Anger Management Groups

Anger Management Groups

This item of interest is based off of a CBT-based anger management curriculum called Healthy Choices. This is geared towards high school students, but can be easily adapted for younger students. The goal of this group is to work towards three social and emotional learning goals: 1A.4a: Analyze how thoughts and emotions affect decision making and responsible behavior. This is achieved through focusing on the A, B, C model of the relationship between events, thoughts and feelings. The second goal it focuses on is: 1A. 3b: Apply strategies to manage stress and motivate successful performance. The focus of this goal is to help teach relaxation techniques, including deep breathing, counting backwards and positive imagery. The last goal is: 2D.3a: Evaluate strategies for preventing and resolving conflicts. In this strategy you will help students be able to use assertiveness and positive decision making to stay out of conflicts.

The format is an 8-week session with small groups of students who either have been identified from your experience, the Dean’s office or a teacher referral. Below is an example of what the 8-week outline resembles.

Session Outline

 Session 1 – Introduction

 Overview of the purpose and goals of group

 Review group rules, expectations, and confidentiality

 Icebreaker Activity

 Pre-Test

 Anger Thermometer

 Introduce Hassle Logs

 Session 2 – Triggers and Cues

 Identifying Triggers (Anger Buttons worksheet from Strategies for Anger Management workbook)

 Identifying Physical Cues (body signs) (Physical Cues to Anger worksheet from SAM workbook)

 Session 3 – Anger Reduction Techniques

 Deep Breathing

 Counting Backwards

 Positive Imagery

 Session 4 – ABCDE Model

 ABCDE of Anger Control

 ABCDE Analysis of Student Examples

 Session 5 – Effective Communication

 Assertiveness Training

 Conflict Resolution

 Session 6 – Skill Building #1

 Dealing with an Accusation

 Keeping Out of Fights

 Session 7 – Skill Building #2

 Dealing with Someone Else’s Anger

 Understanding the Feelings of Others

 Session 8 – Review and Closure

 Review of Past Sessions

 Completion Ceremony

Reference:

http://www.schoolsocialwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Anger-managment-group.pdf

Social.Skills.Autism

Social Skills with Students that have Autism

            For the past month I have been observing and participating in a social skills group with students that have autism.  The school social worker conducts the group with the entire class.  The teacher and the two teacher aids also assist the school social worker to run the group.  The purpose of this group is to help students with Autism build social skills.

A few weeks ago I participated in a social skills activity that appeared to engage the students.  The activity came from the electronic book Building Social Skills (2006) written by Danny Pettry.  What I liked about the activity is it helps people with Autism to make a connection between words that are related to social interaction.  Since students with autism struggle with understanding sensory information this activity helps them to understand the meaning of the words they hear from others.  What was also fascinating to observe was once the students understood what social skill the group leaders wanted them to demonstrate they could then complete the task. 

When referencing the National School Social Work Practice Model, this activity falls under the practice feature of implementing evidence based education, behavior and mental health services.  Though I have been in the group for only a few weeks, the school social worker has debriefed with me regarding student progress.  Specifically, when discussing outcomes, she identified two students that were non-verbal last year.  Both of these students can now respond to questions from teachers which is a measurable outcome.  Though those two student’s progress cannot be directly connected to the social skills group, as previously stated, the students could demonstrate the social skill the group leader was asking them to complete once they understood what task they were being asked to accomplish.          

References

Pettry, Danny. (2006). Building Social Skills through Activities. Retrieved from 

http://www.dannypettry.com/ebook_social_skills.pdf   

This is a great activity for students in social work group because it makes students identify their own strengths.  This makes students self aware and makes them look at the positives qualities they have.  They get to share what they are good at and feel good about themselves.  By putting the chains together, it becomes a teambuilding activity because it shows that utilizing each others strengths is what makes a team great.  These chains should be hung in the classroom or in the social work office to serve as a reminder for the students of their own strengths!

This activity is from a book titled “Everyday SEL in Elementary Schools” Integrating Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness into your Classroom.  The title says it all about this activity.  This activity is a practical strategy for teaching social emotional learning and mindfulness.
model: 

 Link: https://books.google.com/books?id=LihqDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=strengths+paper+chain&source=bl&ots=FmWI60o8qr&sig=6tIdB1ov0A6bsPGtN487lkul_wI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifwciWmpPQAhUFOiYKHT1QBiYQ6AEIKTAC#v=onepage&q=strengths%20paper%20chain&f=false

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Pyramid Cup

PYRAMID CUP

Purpose: An Icebreaker to practice effective communication and teamwork to complete the given task.

Skills: Communication, Cooperation, Coordination, Paying attention, Patience, Problem solving, Self-control

Populations:


            Middle/high school students due to the reliance on well-developed motor skills. Younger students may find the activity too difficult and therefore excessively frustrating.

Objective:

            Students will construct a pyramid from Styrofoam cups using only the rubber band and string apparatus.

