Helping At-Risk Students A Group Counseling Approach for Grades 6-9

Engaging, activity based, and effective, this widely used group counseling curriculum (the SPARK program) is designed for flexible implementation in school or clinical settings. The program helps youth build skills for school success and social-emotional growth while exploring such crucial topics as personal goals, ethnic identity and prejudice, peer pressure, violence prevention, and family relationships. Featured are 36 reproducible handouts and forms—plus Spanish-language versions of the 32 handouts—in a large-size format with lay-flat binding for ease of use. New to This Edition*Revised and expanded to incorporate new findings and field-tested strategies. *New module on male–female relationships.*New sessions on emotion regulation, communication, and relational aggression.*Strategies for whole-class implementation have been added. *Nearly half of the 68 reproducibles are new or revised.

1. Guidelines for Setting Up and Leading GroupsGoals of the SPARK ProgramGetting Started Selecting Group MembersStructure of the GroupsGroup Leaders Presenting the Groups to Prospective Members Pregroup Individual Interviews and/or QuestionnnairesGroup Counseling Techniques Developing Trust and Understanding Confidentiality Building Group Cohesion Group Process Developmental Considerations Maintaining Order and Leader Sanity Uses and Parameters of Check-In and Check-Out Issues in Ending the GroupsDilemmas for Group Leaders Handling Issues of Child Abuse and Suicidality Suicidality Balancing the Needs of Individual Group Members with the Requirements of the Psychoeducational Curriculum Dealing with Members Who Do Not Participate Dealing with Chronically Disruptive Members Parameters of the Group Leader Role Adapting the Curriculum for Full Classroom Use2. The SPARK CurriculumOverview of Module ContentRecruitment CriteriaModule One: Trust-Building and Communication SkillsModule Two: Anger Management and Emotion Regulation SkillsModule Three: Ethnic Identity and Anti-PrejudiceModule Four: Educational AspirationsModule Five: Peer Pressure, Bullying, and GangsModule Six: Male–Female RelationshipsModule Seven: Exposure to Violence and Posttraumatic Stress ReactionsModule Eight: Family RelationshipsTermination Session: The Party3. Effectiveness of SPARK GroupsCharacteristics of Participating Group Members Family Structure and DistressOutcome of the SPARK Groups Time 1 and Time 2 Differences for Those in the Treatment Group Time 1 and Time 2 Differences for Those in the Control Group Comparisons between the Treatment and Control GroupsPilot Evaluations of New and Revised Modules in This EditionSummary and ConclusionsInformation Regarding Data AnalysesAppendix A. Sample Materials for Beginning SPARK Groups Appendix B. Curriculum Materials and HandoutsAppendix C. Sample Materials in Spanish for Beginning SPARK Groups Appendix D. Curriculum Materials and Handouts in Spanish

Jill Waterman, PhD, is Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and coordinator of the UCLA Psychology Clinic, the training clinic for UCLA's top-ranked PhD program in clinical psychology. Her research and publications focus on various aspects of child trauma and on developing and evaluating interventions aimed at helping our most vulnerable children. Dr. Waterman is also a practicing psychotherapist in the Los Angeles area.Elizabeth Walker, PhD, received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2000. As a graduate student, she spent several years working with inner-city students in the Los Angeles area, and she currently works with economically disadvantaged, ethnically diverse high school students in Denver. Additionally, she is especially interested in integrating religion and spirituality into the therapeutic process.