In some small groups it is good practice to have students set an individual goal. This is different than the goal for the group. Often members of a group will have different needs. In an emotion regulation group one student may have terrible anxiety about coming to school in the morning but another student may be terrified the fire alarm will go off. They can both be served by the same group because they need similar skills and strategies but to determine growth it is a good idea for them to formulate a goal specific for their unique need(s). I generally have members set their individual goal and rate it the second session since the first session they are really just understanding the general purpose of the group, taking the pre-group survey, and learning procedures. I then like them to rate themselves half way through the group to see if they feel they are making progress and what else they might need to meet their goal. Finally, they rate their goal the final session after completing the post-group survey. If they are still not making good progress that might indicate the need for follow-up.
