UMKC
INTERNSHIP 5575B
FALL 2010
APRIL HAZELWOOD
Probe ProjectGrief Support Group forAdolescents Grades 9-12
Foundation
School Counseling Department’s Beliefs and Philosophy
The mission of the Shawnee Mission North Student Services department is to provide acomprehensive school counseling program which addresses academic, career, andpersonal/social development and promote vision, leadership, opportunity, and advocacy for allstudents. School counselors collaborate with students, families, faculty, and communities tofacilitate a support system of best counseling practices to assist students in meeting the highexpectations of Shawnee Mission North and becoming life-long learners and responsiblecitizens.
School’s Mission Statement
Shawnee Mission North develops life-long learners and responsible citizens through highexpectations for student achievement within a caring school community.
My Counseling Mission Statement
Every student has dignity and worth and should have the opportunity to achieve academicsuccess. Students are able to achieve when given proper support. By working collaborativelywith parents, students, teachers, administrators and other school staff as well as communitymembers I will ensure that each student has the support necessary to reaching their potential.
Developmental Needs of Adolescents(Teens)
1. Physical Activity: •Teens have boundless energy and dreamy lethargy •They have growing bodies and need time tomove and relax
2. Competence and Achievement: •Teens are self-conscious about themselves •They need to do something well andreceive admiration •They need chances to prove themselves (to themselves and to others)
3. Self Definition: •Teens need opportunities to explore their widening world •They need to reflect upon newexperiences and their role •Need chances to explore ethnic and gender identity
4. Creative Expression: •Teens need to express new feelings and interests •This expression helps them understand andaccept themselves
5. Positive Social Interaction with Peers and Adults: •Teens need support, companionship, and constructivecriticism •They need relationships with those willing to share •The family is of primary importance for values
6. Structure and Clear Limits: •Teens need to know and understand the rules of the system •The search for security byteens is helped by having established boundaries •Teens are capable of working with adults to set their own rules
7. Meaningful Participation: •Teens need opportunities in which to express social and intellectual skills •Throughparticipation, teens gain a sense of responsibility •Teens need opportunities to make meaningful contributions to theircommunity
ASCA Developmental Crosswalking 9-12Personal/Social Domain
STANDARD A: Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, andinterpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.
PS:A1.5 identify and express feelings
PS:A1.12 identify and recognize changing family roles
PS:A2.7 know that communication involves speaking, listening, and nonverbal behavior
PS:A2.8 learn how to make and keep friends
PS:A2.4 recognize, accept and appreciate ethnic and cultural diversity
PS:A1.6 distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior
PS:A1.11 identify and discuss changing personal and social roles
STANDARD B: Students will make decisions set goals, and take necessaryaction to achieve goals.
PS:B1.4 develop effective coping skills for dealing with problems
PS:B1.5 demonstrate when, where and how to seek help for solving problems and makingdecisions
PS:B1.6 know how to apply conflict resolution skills
PS:B1.2 understand consequences of decisions and choices
PS:B1.1 use a decision-making and problem-solving model
STANDARD C: Students will understand safety and survival skills.
PS:C1.6 identify resource people in the school and community, and know how to seek their help
PS:C1.11 learn coping skills for managing life events
Critical Problem
In collaboration with the counseling department, theschool counselor-in-training identified 8 studentswho had lost an immediate family member and werecurrently struggling with their grief.
While there were more than 30 students who hadlost an immediate family member, 16 specificstudents were identified as having a strong need for agrief support group and 8 were chosen for thisparticular group.
Intervention
This intervention was used for the purpose ofproviding grief support to 8 students in grades 9-12who have lost an immediate family member and areexperiencing grief.
The group educates students about the grief stages,process, and coping strategies as well as provides asupportive and encouraging environment for them todiscuss their feelings, experiences and struggles.
One hour sessions, once a week for 8 weeks.
SIMS
Students:9-12th grade students who have lost an immediatefamily member and are currently grieving.
