Running head: GROUP DESIGN

Group Design Assignment

Rachael Bowe
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

GROUP DESIGN

Group Design Assignment

Transition to college group

Designed to serve first year college students, traditionally aged (17/18), who consider
themselves at risk to common issues faced by freshman, including but not limited to:
feelings of isolation (lack of belonging), feelings of loneliness, difficulty making and
sustaining relationships (friendships and/or romantic relationships), depression, anxiety,
homesickness, academic troubles, difficulty managing time, difficulty managing
newfound freedom, forming unhealthy habits/coping behaviors (i.e. drinking),
uncertainty about the future, roommate conflicts, relationship issues, money issues, and
stress.
o http://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/fye/students/transitional.html

Composition of the group

o 10 weekly hour-long sessions throughout the semester (tentatively Tuesdays, will
do a doodle poll to see what time and day works best for everyone). Time and day
of the week will determine location of sessions (will most likely be in Old Library
2112 like most counseling sessions)
10 sessions will be done as that is what the majority of groups on campus
do
Regular Therapy Groups meet weekly the same date and time for
10 sessions this semester.
o http://www.uwec.edu/Counsel/servicegroups/index.htm

Start week 4 9/25-10/1 (9/27) end week 13 12/4-12/10 (12/6)

*Off for thanksgiving week- 11/20-11/-26 (11/22)

o 8-10 students per group would be preferred, as according to the American

Counseling Association, the ideal group size of eight to twelve allows members
an opportunity to express themselves without forming into subgroups
(https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/ERIC%20Digests/94-02.pdf).
Composition of the treatment group: first-year, traditional students (aged
17-18), of all gender identities (binary and fluid), who feel they could
benefit from what the group has to offer.
Quick 5-minute presentations will be given in freshman classes
(i.e. introductory courses) and dorms to recruit members. Flyers
will also be posted in various buildings around campus.
A quick screening will then be sent to members to ensure each
member will benefit from this particular group and to see if they
qualify for other groups.
Presentation link:
http://prezi.com/kut0y1lopkpz/?utm_campaign=share&utm_mediu
m=copy

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Flyer in Appendix F below

Screening in Appendix A below

Literature review

http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/clearinghouse/files/DP038.pdf
o Describes a Transition to College program instituted at the University of Texas
Austin designed to, facilitate satisfactory transition to college by providing:
skills for relating to the physical environment; problem-solving strategies; and
understanding of personal adaptations required of each member. The goals listed
in the study have been modified and used to draft part of the curriculum of the
group here at UWEC. They include: adapting to a new environment, decisionmaking and self-discipline skill acquisition, meeting new academic demands,
clarifying sexual values and their expression, resolving separation and loss, and
initiating new relationships.
https://und.edu/health-wellness/healthy-und/relationships-support-groups-and-studentretention-mike.pdf/
o This study was used to justify the creation of the group and serve as a model for
how to structure the group. It found that peer-lead transition groups offer many
benefits to incoming students, compared to their peers that did not participate in
them, including decreased loneliness and raised social support by the end of their
first year. The scale used to gage progress was the Student Adaptation
to College Questionnaire (SACQ), which may be utilized if the university requires
an official gage of success for the group.
https://newstudent.wisc.edu/docs/training_brochure2.pdf
o This pamphlet drafted by the Center for the First-Year Experience at the
University of Wisconsin Madison gave advice for how to engage the students and
how to best work with them. The Tips for Teaching First-Year Students section
has helped me be able to work out how the students should sit in the room, and
how to make sure everyone participates. Their included ten transitional stages of
first-year students and the w-curve of student transition will be used as a guide to
help the students work through the cultural shock stage of their college career to
the acceptance and integration of it. A very helpful pamphlet to get in the minds
of the college students and understand what they are going through.
https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/ERIC%20Digests/94-02.pdf
o This article was used to determine the number of people that should be allotted in
the group and gave information about how the group should run and be ran.
https://www.perts.net/static/documents/Mindsets_in_the_College_Transition.pdf
o This article describes mindset interventions that helped first-year students
develop, social capital on campus to increase their success. These mindset
interventions will be modified (from upperclassmen recounting their experiences
as a freshman to the facilitator recounting their experiences as a freshman) to give
students the feeling that they are not alone in how they are feeling. Additionally, I
will bring in some of my peers as special guests in the second and eighth sessions,
so the students can learn from their experiences as well.
http://www.belmontwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/Look-inside-103-Tips.pdf

