A Transdiagnostic Approach to Develop Organization, Attention and Learning Skills The GOALS Treatment Manual for College Students

A Transdiagnostic Approach to Develop Organization, Attention and Learning Skills introduces the GOALS program — an innovative and skill-based approach that addresses the unique array of academic, occupational, and socio-emotional difficulties commonly faced by college students with underdeveloped executive functions. This program consists of ten sessions delivered in a group format to help college students improve their academic performance. Over the course of these sessions, participants learn strategies to prioritize tasks and assignments; schedule and manage life responsibilities; cope with life stressors; identify relevant on-campus resources; prepare for upcoming exams; take well-structured notes; maintain motivation; and several other strategies designed to reach their academic goals. Each session builds on earlier sessions, so previously learned skills lay the foundation for the successful implementation of newly learned skills. This practical and easy-to-implement program includes detailed session notes for group leaders and reproducible handouts for participants including in-session activities, session summaries, and homework assignments. This treatment manual is an essential resource for mental health providers who deliver interventions to students enrolled in post-secondary institutions pursuing undergraduate or graduate level degrees.

Introduction, 1. Introduction to the GOALS Program, 2. Self-Advocacy and Building Motivation, 3. Taking Notes From Lectures and Course Readings, 4. Time Awareness and Tuning Out Distractions, 5. Prioritizing and Scheduling Tasks, 6. Program Review and Getting Organized, 7. Overcoming Procrastination and Coping With Stress, 8. Planning a Long-Term Project, 9. Studying for Tests of Varying Formats, 10. Summary of Program and Progress Made

Laura K. Hansen, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Director of Clinical Psychology at Mitchell's Place, a clinic for children and adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Birmingham, Alabama. Brandi M. Ellis, PhD is a Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training site. Stephanie D. Smith, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi and Adjunct Faculty at the Yale Child Study Center.