Interventions: School Counselor-In-Training met weeklyfor 8 weeks with the group and provided a semi-structured,psycho-educational Grief Support Group that included weeklytopics and activities.
Measurement: A pre-evaluation as well as post-evaluation,Self-Observations and Self-Reporting,
Setting: School Counselor-In-Training met with studentsweekly for 8 weeks in the High School Student ServicesConference Room for approximately 50 minutes.
Group Session 1
Introduce Self and Purpose of Group
Name Game/Ice Breaker
Group Agreement Discussion /Confidentiality
Interviews and Introduction of Partner
Assignment—Bring photo of person who died toshare with the group or poem, song etc.
Group Session 2
Feeling Cards
Share who they lost and when.
How were they notified?
What was it like?
Funeral/Memorial service
Who have been their main supports?
Photos, Songs, and Poems to share
Grief Experiences Handout (Discuss how differentcultures grieve differently)
Group Session 3
Feeling Cards
Thoughts, Feelings & Actions-Discuss questions onback
Relaxation exercise to close group
Group Session 4
Feelings Cards
Things To Do Instead of Hurting Handout
Discussion
Group Session 5
Feelings Cards
Dealing for Memories/Feelings Card Game
Discussion
Group Session 6
Feelings Cards
Hands Touching Activity
Trace hands on sheet butcher-block paper
Write name outside hand and inside a memory wordand name of deceased
All connected to one another
Discussion
Group Session 7
Feelings Cards
Coping with Holiday Grief Handout (How do variouscultural celebrations affect grief?)
Discussion
Group Session 8
Feelings Cards
Plant a flower in honor of lost loved one
Wrap-Up
Pizza Party
Evaluations
Self-Reporting
Self Observations
NB
Pre-Group: wanted to meet other students with similar experiences
Post-Group: formed new friendships with students who have had similar experiences
HL
Pre-Group: wanted to meet other students with similar experiences and share current struggles with mom’s new boyfriend
Post-Group: formed new friendships and received lots of support as well as tips for how to communicate feelings with Mom
SN
Pre-Group: wanted to learn how to progress into later stages of grief
Post-Group: made some progress in moving forward and formed new friendships
KC
Pre-Group: wanted discuss ways of communicating her feelings of grief with her family
Post-Group: practiced and experimented with different forms of communicating her feelings
JN
Pre-Group: wanted to meet other students with similar experiences and share her own
Post-Group: felt very supported while sharing her grief and family struggles
AB
Pre-Group: wanted to learn about the different stages of group and coping techniques
Post-Group: learned a lot about grief and how to cope as well as made new supportive friends
RP
Pre-Group: wanted to learn about how to focus better instead of dwelling on his grief
Post-Group: shared his worries, fears and concerns which allowed him to feel some relief and no longer dwell
HD
Pre-Group: wanted to gain motivation to participate in activities and spend time with friends again instead of feeling overwhelmed by grief
Post-Group: began participating in sports again, hanging with friends and formed new friendships with students in the group
Summary
Grief Support Group has shown to be effective for the students who participatedin the study.
As shown in the previous bar graphs, the students improved in the areas ofpersonal/social development such as developing coping skills, expressingfeelings effectively, seeking support when needed, improved communicationwith family and friends, forming friendships and many more areas. Also,students attendance and concentration in class increased as well as participationin extracurricular activities.
If Grief Support Groups are continued in the future, the school could potentiallyreceive the following benefits:
Higher attendance rates
Increased number of focused students in the classroom
Increased number of active and involved students
Increased number of knowledgeable and supportive students whowill tell others of the benefits of seeking counseling services
Increased number of students with coping skills
References
American School Counselor Association. (2003). ASCA national standards:Developmental crosswalking tool. Retrieved fromhttp://mhscounseling.muscatine.iowapages.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/crosswalkformhsguidancecurriculum.pdf.
Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2006). Life-Span Human Development (5th ed.).Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.