Course Syllabus

HR 5433 - Group Counseling in Human Relations

Faculty Contact Information

This table includes information about how to contact your instructor and other important details about your class.

	Office Hours: By appointment via Zoom  Email: amylepper@ou.edu   Live Group Session: Mondays, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Central (Note: extended Live Group Session time is a CACREP requirement) Zoom link Meeting ID: 954 1826 9110 Password: 43147510
Amy Lepper, MS, LPC, NCC, ACS Adjunct Human Relations Department

Course Details

For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Course Description

This course examines a variety of group counseling models including:

• types of groups (process, solution-focused, action-oriented)
• the role of the group counselor
• the role of group members
• techniques and strategies for facilitating group work

Course Prerequisites 

• HR 5003 - Theoretical Foundations in Human Relations Counseling / HR 5533 - Counseling Theories in CMHC
• HR 5402 - Psycho-Social Development / HR 5923 - Human Growth & Development
• HR 5883 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession
• HR 5483 - Diagnosis in Human Relations Counseling
• HR 5453 - Ethics in Human Relations Counseling
• HR 5643 - Crisis Intervention / Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling

Course Materials

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and Practice, 10th Edition. Cengage Learning. ISBN 9781305865709

Methods of Instruction

The following will be used in the delivery of this course:

• Independent readings
• Lecture
• Synchronous discussion (Live Sessions)
• Videos 
• Online content (Canvas)
• Asynchronous discussion

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Minimum Technology Requirements

Participating in OU Online programs requires specific technologies. To participate in class and navigate other technological requirements, you will need the following:

• Computer with webcam
• Microsoft Office
• Google Chrome/Firefox
• Reliable Internet
• OU Email

Consider the following tips:

• To be effective in your courses you will need regular access to a computer and a stable internet connection.
• Although mobile devices (i.e., smart phones) are great for checking your grades or watching a video, OU does not recommend relying on them as your primary method for taking a course online or face to face.
• Many times, professors will add course media and assignment drop boxes to Canvas and you need reliable access.
• Computer labs are available on campus in the OU library and rooms can be reserved for privacy.
  • Most town libraries will also have access to technology labs in your hometown.
• You can watch and participate in online courses on your smartphone, but it may make reading the PDFs provided more difficult. We recommend a larger device to access online course content.
• Weather, or shelter-in-place mandates may require at home access to technology. Weather may be unpredictable and can cause alternate sources of class time such as an online zoom meeting. Accessing a webcam and microphone is important.
• Online courses typically have opportunities for students to use audio/video to submit assignments or participate in activities. These accessories will increase course interactivity and can connect you to your instructors as well as your fellow classmates.

For more support contact the OU Instructional Technology Service Portal

You are expected to:

• Check your OU email daily and OU Canvas for updates on classes.
• Use word processing programs such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs for assignments.
• Send or receive email attachments and communicate with your instructor or advisor.
• Search databases for research in the library resources.

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Learning Outcomes & CACREP Standards

Group Counseling

Course Learning Outcomes and CACREP standards are listed in the table below

Learning Outcome	CACREP Standard
theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work	3.F.1
dynamics associated with group process and development	3.F.2
therapeutic factors of group work and how they contribute to group effectiveness	3.F.3
characteristics and functions of effective group leaders	3.F.4
approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members	3.F.5
application of technology related to group counseling and group work	3.F.6
types of groups, settings, and other considerations that affect conducting groups	3.F.7
culturally sustaining and developmentally responsive strategies for designing and facilitating groups	3.F.8
ethical and legal considerations relative to the delivery of group counseling and group work across service delivery modalities	3.F.9
direct experiences in which counseling students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term	3.F.10

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track

Course Learning Outcomes and CACREP standards are listed in the table below

Learning Outcome	CACREP Standard
techniques and interventions for prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues.	5.C.5

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Grades

Course activities and grades listed for each activity

Activity	CACREP Standards	Description	Points
Participation	3.F.1, 3.F.2, 3.F.3, 3.F.4, 3.F.5, 3.F.6, 3.F.7, 3.F.8, 3.F.9, 3.F.10, & 5.C.5	Points will be based on Group Session participation and discussion boards	400
Group Counseling Proposal: Part A	3.F.1, 3.F.3, 3.F.5, & 3.F.7	Group assignment: Introduction and rationale for your group counseling proposal	100
Group Experience & Reflection	3.F.2, 3.F.3, 3.F.4, 3.F.10, & 5.C.5	3-4 page written reflection on your experience participating in 10 hours of group counseling	100
*Group Counseling Proposal: Parts B & C	3.F.1, 3.F.2, 3.F.3, 3.F.4, 3.F.5, 3.F.6, 3.F.7, 3.F.8, 3.F.9, & 5.C.5	Group assignment: Operation of the group and digital advertisement	200
Final Exam	3.F.1, 3.F.2, 3.F.3, 3.F.4, 3.F.5, 3.F.7, 3.F.8, & 3.F.9	Multiple-choice exam	100
		Total	900

*Indicates Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This is an intentional formative assessment to assure you take away the core information necessary to be a successful professional counselor.

