would also share consent and disclosure information to families and then send home the paperwork to read and sign in their language.  This particular Arabic interpreter and advocate would check in with the students during the school year, as is part of his job, and offer support to the families throughout the year.  There are other language interpreters and advocates in our district as well that would be called on for assistance.

            As a part of the group experience, I would like to consider bringing in guest speakers who themselves have a refugee experience that the student participants could relate to.  Planning for this particular eight week group, it was difficult to create the time for a guest speaker, so it was not included.  As I look to expand this to a ten or twelve week group counseling curriculum, there would be one or two occasions for a guest speaker that would briefly share their experiences of how they came to the United States, and what best helped them feel settled and able to achieve one or two of their own academic, social, and/or emotional goals.  The guest speakers brought in to an expanded version of the You Belong group would also be an established community advocate that would share how they can offer support to the students and their families.  In the case of a guest speaker, they would only be with the students while they were sharing.  They would then be excused so they would not hear any personal information that would break our group norm of confidentiality.

            In our school, the Family Resource Center offers support and assistance for all of our families, but would be regularly informed of any physical needs of our You Belong group members or their families.  The Family Resource Center offers weekly food bags, school materials needed throughout the year, and clothes assistance.  In addition, a school’s Family Resource Center has great connections and relationships with other community-based organizations that offer help with additional amounts of food, clothing, transportation, as well as utility and rent assistance.

            The Kentucky Refugee Ministries have been on the front lines of refugee resettlement in Kentucky for many years.  KRM and their partners offer significant support to families that are moving to Kentucky.  As refugees relocate to our specific Lexington community, they are able to support refugee families from the day of their arrival.  Due to our school’s high numbers of student refugees, we are in a great working relationship with KRM.  KRM offers family assistance in many areas, including food, medical, and utilities assistance. They also help find rental housing and offer rent support if needed. In addition, they offer pro-bono counseling, regular family check-ins, and assistance finding employment. (Kentucky Refugee Ministries, 2021)

You Belong

Group Sessions At A Glance

Session 1: Creating Common Ground

Session 2: Good Memories

Session 3: The Journey

Session 4: Creating a Community of Friends

Session 5: Expanding the Community

Session 6: Power of Small Successes

Session 7: Making an Action Plan

Session 8: 3-2-1-Go!

Session 1: Creating Common Ground (50-60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. This option is preferred when considering the “Silly Sculpture” activity during this session. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.

• Inflated beach ball
• Tray (at least 12” x 24”)
• Large multi-colored pack of pipe cleaners
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation

• Welcome and Leader Introductions – Group Leaders welcome the group and  introduce themselves. Even though participants have met at least one of the leaders during the screening process, formal introductions in the group context assists in setting the energy level and tone for the group. 
• Discuss Confidentiality – Group leaders discuss limits of confidentiality with the group, stating that they are the only ones that they can be sure of not sharing information discussed in the group.  Discuss when leaders cannot maintain confidentiality. (Client harming another, client harming themself, client being harmed) Leaders also discuss how and why it is important for other group members to do the same.
• Participant Introduction Activity (10 minutes) – This activity is done while standing up, if participants are able. If the group is meeting at tables, the group will stand and make a circle around the table or move to an adjacent open space and stand in a circle. If students are meeting in a circle of chairs, the group just stands in front of their chairs. Ask students to introduce themselves by stating their name and, using gestures, tell one thing they enjoy doing.  (Ex: My name is Muhammad and I like to play soccer.  While saying “I like to play soccer,” Muhammad makes the gesture of kicking a ball with his foot.) Best done if a leader goes first and last. This activity is most helpful in building community when the leader has each person restate the name and favorite activity of all those who have gone before them. 
• Beach Ball Toss Name Game (15 minutes) – Using a beach ball, one person will toss the ball to another person, saying their name just before the ball is tossed.  Make sure that each person is called several times during this activity.  Once general name familiarity is reached, challenge the group to do this activity without dropping the ball for a certain number of tosses.  Include the group in the decision by saying, “Do you think you could toss the ball without dropping it in 5 tosses?  10 tosses?” Have fun with this and entertain a difficult student goal if one is given.  A student offering a challenging goal shows possible positive group connections developing within that student. 