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o This document was filled with great activities to do in group settings. It was a
huge help in planning the termination session, as the activity listed in it took up
majority of the session.
Layout of sessions
Topics:
o Session 1: (9/27)- introductions to members and group
o Session 2: (10/4)-making friends (older peers to share)
o Session 3: (10/11)- roommates
o Session 4: (10/18)-independence/ time management/study skills
o Session 5: (10/25)- self-care/unhealthy habits
o Session 6: (11/1)- homesickness
o Session 7: (11/8)- new identity/new and differing opinions and values
o Session 8: (11/15)-seeing old friends/going back home (older peers to share)
o Session 9: (11/29)-end of the semester cram/thoughts on termination
o Session 10: (12/6) termination session
Ideas for group topics provided by:
http://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/fye/students/transitional.html
http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/clearinghouse/files/DP038.pdf
*Topics are subject to change if members want to discuss different things
Room design: everyone sitting in a circle or square, snacks provided, coloring and regular books
to check out, candles?, meditation music for self-care session, and small notebooks and pens for
each member for writing activities.
First session:

Introduction
o Hi everyone! My name is Rachael Bowe and I am a social worker here at UWEC,
Id like to welcome you all to the first meeting of our college transition group. Im
going to start by giving a quick rundown of what todays meeting will look like,
and then well get right into it. I apologize in advance for how much Im about to
talk, and I promise every session will not just be me rambling.
I will start with explaining what this group is, what my role is as a
facilitator, and what your roles are as members. Then I will talk a bit about
confidentiality, a subject that is sacred in a group setting. Then we will do
everyones favorite thing, which is an icebreaker, because I bet you guys
havent done enough of those these past few weeks. And we will spend the
rest of the session with an open discussion. Any questions before we
begin?
What is it?
All right, so this is a college transition group, created to help
students transition from their previous living arrangements, to the
new, sometimes scary college environment. There are a lot of
issues that first year students face, and this group is here to help

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students through these issues while providing them with a base of

support and coping skills to make it through this tough time. There
will be 10 sessions, each with a different theme related to the
transition to a university setting, throughout the semester, with the
final session landing on December 6th.
My job
My job is to help everyone communicate. This means, guiding
discussions, mediating between members, listening to what
everyone has to say, and being present with you all through this
ten-week journey.
Their job
Your job is to participate. Tell your stories, share your experiences,
give your input, listen to your group members, and when
appropriate, offer ideas that can help members. The beauty of a
group atmosphere is that everyone comes from different
backgrounds and has experienced different things, and therefore
has a unique perspective on the world. The trouble with a group
environment is that everyone comes from different backgrounds
and has experienced different things, and therefore has a unique
perspective on the world. We can make this a positive or negative
asset in our sessions, and to get the most out of this group I only
ask that everyone be respectful to others, even if they share an
opinion that is completely different from yours, and that we all do
the best we can to make this a safe and comfortable space for
sharing and growing.
o So Im going to ask you guys, what do you think we can do
to accomplish this?
o How do you all want to be treated and how can we make
sure everyone feels comfortable?
o How do we feel about the use of cell phones during
sessions? Romantic relationships between group members?
Punctuality? Sensitive topics?
Confidentiality
Answers from above may make the transition to confidentiality
smooth, otherwise a rough explanation such as this will be used:
really good ideas everyone, we have agreed thing one, thing two,
and thing three are important to our group and its success. I think
we have a good start on creating a positive group atmosphere.
Another aspect of keeping this a safe space is with confidentiality.
Does anyone not know what that word means? Confidentiality
means that everything that is said in this room stays in this room.
Im assuming you do not want your business spread around the
campus, and neither does anyone else, so to ensure that everyone
feels safe sharing here, confidentiality is a must. (May include use
of confidentiality agreement in appendix B from