Scale

Grade Scale

Points	Letter Grade
895-1000	A
795-894	B
695-794	C
595-694	D
0-594	F

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Course Components

Participation 

You earn participation points in two ways:

1. Group Sessions Experience - There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Group Sessions. Remember, these Group Sessions will count toward your final grade, and they are a CACREP requirement. You need to participate in a group experience for a minimum of 10 hours this semester to receive credit for this course. You will be expected to observe and apply leadership skills as well.
   • Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Group Sessions in real-time. Each session is 90-minutes long. Your instructor will keep track of your attendance if you participate live.
   • Participate in an Outside Group: If your time zone, work, or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, you will need to find, attend, and pay for (if applicable) group counseling sessions through the University Counseling Center or in your local community. Your total participation should amount to a minimum of 10 hours during the semester. You can opt to participate in an outside group for the full 10 hours, or you can supplement missed live Group Sessions with outside group counseling sessions to reach the 10-hour minimum. To receive credit for participation in outside group sessions, you must submit a signed copy of the Proof of Attendance form by the end of Module 8. If you miss the week's live group session, you will need to click on the "Start Assignment" button to type your outside group participation plan into the text field. 

     Note: You only need to submit something here in option 2 for a missed live Group Session by 11:59pm Central on Sunday.

2. Weekly Discussion Boards - In lieu of meeting to discuss required readings, students will complete weekly essay-style discussion assignments for each lesson.

• • • • • Each student will complete an original post in response to the discussion questions provided.
        • Responses should be a minimum of a half-page essay post (this will equal approximately 2 paragraphs).
        • The response posts are due each week on Friday by 11:59 PM.
        • In addition, students will be required to reply to at least two of their classmates' essay posts each week.
        • These replies are due on Sunday by 11:59 PM each week. Replies should be respectful and insightful.
        • Replies are to be a minimum of four full sentences in length. 

Group Counseling Proposal: Part A

(Due Week 4)

Group Experience & Reflection

(Due Week 6)

For this assignment, you will attend 10 hours of group counseling sessions as a part of the course's live Group Sessions or through an outside group experience at the University Counseling Center or in your community. Then, you will submit a written reflection about your experience. 

*Group Counseling Proposal: Parts B & C

(Due Week 7)

Final Exam

(Due Week 8)

The final exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions covering content from text and other course resources. You will have two hours to complete it.

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Course Policies

Communication

If you need to get in touch with me, please do so by email at amylepper@ou.edu

I will respond within 24 hours on Monday through Friday. I do not always check email over the weekend, so please wait until Monday for a reply. 

Late Policy

All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. CST on the date listed. Late assignments will not be accepted. Deviations from this requirement on any one of the assignments must be coordinated with me in advance for approval. Exceptions will be made only for document Provost-approved University-sponsored activities or legally required activities such as emergency military service, jury duty, or documented serious illness or emergency and then only after discussion with me. Contact me by email if an emergency situation occurs.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

per CACREP Standards 1.I. & 1.M.8

The OU CMHC program fosters a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. Our OU Human Relations faculty and students are diverse in their cultures and beliefs. Throughout the OU environment, including the CMHC program, we uphold the pillars of awareness, education, and advocacy. We critically examine campus climate with its biases, assumptions, institutional structure, and worldviews. We strive together to mitigate inequities, to grow intellectually and personally through meaningful diversity interactions, conscious conversations, and meaningful experiences. We work to reduce barriers, to promote conscious civil conversations, and to help all contribute as individuals, community members, and professionals in preparing our students to compete in a diverse, global, and integrated world.

As faculty of the CMHC program and mental health professionals, we strive to uphold ACA ethical guidelines important to the counseling profession in addition to the OU values of empathy, accountability, civil dialogue, collaboration, equity, integrity, and mutual respect. The goal of the CMHC program is to engage, serve and yield qualified and diverse students, equipping them with the tools needed to serve, educate, and empower our diverse communities.

Plagiarism 

Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.

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University Academic Policies and Student Support

Access the University Academic Policies Document.