Introduction to Grief Support Series | How to Develop and Implement School-Based Grief Support

It is imperative that schools are able to provide grief support to bereaved students to ensure that they are not significantly impacted relationally, academically, or emotionally. When adequate grief support is not provided, it can lead to long-term relationship, academic, and career functioning disruptions. School-based grief support allows schools to support their students and staff in a manner that is conducive to a learning environment. This presentation will cover the multitude of ways that schools can support their students and staff. The development of these programs will be discussed, including the presentation material for childhood bereavement training for school professionals, how to provide direct support after the loss of students or staff, and how to equip school professionals with the tools and knowledge to support their bereaved students.  How to implement a successful ongoing grief support group and one-on-one grief support sessions with students will also be discussed. This presentation will also include a demonstration of the tools and lesson plans used to aid in the discussion of grief with both students and school professionals.

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Target Audience: Students, interns, individuals entering the field of childhood bereavement, new staff members, new counselors, group facilitators, volunteers, anyone who wants to invest in their practice.
Instructional Level: Novice – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way.
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Develop a school-based grief support program to support bereaved students. Utilize current models as a guide, such as New Hope Center for Grief Support’s school-based grief support model.
• Create content and presentation materials to provide childhood bereavement training for school professionals so they feel better equipped to support students.
• Implement a grief support group within the schools to allow bereaved students to connect with one another to learn more about their emotions and reactions to grief.
• Construct developmentally appropriate activities and lesson plans to use during support groups and one-on-one sessions with students.
• Adapt program content and activities based on developmental stages.

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Frush came on board as outreach and event coordinator in the summer of 2018. Her passion and energy helped increase New Hope’s reach and impact, leading to her taking on the position of interim and then full Executive Director in January of 2020. She participates in the National Alliance for Children’s Grief online learning and webinars and other training. Jennifer sits on the following councils: Northville Community Cares, Ascension Community Health Advisory Committee, Community Mental Health Association through St. Mary Mercy Hospital’s Let’s Continue the Conversation Committee. She collaborates with eight Wayne Western School Districts. She is a trained facilitator for The Leader in Me school programs. She developed and led training for The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Families for Marine Elementary School. Additionally, Hegira Health invited Jennifer to speak at their Focus on Zero suicide prevention conference and to moderate their celebrity panel. Like other staff and volunteers, she received Trauma Informed Training and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Crisis Training, attended and participated several 2023 NACG Grief Conferences, recently attending the 2023 NACG Grief Conference and Training. Jennifer conducts Grief Sensitivity Training, Childhood Bereavement Training, Facilitator Training, and more serving as the Executive Director.

Laurel Neitling, BA, joined the team in July 2023 as the Circles of Hope Program Manager. She previously graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minor in management. She previously volunteered with New Hope as a support group facilitator. She experienced the loss of her father as a young child, and that led to a passion for helping bereaved families get the support they need. Laurel has had the privilege of watching many of our participants grow through their grief journeys, and she is grateful to work alongside such dedicated volunteers and staff members to offer grief support services to the bereaved.