            Use this time to reinforce any established expectations that are important for players to remember during the game. The challenge becomes that students cannot touch the cups, but may use their voices and the rubber band tool.

            To challenge the students more, one or two team members could be blind folded or students would have to remain silent.

Materials:

•                – 4 pieces of 3ft long string per group of 4 students

•                – 1 rubber band per group of 4 students

•                – 8 – 15 Styrofoam cups per group of 4 students (I would have extra cups handy in the event your students get    ambitious and want to build even higher).

Set up:

            Construct the rubber band apparatus by tying the ends of 4 pieces of 3ft long string to a rubber band. Excess string from the knots should be cut off and knots should be evenly spaced on the rubber band.

Process:


            Divide your group into equal groups. As the teams surround the tables, place the cups on the table, as well as your pre-assembled rubber band with 4 strings tied evenly to it. Have group members each choose 1 string to be in charge of (if there is an extra, a person will have to be in charge of 2).

            Instruct the group members to grab the cups with the open rubber band and stack the cups into a pyramid.  Add additional cups when the group completes the task of making a pyramid.

Rules:

            If the cups fall on the ground- only then can a member use their hands to pick it up and move it onto the table. Cups should otherwise never be used by the participants’ hands and should only be touched by the string/rubber band.

Debrief:

            Allow for the opportunity to help players connect the game to personal experiences, actions, and beliefs. You will want to reinforce any skills or beliefs you are hoping players will carry beyond the game.

Possible Facilitator Questions to Ask:

What happened during this activity?
What was easy or hard about working together? How did your group work together?

Did any specific roles emerge in the group? Was there one player leading or resolving conflict in your group?

Were there conflicts? How did conflicts impact your success? How did you resolve the conflicts that came up?

What peacemaking skills did you use during this game? How can you use these skills outside of the game?

            This activity is more structured and has a limited goal unlike traditional play therapy, however the process identifies several play therapy skills listed by Buser (2007), such as overcoming resistance, communication, competence, attachment formation, and relationship enhancement.  It falls in the school social work model as evidence-based practice and behavior and promoting school climate and culture conducive to student learning.

            I have used this activity as an icebreaker for freshman groups as it helps to develop group cohesion and allow the students to learn about each other. After completing the activity, the group has accomplished a task and worked together to complete a common goal. Observing the students throughout the activity can provide valuable information to the facilitator, such as communication styles and problem-solving skills of the group members.

Reference:

            Buser, J. K. (2007). Chapter 14, Play therapy. In C. L. Thompson, & D.A. Henderson (Eds.), Counseling children, 7thed. (pp. 414-446). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

More can be found on www.schoolsocialwork.net

Popsicle Surprise Group Activity

Therapeutic Popsicle Surprise (School Edition)

Design:

This activity is designed to be utilized in a school setting. It is best used with small groups of 4-6 students. It can be used as an icebreaker to get to know the group/individual. This activity can be custom designed for any group you are having. It can be tailored for any child/adolescent/teen ages 5 – 19. Each set of popsicles has questions on the back of the popsicles. The questions can be tailored to the appropriate age of the clients and group type.  For example: if you are facilitating a group on anxiety, self-esteem, social skills, healthy dating, life skills, depression, LGBTQ etc you just pick the edition envelope with the questions you desire. There is also an icebreaker edition you can do at the first session of any group.

School Social Work Model:

This item of interest meets the School Social Work model under the practice feature of “Promoting a school climate conducive to student learning and teaching excellence.” This is done by school social workers promoting a psycho-social environment that fosters academic engagement and achievement. This practice is implemented by the school social worker building supportive relationships within and between students and facilitating engagement between students such as small groups. (sswaa.org)

Objective:

The objective of this group activity is to increase open discussion about specific topics and concerns students are having. The goal is to have the students gain trust, knowledge, support, and awareness surrounding the topic and start open dialogue.  

Rules:

Explain to the group that they are at a hypothetical “Ice cream Social” and everyone is there to get to know each other better. Walk around the group and have everyone pick an ice cream/popsicle from the Popsicle Surprise box. Instruct them to lay it on their lap or table and not to flip it over yet. Once everyone has their popsicle ask for volunteers first to flip it over and read their question out loud and answer it (if they wish). If no volunteers just start cold calling on them.

Below are some sample questions from the icebreaker edition:  

1.     What was the happiest memory from your childhood?

2.     What was the saddest memory from your childhood?

3.     Tell the group a joke.

4.     What is something your mother or dad does/did that makes you angry?

5.     Tell the group three things you’d like to change about yourself?

6.     Tell the group three things you like about yourself?

7.     When you feel sad what do you do to feel happy again?

8.     Tell the group three things you worry about?

9.     Make a silly face to the person on your right.

10.  Tell the group one thing you like and one thing you dislike about school and why?

Below is are sample pictures of the Popsicle Surprise box:

          

created by Evette Robinson - Dominican University GSSW