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 thirty six reproducible handouts and forms--plus Spanish-language versions of the thirty two 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 sixty eight reproducibles are new or revised.
1. Guidelines for Setting Up and Leading Groups Goals of the SPARK Program Getting Started Selecting Group Members Structure of the Groups Group Leaders Presenting the Groups to Prospective Members Pregroup Individual Interviews and/or Questionnnaires Group 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 Groups Dilemmas 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 Use 2. The SPARK Curriculum Overview of Module Content Recruitment Criteria Module One: Trust-Building and Communication Skills Module Two: Anger Management and Emotion Regulation Skills Module Three: Ethnic Identity and Anti-Prejudice Module Four: Educational Aspirations Module Five: Peer Pressure, Bullying, and Gangs Module Six: Male-Female Relationships Module Seven: Exposure to Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Reactions Module Eight: Family Relationships Termination Session: The Party 3. Effectiveness of SPARK Groups Characteristics of Participating Group Members Family Structure and Distress Outcome 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 Groups Pilot Evaluations of New and Revised Modules in This Edition Summary and Conclusions Information Regarding Data Analyses Appendix A. Sample Materials for Beginning SPARK Groups Appendix B. Curriculum Materials and Handouts Appendix C. Sample Materials in Spanish for Beginning SPARK Groups Appendix D. Curriculum Materials and Handouts in Spanish