• Silly Sculpture Activity (15 minutes) – Place a pile of multi-colored pipe cleaners on a tray. Place the tray on a table or floor in the middle of the group, giving everyone equal view and access to the tray. Ask participants what they see.  Answers will likely be pretty obvious. Tell the students that you actually see more than just a pile of pipe cleaners.  Ask each student to select three to five  pipe cleaners.  Once this is done, instruct the participants that they will have five minutes to construct a sculpture of themselves, doing whatever they enjoy doing. Offer very limited options or possibilities if they ask what they should make. Let them know that this will not look real at all, so they should not feel any pressure to be a perfect sculptor.  After 5 minutes is up, have students share their sculptures.  Method of calling on people is up to the leader. (Possible options: Around the circle, Students call on who is next after them, continually ask “Who is going next?”)
  • Silly Sculpture Activity Debrief: Ask group members these questions:
    • Were there things that you heard shared more than once?  
    • What are some things that we have in common with each other? 
• Ask the group to share common traits shared by everyone in the group.  If no one mentions their shared refugee status or experience, remind them that all participants in the group do share a common experience.  Everyone has been a refugee and experienced the challenges associated with that experience.  Even though our refugee experiences are not exactly alike and even though some of us may feel like our experiences were more difficult than others’ experiences, all of us know what it is like to be far from home and from the things and people that mean alot to us.

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that you are so thankful that they participated in our name-learning activities and that they shared their silly sculptures with the group. 
• Ask the group to share one take away from the group time today.  These will likely be very simple today.  (Ex: I had fun doing________.  It was nice to see other kids like me.  I liked thinking about home.  I like pipe cleaners.)
• Ask the participants to pay attention this week to any positive thoughts they have about home.  If any positive thoughts or memories come up, write them down on paper or in their device and bring that with them to help them in an activity they will do in the next session. Check for understanding. 
• Distribute and take a moment to explain the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 2: Good Memories (50-60 minutes)

• Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. Tables are needed today when considering the “Memory Drawing” activity during this session. Desks can also be used.
• Prepare name tags for participants for today’s sessions.  Distribute these as group members arrive for today’s group. This will serve as a reminder of each other’s names and increase the level of familiarity and safety.

• Pre-filled out name tags
• Large hula hoop
• Black construction paper
• Chalk (variety of colors)
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Discuss Confidentiality – Group leaders again discuss limits of confidentiality with the group, stating that they are the only ones that they can be sure of not sharing information discussed in the group.  Discuss when leaders cannot maintain confidentiality. (Client harming another, client harming themself, client being harmed) Leaders also discuss how and why it is important for other group members to do the same.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share something meaningful or enjoyable that happened this week.  Instead of the question, “How was your week?” use the question “What happened this week that you think was important or meant something to you?” As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” (Name tags will help this run more smoothly.)

• Helium Hula Hoop Activity (20 minutes) – Ask participants to gather in a circle, almost shoulder to shoulder. Let them know that their task is to work together to keep a hula hoop from flying away. Each person is to only use their pointer finger to support their portion of the hula hoop, while the group attempts to lower the hoop all the way to the ground.  If a finger separates from the hula, or if the hula rises up and is no longer controlled by the group, start over.  Fingers may not hook around the hula, but must remain under the hoop. Group leader is the one who sets the hula hoop on the ring of supporting fingers at the beginning of each attempt. 

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• Helium Hula Hoop Debrief – Ask the group these questions, plus any others that you feel most helpful in processing this activity.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • What did we do well in this activity?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there anyone that was a good leader?  
  • What made someone a good leader?
• Memory Drawing Activity (20 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats. Remind the students that their homework last week was to write down any thoughts or memories that popped up in their minds. Today, we are going to create this memory with chalk.  Explain to the group that we are going to take 10 quiet moments and draw a good memory from earlier in our lives.  This may be a picture of a good time with family and friends back home or of something that we enjoyed doing in our home country.  As we draw/color,  remember the joy and satisfaction of this time in the past.  (Set a 10 minute timer and play soothing instrumental music.)  After 10 minutes is up, have students share their drawings.  Method of calling on people is up to the leader. (Possible options: Around the circle, Students call on who is next after them, continually ask “Who is going next?”)   