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http://www.purdue.edu/caps/assets/handouts/CAPS_Group_Agree
ment.pdf)
Give examples of different scenarios and have them say if they are
okay or not (i.e. Sarah tells her mom that Johnnys failing their
shared class-okay or not okay?)
How do we want to handle breaks in confidentiality?

Ice Breakers-either/or:

Hometown-post a large outline of the state or country on the wall or floor, have
participants put their hometowns and names on the map. Ask them to share about their
hometown and how they decided to attend UWEC.
Paired sharing-ask participants to stand up and move about the room and find a partner
they dont know. Once everyone is in pairs the facilitator will announce the topic partners
can talk about for a designated amount of time

3 things you and your partner have in common

What would you do if you won the lottery?
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Initially created- Supply all group members with paper and a writing utensil. Ask them
to write their initials and then make a picture from those initials. Allows about 5-10
minutes. Then have them share
Ideas from: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/reslife/staff/documents/icebreakers.pdf
http://www.belmontwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/Look-inside-103-Tips.pdf
Open discussion:
Thank you all for bearing with me for the icebreakers. Now it is time for the open discussion
portion of the meeting. The rest of our meetings will not have these long rants that Im doing, but
will be more like what is about to follow. So, we are a few weeks into the semester now, how
would you all rate them so far? (I may start or have someone else start and go around the room
doing 1-10 rating system).
What is giving you the most trouble?
What are your biggest fears related to college life?
What do you like the most about the university so far?
Transition to summary/end of session
Summarize session-got to know each other a bit. Discussed purpose, roles, and rules of
the group, also discussed confidentiality, and ended with a discussion about how college is going
so far.
Next week: We will be discussing building new relationships and maintaining old ones. We will
also have some older students coming in to discuss their struggles and successes with building
relationships freshman year with us.
End activity

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Before everyone heads out, if you could jot down some things you would like to talk about in the
coming weeks on one of these pieces of paper and Ill try and work them into the rough
curriculum I have now.
See you all next week! Same place, same time!
Middle point:
Introduction: Hi everyone! I hope you had a fantastic week. We are officially half way through
our program, and it has flown by! Last week we talked about time management and newfound
independence, and learned and practiced some study skills. Today we are going to be talking
about self-care. Something that is incredibly important, and often forgotten about. But, before we
get into that, lets do our typical highs and lows of the week. Person 1, well start with you
*reminder of confidentiality
Discussion 1: All right, lets get into it then. Self care. Can anyone tell me what self-care means
to them? Self-care is any intentional action you take to care for your physical, mental, and
emotional health.
https://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/VIPCenter/downloads/self%20care%20defined.pdf
o What do you all do for self-care? What are some areas in your life you overlook (i.e. diet,
exercise, sleep)?
Activity 1: Take Self care quiz (appendix E)
How did you score? Were you surprised by your score? How do you know when
you need to do some more self-care?
Discussion 2: Discuss Self-care red flags:
How to know if you are in need of some self-care. Answer this question: I know my life
is out of balance when.
o Have everyone fill in their blank for that
o Some examples include: the small stuff makes me angry, forgetting to eat,
missing appointments because Im overscheduled, etc.
http://www.jessicamccoycounseling.com/blog/self-care-red-flags
Activity 2: Do Self-care Action plans (appendix D)
Does anyone want to share what they put on their plan? Any suggestions for other people
for things they can put on their plan?
Activity 3: To end we are going to try a couple of different self-care techniques. I ask you to
please bear with me and at least try them, even though I know they may not be your cup of tea.
Breathing exercises
o http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2015/01/relaxed-abdominal-breathmindful-breathing.html
Tense & let go
o http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2015/01/tense-and-let-go-yoga-nidrarelaxation.html

