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