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that you are so happy that they participated in our helium hula hoop activity and that they shared their chalk drawing memories with the group. 
• Ask the group to share one take away from the group time today. (Ex: I had fun doing________.   I liked thinking about home. I didn’t know that _______ also enjoyed the same thing I do.)
• To prepare for the next session, ask participants to talk to their families about the key details of their refugee experience.  They should learn what they can from their families and be prepared to share about what they consider the most important or memorable parts of their experience.  Remind the participants that our story is important and should be shared, even if they choose to only share certain parts of their story. Check for understanding.
• Distribute and take a moment to explain the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 3: The Journey (60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.
• Prepare enough space for “Pipeline” activity.  You may want to consider going outside, using a school hallway, cafeteria, gym, or larger space for this.
• Prepare name tags for participants for today’s sessions.  Distribute these as group members arrive for today’s group. This will serve as a reminder of each other’s names and increase the level of familiarity and safety.

• Pre-filled out name tags
• PVC pipes cut in half.  Pipes are 12” – 18” in length at least ½” wide.  One pipe section per participant.
• 1 marble (extra marbles are a good idea)
• Starting place marker (small traffic cone works well)
• Bucket
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Discuss Confidentiality – Group leaders again discuss limits of confidentiality with the group, stating that they are the only ones that they can be sure of not sharing information discussed in the group.  Discuss when leaders cannot maintain confidentiality. Leaders also discuss how and why it is important for other group members to do the same.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share something they enjoyed this past week. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” (Name tags will help this run smoothly.)

• Pipeline Activity (15 minutes) – Explain to participants that they will be creating a pipeline to successfully allow a marble to travel from the starting location to the bucket at the end of the journey. A group leader releases the marble into the end of the pipe of the first person and the marble must travel from one pipe to the next without falling to the floor/ground. Once a participant no longer has the marble, they run to the end of the line and prepare once again for the marble to roll through their piece successfully.  This continues until the marble reaches the final destination.  If the marble hits the floor/ground, the group must start over at the starting point and try again.

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• Pipeline Activity Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • What did we do well in this activity?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there anyone that showed they were a good leader?  
  • What made someone a good leader?
• Sharing the Journey (35 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats. Remind the students that their homework last week was to talk to their families about the key details of their refugee experience and to be prepared to share about what they consider the most important or memorable parts of their experience.  Remind the participants that our story is important and should be shared, even if they choose to only share a couple of things about their story.  Encourage everyone to share, even if they were not able to prepare anything for homework. (Preferred methods of calling on people: Who is going first? Who will be sharing next? We still have ____ friends that haven’t shared yet.)
  • Sharing the Journey Debrief: (Consider these questions to allow the group to process this activity.)
    • How was it for you to be able to listen to other people’s stories?
    • How was it to be able to share your story today?

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that you are so proud of them for having the courage to share parts of their journey.
• For the next session, ask participants to come up with a couple of ideas regarding how we could enjoy spending time together as a group.  Check for understanding. 
• Distribute and take a moment to explain the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 4: Creating A Community of Friends (50-60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.
• Prepare name tags for participants for today’s sessions.  Distribute these as group members arrive for today’s group. This will serve as a reminder of each other’s names, just in case someone does not remember a name.

• Pre-filled out name tags
• 5’ x 7’ tarp 
• White board/large chart paper and marker 
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share something they enjoy doing with a friend or family member. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” 

• Flip the Tarp Activity (25 minutes) – Leader places the tarp fully extended on the floor. Explain to participants that they will need to create a plan to flip the tarp while everyone is standing on it.  No one may leave the tarp while it is being flipped.  If someone’s foot touches the floor, the group must start over.

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• Flip the Tarp Activity Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • What did we do well in this activity?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there anyone that tried to take the lead and help out with this activity?  
  • Was there a time where some in the group disagreed about how to meet the goal of flipping the tarp?  If so, how did you get through it?
• Creating a Community of Friends (15 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats.  Tell the group that today we are going to talk about having a group of friends.  Ask:
  • What is good about having a group of friends? 
  • What makes friendships difficult sometimes? 
  • How can our time with friends be like us on the tarp a few minutes ago?

Encourage everyone to share, if possible (Preferred methods of calling on people: Who is going first? Who will be sharing next? ) Reiterate to the group that friendships can be fun, but also sometimes it takes a little work to create a healthy community of friends.

