Respond to all 6 students discussion 100 word minimum

Due Sunday JULY 2, 2023

Must Read: 

**Please write response as a direct response to the classmate. Please don't write the response addressing the student as a third person. Correct way to response…… 

***Example: Hi James I agree with you and so on….. 

****Example: Please DO NOT say According to Ashley. Because we're supposed to respond directly to the student.

*****PLEASE RESPOND IN DEPTH

**************Group Counseling and Counseling Theories*********************************************

Discussion: Group Work in Schools Wk 1

Response 1-Michael

The Iceland intervention and the TED talk made me think of group work in schools in a whole different way, because my thoughts on group work were very narrow in the context of school counseling. When I saw the term “group work” in reference to school counseling, my brain immediately substituted the words “group counseling,” and I see now that was an incorrect way of thinking. Group work in terms of the Iceland intervention can be many things, it can be organized sports, or clubs for teens, it can be parents getting together to form an organization to work with the school, it can mean anything where people work together in the schools. The TED talk influenced my thinking in a different way, it made me think about students and community members who might be missed if group work is the sole focus. Encouraging group work might be great for many stakeholders, but who would be left out if group work was the only option we provided? What resources and insights might we be missing out on if we didn’t create spaces where introverts could contribute, and what students in need of help might not reach out if all our interventions are group work focused?

            The readings and the TED talk worked in conjunction to change the way I thought about group work, but also to consider the limitation of group work and to be aware that it is not a panacea that solves all problems for all stakeholders. I’d like to research interventions and outreach that are effective for introverts so that I can better serve all the students in my school. I found the TED talk to be very thought provoking, especially as it pointed out just how many of our teaching methods are geared towards extroverts. It made me think that there might be a connection between that focus on extrovert-centric teaching methods and many of the students who came to me over the course of the school year with anxiety issues. How many of those students were introverts who may have been at their limit because they couldn’t get a moment to themselves in class? How can I communicate this idea to teachers in a way that they will hear and act upon? The TED talk brought up more questions than it did answers for me, but it made me think about things in a way that I hadn’t before, which is the point of a TED talk!

Response 2- Mia

• In what respects do the ideas from the Iceland intervention and the TED talk on the Power of Introverts, influence your thinking about potentially doing group work in schools?

– After watching the TED talk on the Power of Introverts I have learned that group work can mean a lot of different things. Personally, in the context of school counseling, I thought that group work meant group counseling, however, after watching the video I understand this word differently. For example, group work can mean participating in organized events and sports with other kids to learn the process of collaboration and communication with other students/kids. Additionally, group work can also include parents. When parents involve themselves in schools, that essentially is considered group work in terms of the Icelandic intervention. Secondly, when I think about group work in a school environment (as a counselor) after watching this intervention, I hope to include more club activities that students can participate in during lunch and after school. Also, parent involvement can be helpful as well. They can propose certain organizations that might help students mental or physical health, therefore, I would encourage parent involvement regarding club/activity suggestions. 

Discussion: Interventions Wk 1

Response 3- Michelle

The Iceland intervention is amazing, and it's really eye opening to see what different countries do to change and tackle problems within the community and so executed as well. The decreasing numbers all around really proved that the program they developed really worked for them and they had the data to prove it. I think a huge need I saw within the article and community there was the need for family time. I know it wasn't touched on a whole lot in the article, but it was definitely brought up and I couldn't agree more. That was also an intervention that took place. They kind of started off with educating parents about the well-being of their children and how to support them. And supporting them means spending time with them. Children who know they are cared for tend to make healthier choices for themselves. I think in our own community we can host parent sessions to educate them about maybe the statistics of our community and ways and resources to guide our children in a different direction. An obstacle for this might be that parents are often busy working, and we may not get great turnouts, but we can try, and host even zoom meetings with incentives so that we get as many involved parents as possible. 

Having a district wide questionnaire might be a great start for anything just like Iceland did. And we need to be consistent in doing it yearly because problems and issues might change or evolve into something else. But we need to get these out so we can actually identify what our students need the most help with.  I think an issue that might get in the way of this is making sure that our stakeholders are on board, and we all have the same vision (or similar vision) so we can produce amazing outcomes for our community. 

The fact that they have these facilities that house so many options for these students to delve into is just extraordinary. They offer so many different sports and art related resources for the students to be able to put their energy in. I mean, we can argue that we have extracurricular activities in the states, and we have so many options. But sports are expensive here, really expensive. It really prohibits a lot of families from being able to fully commit their children to certain activities. I know this because we own a wrestling gym that is a business, but we also just got our non-profit side up and running. And our goal is to give as many opportunities as possible to children who want to be involved in this sport for little or no cost. To have quality and qualified coaching and people who care about your kids NOT just in the sport but wanting to develop great human beings is rare. So, I can understand how community funding can be a problem. 

Now the Iceland curfew for children 13-16 is a great idea. I have no idea how they police that and what the consequences are for children who break that curfew. But I can imagine that working everywhere. There is no reason why these kids need to be out in the community alone after 10 pm (in the Winter) or even midnight in the summer. I don't think that could ever work here but I would love to see a good try. 