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Pebble meditation
o http://www.mindfulteachers.org/2014/09/pebble-meditation-mindfulnessactivity.html

Need: calming music & pebbles for everyone

Summarize: today we talked about self care and different methods and ways of executing it
Next week we will be discussing feelings of homesickness and longing. Have a great day and see
you next week!
Termination session:
Last hoorah for members. Kind of a structured party.
Greetings
o Hi everyone! Welcome to our final session of the transition to college group!
As always we will start with the last ever highs and lows of our weeks. Person 1, would
you like to start?
Summarize last week (discussed the end of the semester cram and thoughts on
termination).
Our final activity is called, Memos to myself and others and will take up most of our time here
today. After were done feel free to hang around for a bit, eat some food, and enjoy our last time
in here together.
Memos to Myself and Others:
All participants are given some stationery and a pen and are asked to write a letter to themselves.
Instruct them to share what they have learned or gained from the group experience, and inform
them that this letter will be sent to them in two or three months. Have them address an envelope,
put the letter in it, and seal it when they are finished. Allow about 20 minutes for this activity.
Another writing activity that allows for some privacy as it does not call for thoughts to be shared
out loud is as follows: Dole out to each group member a stack of three by five index cards, each
with a different group members name written at the top. Have group members take about 20
minutes or so to write in one or two sentences something they learned from or liked about each
of the other group members, signing their name at the bottom of each card. You could include all
the cards for each group member in the same envelope as the Yours Truly letter, or you might
collect and disperse each individuals cards to be taken home that very day. These cards often
will be cherished by group members, who can refer to the cards any time they want to be
reminded that others thought of something special about them.
PROCESSING: These activities are great ways to provide ongoing reminders for individuals
leaving the therapeutic group experience. In a few months, how quickly one can forget important
lessons, and the note cards and letter can provide opportunity to be reminded of healthy
messages from the group experience. One might see this as a type of time capsule that gives
individuals tangible evidence of a slice of their lives in crucial times when theyre needing a
reminder of a more positive time. The feedback to them might be a source of strength,
inspiration, and faith in their ability to connect with others, especially in tough times!

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Activity from: http://www.belmontwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/Look-inside-103-Tips.pdf

Thats all Ive got! Thank you all for being an amazing group and making my job fun and
exciting every week. I hope you got something out of our time here together and of course feel
free to email or text me if you have any questions or needs I can help with. Also if you could fill
out the surveys (Appendix C) I brought out that would be awesome, because we are always
looking for ways to better help our students. Thank you guys!

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Things to keep in mind:

Tell your stories, be open to new ways of coping and understanding, work through your
past as you create your future.
The help you get in a support group comes mainly from your interaction with the other
members.
The strength of the group comes from the members' personal experiences.

Tips for teaching first year students:

1. Seat students in a circle or square
2. Make sure everyone talks every day
3. Call students by name
4. Start each class with a high/low from the week
5. Be very explicit about what you are doing and why
6. Model appropriate behavior
7. Encourage students to use tutoring and other campus academic support centers
The ten transitional stages of first-year students
1. Post-high school satisfaction/Pre-college elation
2. Early-separation anxiety
3. Acute separation anxiety
4. The Honeymoon
5. The end of the honeymoon
6. The grass is always greener
7. You cant go home again
8. Learning to cope
9. Fear of failure
10. Putting it all together
The W-Curve of Student Transition