Remind the group that last time, we had a small homework assignment to come up with a couple of ideas about how we could enjoy spending time together as a group.  Ask the group if anyone has any good ideas of how our group can enjoy spending time together at school.  Write down ideas on a board or large paper that everyone can see.  Decide on what the group will do together. (Ex: eat lunch together in a special location, coordinate with P.E. teacher to use the gym for a game.) 

* As a group leader, you may want to already have some possibilities coordinated with other teachers/administrators in the building so that this group gathering can happen within a day or two.

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that you were impressed with how they worked together to make a plan to flip the tarp and that you are excited for them to have a time to enjoy hanging out as a group.
• Ask the group to share one take away from the group time today. (Everyone asked to share.)
• For the next session, ask participants to think about the adults in the school (besides the group leaders) that they feel understand them the best.  Check for understanding.  
• Distribute the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 5: Expanding the Community (50-60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.
• Prepare adequate space for today’s “All Aboard!” activity.
• Prepare name tags for participants for today’s sessions.  Distribute these as group members arrive for today’s group. This will serve as a reminder of each other’s names, just in case someone doesn’t remember a name.

• Pre-filled out name tags
• 3’ x 3’ tarp or cardboard square
• 2’ x 2’ tarp or cardboard square
• 18” x 18” x 1” board (or 18” x 18” cardboard square)
• White board/large chart paper and marker 
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share something they enjoyed doing with a friend during the past week. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” 

• All Aboard! Activity (25 minutes) – Leader explains to the group that we are about to play “All Aboard!” Our task is to all get on the boat without falling off.  Leader offers no suggestions.  Place the 3’ x 3’ surface on the floor and say “All Aboard!”  Once this task is complete, the leader places the 2’ x 2’ surface on the floor and says, “All Aboard!” If the group completes this task, the leader places the 18” x 18” surface on the floor and says, “All Aboard!”

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• All Aboard! Activity Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • What did we do well in this activity?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there a really good idea that someone had that helped us with this activity?  
  • Was there a time where you disagreed about how to meet the goal of everyone getting on the boat?  If so, how did you get through this moment?
• Expanding the Community (20 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats.  Tell the group that today we are going to talk about reaching out to other people in our school community, more than just our friends. 

 *Encourage everyone to share at least twice throughout the course of the questions in this discussion. (For this discussion, call on participants by name, or ask for volunteers to share.) Ask: 

• What is good about having people that support you, other than just your friends? 

Disclose to the group that there are people outside of your own close friends that you know support you and that you can reach out to, if needed.  There are also people that reach out to you, when they need help with things. 

• How does what I just shared about my life sound like what we just did on our All Aboard! boat activity?

Remind the group that last time, we had a small homework assignment to think about the adults in the school (besides the group leaders) that they feel understand them the best. Ask:

• Who are the adults in school (besides us) that you feel understand you?
• What makes it difficult to connect with adults in your school community?
• Who is one person that you wish understood you more? (Group leaders take notes about the adults that the students related to and those that they wish understood them more. This is useful information as you continue to support students as they expand their community.)

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that they did great work today as they figured out how to help others get on the boat and as they shared their thoughts about the adults in our school community.
• Ask the group to share one take-away from group time today. (Everyone asked to share.)
• For the next session, ask participants to figure out a way to thank an adult in the building for what they do for them.  This could be any of the adults in the school that they discussed during this session. We will celebrate homework attempts next week. Check for understanding.
• Distribute the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 6: Power of Small Successes (60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.
• Prepare adequate space for today’s “Human Knot” activity.

• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share something they did well during the past week. If you were able to complete your homework of figuring out a way to thank an adult in the building for what they do for you, then you should talk about that. Introduce the snap clap (snapping instead of clapping) and invite the group to give snap claps in celebration of what each person did well this week. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” 

• Human Knot Activity (30 minutes) – Leader explains to the group that we are about to play “Human Knot.” Our task is to create a knot with our bodies and get out of the complicated knot without anyone letting go.  Leader tells everyone to get a shoulder-to-shoulder circle.  Then have everyone grab the hand of two different people in the circle.  Participants cannot grab the hand of the person directly beside them. Once the leader makes sure that all hands are connected, they once again tell the group that they need to untie the human knot and make a circle of people who are still holding hands.

(If they ask, inform the group that the final circle does not require all participants to be facing the same way. They only need to be in a circle holding hands.)