Mosaic, E. Y. -. (2017, January 24). Iceland knows how to stop teen substance abuse – but the rest of the world isn’t listening. Triple J. https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/iceland-teen-substance-abuse/8208214

Response 4- Amelia

• What needs did you identify from the article about the Iceland intervention?

The need that was identified in the article was the need for alternatives for youth. They were engaging in risk behaviors such as. drinking, smoking and drug use as well as insolvent in crime. The community was to the point where they would not go out after dark.

• How many different types of interventions do you see in this study?

The interventions that were talked about was drug and alcohol programs that were not very successful. The ones that were successful involved buy in from families, schools, law enforcement and local agencies. Services offered were facilities where youth could participate in activities such as sports and music, Parents were offered parent programs, for low-income families they were given a stipend to help pay for sports and they were also going to help support transportation for student who did not live close to the centers. Rather than approaching the risky behavior head on and possibly alienating youth they gave them alternative to the behavior. 

• What three ways might you see these interventions in your school community?

We currently have 2 programs: the SAFE afterschool program available for all students K-8 that offers after school activities such as tutoring and arts. We also have Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOP) They offer Music, Sports, video game club, dance club and garden club to name a few.  Friday night Live is offered at all grade levels, this program is an outside agency that offered mentor, leadership activities. We also have traditional drug and alcohol counseling at the high school level. This program is offered through an outside agency as well on campus with certified drug and alcohol counselors. 

• What are some obstacles and challenges that might make it difficult to implement a similar program in your school community?

The major obstacle in our district is parent involvement, we communicate all these activities through school websites, notices that go home, social media and parentsquare (mobile app for the schools and district) and I still hear " I didn't know about this" "no one told me about this" or just refusal of service because they don't meet the parents specific needs for time and location, even though these programs are offered before and after school, as early as 6am before and as late as 6pm after school. All these activities are free to all students. 

We have an amazing Community outreach program that offers almost any resource that a family would need, We know we need to work on rebuilding trust in the community and making families feel welcome, because of these we have seen some small improvements, especially as we move away from the thinking of "this is how we have always done it" 

Reference:

Young, E. (2017, January 24). Iceland knows how to stop teen substance abuse – but the rest of the world isn’t listening. triple j. https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/iceland-teen-substance-abuse/8208214

***************Program Development********************************************

Response 5- Anabel

As Dr. Hatch explains in the video “Trish Hatch on data-driven school counseling in a multi-tiered system of supports” (MTSS) 2021) the academics, college and career, and social and emotional growth fall under the school counselor ASCA model aligns with MTSS model to provide all three components to the students.  All three domains which are academic, college & career, and social/emotional are delivered by the school counselor at three different levels such as at Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. at Tier one level.

At the Tier 1 level, all students receive district/school-wide activities, individual student planning, and district core curriculum.  Through the alignment with the MTSS model school counselors are to provide classroom lessons focused on social-emotional learning that will reach all students.  The same with career and college and academics, school counselors can teach in the classroom about those domains as well.  Pre- and post-assessments are the tools used to gather data.  At the Tier 2 level, consultation/ collaboration, and small groups/ individual/ referral to resources are provided to 20 % of students.  At the Tier 3 level, individual counseling, consultation, and referral to resources are provided to only 5% of students.  Usually at-risk students. The ASCA model aligned with the MTDSS model helps to develop the program to deliver services to students that are struggling academically and with behaviors that are identified through the gathering of the school-wide data. This will determine what Tier and domain are needed.  It is essential in a program to have consistency in the school setting.  To have a developmental curriculum, preventative design, and comprehensive scope across the district.  Twenty percent can be based on local needs.  Therefore, the data collected will reflect the needs of the school.  It will help to know what is expected out of the school counseling program. 

Response 6- Candace

• How are academics, college & career, and social & emotional growth connected to program development?

The ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies states that "comprehensive school counseling programs promote and enhance student academic, career and social/emotional outcomes" (ASCA, 2019).   The process of developing a successful school counseling program entails using the framework of a multi-tiered multi-domain system of supports (MTMDSS) as presented in the webinar Trish Hatch on Data Driven School Counseling in MTSS (2021).  This was the first time that I had heard it described in this way.  School counselors work in 3 domains: academic, social/emotional, & career. MTMDSS provides a data driven approach of services for students based on their individual needs in these 3 areas of domain (Hatch, 2021). It is essential for a school counselor to understand this framework because it is the foundation for what we do in our profession in building a comprehensive school counseling program. 

Hatch (2021) states that Tier 1 provides universal supports for all students including curriculum lessons, individual student planning, and district and school wide activities and events.  Tier 1 supports are designed to be comprehensive, preventative, developmental, and proactive. Next, Tier 2 provides targeted support to students through individual, small group, progress monitoring, consultation, collaboration, or referrals to outside sources. These are students who are exhibiting barriers to learning, struggling academically or needing additional supports.  And lastly, Tier 3 interventions provide support to students who are experiencing emergency or crisis response events, or have needs that are unresolved in Tier 2 (Hatch, 2021). Support is given through short term individual counseling or referrals to additional services. Understanding the MTMDSS is necessary in fulfilling our school wide role as counselor, to collaborate with administration in creating a positive school climate. I can apply this to my career as a school counselor when providing social emotional learning interventions at all levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Remembering how all of these facets work together can help me create a successful school counseling program.