https://newstudent.wisc.edu/docs/training_brochure2.pdf

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References
Belmont, J. A. (2006). 103 Group Activities and Treatment Ideas & Practical Strategies.
Retrieved from:
http://www.belmontwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/Look-inside-103-Tips.pdf
Counseling and Psychological Services. (n.d.). Group Agreements. Retrieved from:
http://www.purdue.edu/caps/assets/handouts/CAPS_Group_Agreement.pdf
Gladding, S. T, (1994). Effective Group Counseling. Retrieved from:
https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/ERIC%20Digests/94-02.pdf
Knott, J. E. and Daher, D. (1977). Transition to College. Retrieved from:
http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/clearinghouse/files/DP038.pdf
Logel, C., Murphy, M., Walton, G., and Yeager, D. (2014). College Transition Collaborative.
Retrieved from:
https://www.perts.net/static/documents/Mindsets_in_the_College_Transition.pdf
Mattanah, J. F., Ayers, J.F., Brand, B. L., and Brooks, L. J. (2010). A Social Support Intervention
to Ease the College Transition: Exploring Main Effects and Moderators. Project Muse.
Retrieved from:
https://und.edu/health-wellness/healthy-und/relationships-support-groups-and-studentretention-mike.pdf
N.a. (n.d.) Ice Breaker Ideas. Retrieved from:
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/reslife/staff/documents/icebreakers.pdf
n.a. (n.d.) Interpersonal Groups & Workshops for Students. Retrieved from:
http://www.uwec.edu/Counsel/servicegroups/index.htm
N.a. (n.d.) Traditional Issues of First-Year Students. Wittenberg University. Retrieved from:
http://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/fye/students/transitional.html

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Singer, W. (n.d.). Teaching and Working with First-Year Students. University of WisconsinMadison. Retrieved from:
https://newstudent.wisc.edu/docs/training_brochure2.pdf

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Appendix A:
Pre-Group Screening
What do you hope to gain from participating in this group?

What do you think you will bring to the group?

Please briefly describe your previous history of mental health treatment and current involvement
with mental health services here at UWEC or elsewhere.

If applicable, would you be interested in attending any of the other groups UWEC has to offer
(i.e. attacking anxiety and depression group and/or general group therapy?)

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Appendix B:
College Transition Group Confidentiality Agreement
You have the right to confidentiality and privacy by the group leaders and other group
members. Confidentiality within the group setting is a shared responsibility of all members and
leaders. While group leaders may not disclose any client communications or information except
as provided by law, group members communications are not protected. As such, confidentiality
within the group setting is often based on mutual trust and respect
As a member of this group, I agree to not disclose to anyone outside the group any
information that may help to identify another group member. This includes, but is not limited to,
names, physical descriptions, biological information, and specifics to the content of interactions
with other group members.

______________________________________________
Group member signature

______________________________________________
Group facilitator signature

_________________________
Date

_________________________
Date

Adapted from: http://www.purdue.edu/caps/assets/handouts/CAPS_Group_Agreement.pdf

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Appendix C:
Evaluation of Program
What did you like about this group?

What would you change about this group?

How would you rate your facilitator?

Additional comments/questions

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Appendix D:
My Self-Care Action Plan

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Appendix E:
Self-Care Quiz

http://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/products/self-care-quiz/

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Mo Schooling, Mo Problems:

theodysseyonline.com

A College transition support group

Mo schooling, mo problems is a small, voluntary, support group of 8-10 traditional firstyear students
The group meets weekly to discuss different struggles first-year students often face
(including but not limited to: feelings of isolation (lack of belonging), feelings of
loneliness, difficulty making and sustaining relationships (friendships and/or romantic
relationships), depression, anxiety, homesickness, academic troubles, difficulty managing
time, difficulty managing newfound freedom, forming unhealthy habits/coping behaviors
(i.e. drinking), uncertainty about the future, roommate conflicts, relationship issues,
money issues, and stress.
o Along with coping strategies to help ease these struggles
The group provides an outlet to vent and a support base to help ease the transition of
moving away from home to college
For more information contact: Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu 414.217.7615
Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

Rachael Bowe
Bowere@uwec.edu
414.217.7615

What would oyou