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• Human Knot Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • What did we do well in this activity?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there a really good idea that someone had that helped us with this activity?  
  • Would you have been as willing to try this during our first group meeting when we all just met?  Why or why not?  
  • How does knowing people in our community allow us to complete tasks like the “Human Knot?”
  • Tell us about a moment that you started to feel a little success in the human knot? (Everyone answers this one.)
• Power of Small Successes (15 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats.  Tell the group that today we are going to talk about the power of small successes in our life.

 *Encourage everyone to share at least twice throughout the course of the questions in this discussion. (For this discussion, call on participants by name, or ask for volunteers to share.) Ask: 

• What is something that you were asked to do that felt too big to finish? 
• How would you describe your feelings during this time of trying to figure out how to finish something that was a big task?
• Did any of you figure out how to actually finish this big task?  If so, how?
• How would you describe the feelings you had when you started to figure out how to complete the task?  OR  What feelings do you think you would have if you figured out how to complete the big task?

            Briefly talk to the group about how small steps are the way to finishing large tasks. Use an easy to understand metaphor such as “you get to the top of a mountain one step at a time,” or “you build a house one piece at a time.”  

            As you close this section, teach a breathing technique to your group to use when they feel overwhelmed by large tasks.  There are many to choose from, such as “4-6-8,” in which you breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for six seconds, and slowly breathe out through an invisible straw for eight seconds. Try this breathing technique at least three times.

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that they did great work today as they untied their human knot and as they shared their thoughts about facing large tasks or projects.
• Ask the group to share one take-away from group time today. (Everyone asked to share.)
• For the next session, ask participants to begin thinking about something that they need to work on that would make them more successful socially, academically, or emotionally.  Let them know that we will be creating an action plan where we plan out how we are going to do things on purpose (intentionally) to achieve small and large successes. Let them know that we only have two more group meetings together and that we will be sharing our plans with each other during our last meeting together. Check for understanding.  
• Distribute the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 7: Make an Action Plan (60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1 (preferred): Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader. If using this option, participants will need clipboards or a hard surface to write on.
• Prepare adequate space for today’s “Trust Sit” activity.

• Action Plan Worksheet
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share a small success during the past week. Remember to use the snap clap (snapping instead of clapping) and invite the group to give snap claps in celebration of each of the small successes of this week. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” 

• Trust Sit Activity (15 minutes) – Leader explains to the group that we are about to try a trust sit. Our task is to form a circle facing the back of the person in front of you.  Leader tells everyone to form a shoulder-to-shoulder circle.  At the same time, the whole group sits on the knees of the person behind them. If your group is ready for a challenge, do this activity and after they are all sitting, have them try to remain in formation while everyone picks one foot off of the floor.

*Have a plan for how to best relax the mood if and when conflict arises during this activity. 

• Trust Sit Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  Over the course of the debrief, encourage as many participants as possible to share.
  • How was this activity for you?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Was there a really good idea that someone had that helped us with this activity?  
  • How did knowing each other help us achieve this activity?
  • What does this activity tell us about our group (community)?

• Make An Action Plan (30 minutes) – Have participants return to their seats.  Tell the group that today we are going to make an action plan.  Remind them that last time, you mentioned that they would be thinking about something they could do to make them more successful socially, academically, or emotionally.  Today, we will be creating an action plan where we plan out how we are going to do things on purpose (intentionally) to achieve small and large successes. Remind group about how small steps are the way to finishing large tasks.   
• Before we make our plan, let’s practice our breathing technique from last week.  Remember that these are used when we feel overwhelmed by large tasks. If you chose the 4-6-8 technique from last week, you breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for six seconds, and slowly breathe out through an invisible straw for eight seconds. Do this breathing technique at least three times.
• Lead participants through the action plan worksheet.  They will begin with writing down something they want to change, then they write down their ultimate goal, or how they want things to be in that area. Finally, they fill in the middle three squares with up to three steps they will take to get from where they are (what they want to change) to where they want to be (goal).
• If participants finish during this session, collect them and laminate them for the final session.  Otherwise, offer participants additional time during the upcoming week to meet with a group leader and finish the action plan.
• Additionally, consider meeting with every participant before the next session to go over their action plan.  This may help solidify plans within the students and increase their confidence level regarding sharing their action plans during our next, and final session.

