Empowering Schools to Sustain Grief Support: A Train-the-Trainer Model for Lasting Change

Empowering Schools to Sustain Grief Support: A Train-the-Trainer Model for Lasting Change

In this session, we will explore how Good Grief and the Trenton School District have partnered to build sustainable grief peer support systems within schools, proving that the “train-the-trainer” model is both feasible and effective. Grief centers are often hesitant to allow schools to implement peer support programs and curriculum due to concerns about fidelity and long-term impact. However, by equipping schools with the right training, resources, and ongoing support, we have seen firsthand how this approach can become embedded in the school culture, making a lasting difference in the way grief is addressed.

This presentation will walk attendees through our partnership journey, showcasing the strategic steps we took to ensure school personnel were prepared to adapt our resources to their unique communities. We’ll highlight the importance of customizing grief support to fit the specific needs of each school, shifting the focus from external service providers to internal champions who can lead these efforts long after the initial training.

Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how the train-the-trainer model not only ensures fidelity but also empowers schools to take ownership of grief support, fostering resilience and shifting how grief is talked about within their communities. This model offers an adaptable, scalable approach to making grief support a permanent and transformative part of school culture.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only.

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Continuing Education (CEs) Available: 1.5 hours
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support professionals, school professionals
Instructional Level: Basic – 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

 

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Define the Train-the-Trainer Model.
  • Explore Strategies for Customizing Grief Support.
  • Identify Key Components for Sustainable Implementation.

 

Speaker Bio:

Evelynn Moon, MA,  has over 15 years of experience training thousands of educators and professionals on topics such as peer leadership, social emotional learning, empathy, self-care, and grief support.

At Good Grief, Evelynn works with schools and districts to enhance grief literacy through workshops, training, and curriculum. She prepares volunteers to lead peer support programs in the Family Centers, oversees virtual learning initiatives, and curates a monthly webinar series for continuing education. Evelynn is also a key organizer of the annual Good Grief Spring Symposium and contributed as a subject matter expert in developing the Good Grief Schools eLearning platform.

In addition to her role at Good Grief, Evelynn coaches clients at BetterUp, where she focuses on clients who are experiencing a transition and would benefit from non-judgmental support and accountability.

Before joining Good Grief, Evelynn worked in Social Emotional Learning, Mentorship, Peer Leadership, DEIB in Schools, and Comprehensive Sex Education with the Center for Supportive Schools.

 

Melda Grant, MA, EdS, holds a BA in Sociology from Howard University, an MA in Counseling from Rider University, and an Ed.S. Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from The College of New Jersey.  She is currently employed with the Trenton BOE as the Coordinator of the Trenton School Based Youth Services Program.

Ms. Grant has developed programming, which has included youth, inmates, and communities religious congregations, and the community at-large.  She has traveled extensively serving as Master Trainer of educators and community service providers for various State Departments of Health, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.  She has also served as a Facilitator for the New Jersey Human Development Corporation’s Project Rebuild – Family to Family Program.

Ms. Grant is a Fellow of Leadership Trenton, Chartering President of the Howard University Alumni Club of Metropolitan Trenton, Member of Chi Sigma Iota, Chartering Member and Health Committee Chair of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Central New Jersey Chapter, a Member of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, and a graduate of the 5th New Jersey State Police Citizen’s Academy.  She is also certified as a teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Instructor.

 

New York Life Foundation logo

Supported by the philanthropic investment
of the New York Life Foundation.

Introduction to Grief Support Series | The Kaleidoscope of Grief: Loss in Many Forms

This webinar is part of an ongoing series that will provide a foundation of introductory information for anyone working with or providing support to children, teens, and families who may be grieving. This series is not progressive; sessions can be viewed in any order.

Typically, when we think about grief, we associate it with loss due to a death. Yet, we know that many children and teens struggle with complex issues such as housing insecurity, out of home placement, family members experiencing addiction, out-of-home placement, incarceration of a family member, and a host of other challenging circumstances. While not related to a death, each of these challenges is in fact a type of loss. Often these non-death losses and the grief that accompanies them go unrecognized by caring adults. In this workshop we will expand our view of grief to include death loss as well as the more ambiguous non-death losses that sometimes go unnoticed. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the ways that children experience grief throughout their development, the principles of grief-informed practice, and tools to support children on their grief journey.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only. 

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

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:

  • Identify a range of experiences as grief and loss.
  • Describe the ways that grief and loss impact children at home, school, and in the community.
  • Discuss the principles of grief-informed practice.
  • Explore three ways that a caring adult can support a child who is grieving.

 

Speaker Bios:

Alexa Livelsberger, MS, LCSW, is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at Highmark Caring Place, a center for grieving children, adolescents and their families where she works to heighten awareness of children’s grief through consultations, presentations and trainings for professional and community groups. Lexi has a master’s of science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University and is a licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania. Lexi has worked with children and families in a variety of settings throughout her career, including community mental health, kinship care, and victim service fields.

Janet Arida, PhD, earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Chicago, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed clinical social worker and earned certification in Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Janet is currently a child grief specialist as well as the Outreach and Education Coordinator at the Highmark Caring Place in Warrendale, PA, where she oversees peer support groups for grieving children and their families. Additionally, in her role as Outreach and Education Coordinator, Janet works to heighten awareness of children’s grief through consultations, presentations, and trainings for professional and community groups. Prior to joining the Caring Place as a staff member, Janet was a clinical instructor and researcher in end-of-life issues in the School of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. During her career, she has worked with children, adolescents, and families in a variety of clinical and community-based settings in both the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas.

 

What Happened to You? Incorporating Trauma-Informed Practices in Grief Work

Supporting Children of All Abilities Who are Grieving: A Conversation with Jennifer Wiles

Serving Bereaved Children and Teens with Special Needs

*This playback is available to active NACG Members Only.

Calling All Kids: Building Community with 4 – 10 Year Olds Through Creative Expression

*This playback is available to active NACG Members Only.

Grief and Bereavement in the School Setting: Empowering Students Family and Staff

*This playback is available to active NACG Members Only.