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Let them know that they did great work today as they successfully completed a trust sit and as they worked on their action plans.
• Remind the group that next time will be our last session.  Everyone will be sharing their action plans and we will all be celebrating a job well done. Take a moment and ask the group if anyone has any thoughts or feelings that they would like to share about next week being our last session. (Everyone asked to share.)
• Inform the group about possible times to meet to complete action plans or to check-in with all participants prior to the final meeting. Check for understanding.
• Distribute the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

Session 8: 3-2-1-Go!  (55-60 minutes)

• Seating Option 1: Create a square table out of two rectangle tables and place the needed number of chairs equally distanced around the table. 
• Seating Option 2: Arrange a circle of chairs, one chair for each participant and group leader.

• Completed and Laminated Action Plan Worksheets
• Certificates of completion or other token to commemorate achievement
• Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form

• Welcome – Group Leaders welcome the group, sharing how good it is to be together again.
• Participant Check-In Activity (5 minutes) – Beginning with a leader, everyone will share a small success during the past week. Remember to use the snap clap (snapping instead of clapping) and invite the group to give snap claps in celebration of each of the small successes of this week. As participants go around the circle, each person will greet the person next to them, saying “Good morning/afternoon ___________, it’s your turn to share.” 

• Presentation of Action Plans (30 minutes) – Leader reminds the group of several highlights of our work together.  We have: (read slowly and pause briefly after each item)
  • built a community together, as a group, finding things that we have in common
  • talked about good memories of home
  • shared our stories of the challenges of being a refugee
  • enjoyed spending some time together outside of our group time
  • worked on how to reach out to the adults in our school community
  • talked about the power of small successes that happen as we work on big goals
  • wrote an action  plan that helps us plan how to do things on purpose as we try to reach our goals

Now we are going to present our action plans.  When it is your turn, simply read your plan to us.  You may also share additional information to help us understand more, if you would like. (Choose to snap clap or real clap and celebrate after each person shares.)

*Distribute certificates or your completion tokens after each person presents their action plan.

*Allow for feedback after each member shares.  This should encourage and confirm what has been completed.

• Presentation Debrief – Ask the group these questions.  
  • How did it feel to share your action plan with the group?
  • What was challenging about this activity?
  • Now that you have completed all of the things that we have done in this group, how will things be different?

• Final Thoughts

Ask the group: What things do we want to share as we finish up our  final group?  What do we want to share with each other before we end today?

• Inform the participants that it is about time to close our meeting time today.  Congratulate them on a job well done and let them know how they can contact you now that our group sessions are over.  Remind the group that they now have each other to lean on for strength and accountability.  Check for understanding. 
• Distribute the Group Participant Session Self-Evaluation form. Students will take a moment or two to fill this out and turn in.  These forms have no names on them as answers are anonymous.  
• Dismiss.

References:

American Counseling Association. (2014). Code of ethics and standards of practice. Alexandria, 

VA: Author.

Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, Acculturation, and Adaptation. Applied Psychology: An 

International Review, 46(1), 5–34. https://doi-org.libproxy.eku.edu/10.1111 /j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x

Isawi, D. T., Bamgbose, O., & Fisher, T. A. (2021). Supporting the Success of Student Refugees 

Using a Multi-Tiered Systemic Approach. Journal of School Counseling, 19(6), 1–21.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries. (2021, September 10. Support Afghans in Kentucky.

Killian, T., Cardona, B., & Brottem, L. J. (2018). Refugee Children Acculturation: Group 

Process in Schools as Cultural Microcosms. Journal of School Counseling, 16(10).

Roxas, K. C. (2011). Creating Communities: Working with Refugee Students in Classrooms. 

Democracy & Education, 19(2).

Trotzer, J. (2006) The Counselor and the Group (4th ed.). New York: Routledge.

UNHCR. (n.d.) Frequently Asked Questions. UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency. Retrieved

September 27, 2021, from https://www.unhcr.org/frequently-asked-questions.htm #whatdoesUNHCRstandfor 

Crisis Action Plan

Ellie’s condition needs instant intervention through a comprehensive action plan. To sustain the recovery process, the action plan can be self-administered over a period that would be good enough to support full recovery. Ellie needs a comprehensive recovery plan that would entail therapy recommendations, environmental management, and general wellness activities aimed at alleviating specific diagnostic outcomes and symptoms. As part of the holistic recovery plan, a combination of both medication and other forms of therapy must be undertaken for Ellie’s case.  This is attributed to the fact that Ellie exhibits both severe and mild symptoms. Therefore, to start, medications will be administered to assist in alleviating and managing the severe symptoms, and different types of therapies will set in to assist in the progressive mitigation of the mild symptoms. To ensure that Ellie is sufficiently covered and takes the right action for every symptom in the required proportion, there will be a recommendation of the appropriate tool that will be used for self-assessment. This will give a precise indicator of the areas that should be targeted in the self-management intervention for the disease.

Action Plan

Capacity Development

The action plan acts on intelligence that is derived from the previous symptoms exhibited by the victim. The assumption here is that the measurement is likely to bring out results that have previously been diagnosed in Ellie. The scale will however give the variation of the symptoms depending on the levels of severity which would be elemental in the decision on the right intervention and action to be taken. In the beginning, it is important that Ellie understands her situation and that she needs to take action by herself at all moments. This comes after acceptance as this paves the way from intervention developing to set in. as a result, Ellie will be taken through the various types of symptoms and how they can be manifested through actions and changes in the body. This will enhance her level of awareness and ability to accurately identify the symptoms and act accordingly.

The patient will then be taken through the measurements tools and scales. This entails a comprehensive training session to give a deep understanding of the use of the scale and another related tool. This is important because if she gets it wrong at this stage, everything else including the interventions will be wrong. The capacity developed at this stage will assist Ellie in accurately identifying any changes in her physiology and anatomy about depression and measuring its intensity through the scale before deciding on the action to take (Simmons & Daw, 2018).

Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)

Diagnosis is elemental for Ellie at all times. I recommend the use of the CES-D tool for all the diagnostic processes. This is a convenient tool as it supports self-diagnosis and reporting. The tool is easy to use ad interpret and it can be a good fit for Ellie for self-screening (Lewinsohn et al. 1997). The tool gives results on a four-point scale which gives indicators of major dimensions of depression and anxiety. The dimensions can be presented as experienced within one week by the victim and thus sufficiently give the detail that would be used for intervention development. The tool maintains a high level of consistency through the reliability and validity of the acquired results. One of the advantages of the tool is that it takes short time for the administration. The tool tales an estimate of about 20 minutes for both administration and scoring. The CES-D is a comprehensive tool that has 20 measurements items including 4 statements that are measured on a scale of 0 to 3. The ratings that are in the tool assist the patient to select how they felt over the last week. The depression scores are categorized in a range of 0-60 with zero being the lowest and 60 highest level of depression. The self-assessment tool can also give various categories depending on the severity of the symptoms. The points from 0-9 indicate that an individual is not depressed, 10-15 points indicate that an individual is mildly depressed, 16-24 points indicate that a person is moderately depressed and more than 25 points indicate that an individual is highly depressed (Lewinsohn et al. 1997).

Depression Symptoms

Ellie is likely to experience various symptoms with variations depending on the situation and experiences. Some of the symptoms that can be exercised include:

• A sense of being unhappy and sad
• Appetite and changes and deviations,
• Lack of interest in some common things that she used to enjoy like interaction with and hobbies
• Sudden weight gains and loss
• Memory loss challenges
• Decision-making issues and challenges
• Lack of energy due to general body weakness and feeling tired.
• Feelings of being holes, worthless and guilty
• Too much or too little sleeping
• Feeling worried and uneasy
• Being less active or restless
• Headaches and stomachaches
• Sexual issues
• Low self-esteem
• Suicide and death thoughts or attempts.

Depending on the level of severity of the symptoms as assessed and given by the scale and tool, Ellie can then be able to undertake an intervention to assist in alleviating the problems. Some of the activities in the action plan are continuous and do not need any symptoms as they are pa of the holistic wellness plan.

Wellness Action Plan

The cycle of depression is likely to change with time. At extreme levels of stress and exposure to triggers, there is likely to be a severe attack (Hughes et al., 2019). At this point, the expert intervention must be acquired. This is likely to result in medication. Some of the commonly used medications for depression include Antidepressants. Upon administration of the medication, the victim has a responsibility and obligation to follow all the education instructions and timelines. This includes the use of the dosages and the timing of the right medications (Simmons & Daw, 2018). One of the best ways to do this is to embrace complete discipline and commitment. Just as prescribed, the medication should be taken daily. Even if the symptoms reduce in severity, it is not good to stop the medication process at once. At this level, it is important to have constant communication with the medical expert and directions and advice will be given in the discontinuing strategy. In most cases, it is a progressive process. The medication may in the first weeks have side effects on the body due to the reactions that may occur. The body will progressively get used to the medication and the side effects disappear. However, if the side effects persist, the clinical exert must be informed for prompt corrective action. In the event of repeated depression episodes, medication should be taken continuously and persistently.

Getting enough sleep is important. It is always good to avoid mood depressants and sleep medication (Hughes et al., 2019). It is important that the right amount of sleep is acquired which is usually 7-8 hours per day. To ensure that it is regularized, it is important to set the time to get to bed and wake up and make the body used to it the schedule. For consistency, it is important to take good care to avoid lows and highs that may be brought about due to social drugs, alcohol, sugar, and coffee. To ensure that this happens, it is always to talk about these things to people that care and are likely to assist in overcoming any extreme sleep issues.

It is important to take time to address critical physical needs that can be helpful to the body. This can be achieved through physical activity that can make the body regain the required status (Simmons & Daw, 2018). Some of the common activities that can be undertaken include dancing, gardening, playing games, cycling, and stepping outside to walk or run. The use of physical activity depends on the resources avoidable and the preference of the victim.   Discover a physical activity that can be done to enhance the level of fitness and mobility. Commit at least 30minutes daily to physical exercise as this is likely to reduce anxiety and depression and this promoting general wellbeing. During physical activity, moderate sunlight can be helpful and it is important to avoid extreme weather conditions.

There is a need to embrace a good diet to ensure the body is sufficiently nourished. In the diet, it is good to increase the uptake of the quality of fruits, vegetables, and water (Hughes et al., 2019). Avoid processed juices, packet foods, and junk. It is important to make time to enjoy cooking sessions of favorite food with friends and family. A healthy breakfast is advised daily. An increased uptake of fish and oils related to fish is important.

Positive social connections are crucial. It is important to have a solid connection with family, neighbors, colleagues, and friends at all times at work or home (Hughes et al., 2019). Positive social connections can enhance the level of well-being and alleviate the amount of pressure that is likely to lead to stress and depression. During extreme levels of depression, it is easy to avoid people due to some antisocial tendencies. Try as much to connect with these people and talk to them. Explain to them how you are feeling at all times as this can assist in giving you relive. Ask the people in your social cycles to be with you and accompany you as you undertake your chore and physical activities. This increases the level of attachment and well-being. It is good to always give something good to a friend or a colleague. Embrace doing good to those around you at all times. Find time to volunteer and undertake a community activity with members of the family and friends. As you enjoy doing acts of kindness to the less fortunate people in the community, enjoy and increase your level of self-satisfaction. 

It is always important to take notice and be cautious of the environment around you. Catch the sight of the nay beauty surrounding the place where you are and give remarks to anything unusual. Take notice of any changes to the seasons as one of the ways of increasing the levels of awareness of the world around you. Being grateful is important as it can assist an individual to appreciate everything around them. This increases the level of confidence and esteem. This can also give the inspiration to try something new at all times (Simmons & Daw, 2018). Through this, rediscover hobbies and interests. If it means taking a new course to learn a new skill, so be it. This increases the ability to undertake new responsibilities at work, learn how to cook new foodstuffs at home, and even lay instruments. For positive progression, it is important to set a target for yourself and enjoy achieving the expected and anticipated results as they set in. The learning process should be done for fun.

Finally, planning is always important (Simmons & Daw, 2018). This happens through identifying what you want to achieve in the future and playing out plans on how to go about them. Set achievable goals and objectives. Identify any risks and reflags and set out strategies on how to overcome them. Create a strong support system to give you backing when uncertainties are sharply heavy.

References

Hughes, R., Kinder, A., & Cooper, C. L. (2019). Living with Depression. In The Wellbeing Workout (pp. 139-143). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Lewinsohn, P. M., Seeley, J. R., Roberts, R. E., & Allen, N. B. (1997). Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) as a screening instrument for depression among community-residing older adults. Psychology and aging, 12(2), 277.

Simmons, M., & Daw, P. (2018). Stress Anxiety Depression: A Practical Workbook. Routledge.

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