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.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

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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.

Rebuilding & Reengaging: School-Based Grief Support Post Pandemic

We know the impact that COVID-19 has had on students’ social development, mental health, and academic progress. This experience has also significantly changed how our schools operate. Schools with high levels of grief that need support have competing priorities and limited staff capacity. This presentation will identify some of the various barriers to school-based grief programming and explore solutions to help programs rebuild their school-based grief support through engaging new school partners and re-engaging previous school partners.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support 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

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Discuss the changes and challenges in administering school-based grief programs.
Implement strategies to engage new school partners.
Discuss ways to renew and steward relationships with lapsed school and community connections.

Speaker Bios:

Elizabeth Carson is the State Outreach Manager at Kate’s Club. She works closely with the Program Director on KC Connects, the outreach program of Kate’s Club. As State Outreach Manager, Liz works to increase awareness of Kate’s Club within the broader Atlanta community, so that Kate’s Club can meet the needs of more grieving children in the Atlanta area. She also works to develop new partnerships with schools and community organizations, as well as to further engage existing Kate’s Club partnerships. Originally from Columbus, Georgia, Liz graduated from Emory University in May 2014 with a B.S. in Anthropology and Human Biology and a master’s in social work from the University of Florida in 2022. While enrolled at Emory, Liz was student director of the Emory chapter of Camp Kesem, a national organization that provides free camps for children coping with a parent’s cancer. She is also a graduate of Emory’s Community Building and Social Change Fellowship Program, where she worked within Atlanta communities on projects pertaining to asset-based community development. These experiences have made Liz a strong believer in the importance of peer support and community engagement.

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

Connect, Build, and Grow! Combining group work, play therapy and Lego building to explore grief

Discover how building Legos can also build social-emotional well-being! This interactive workshop focuses on the use of Lego-based therapeutic interventions for exploring grief. Participants will learn about the “Skillful Builders” model and will explore the benefits of group play therapy to better understand and cope with grief. Participants will also learn therapeutic techniques for implementing Lego-based play into individual and group therapy sessions.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Explain how to plan and conduct group session using Lego based activities and grief interventions.
Identify three (3) prominent dynamics in play therapy groups which support grieving children.
Describe two (2) grounding skills and two (2) containment skills that can be implemented in group.

Speaker Bios:

Stephanie Heitkemper, MA MFT, LPC, RPT, FT specializes in working with children and families around change including grief, trauma, and transition. Stephanie finds energy in utilizing play, creative expression and bibliotherapy in her practice and program creation. Stephanie is the owner of Resilient Minds Counseling, PLLC in the Denver Metro area and the Camp Therapist for Camp Jojo. Camp Jojo focus’ on supporting teens who have been impacted by suicide in a unique model that weaves mental health education along hands on adventure.

Meredith Hammond, MA, LPC, RPT-S is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor with a private practice in Northglenn, Colorado. Meredith holds a post-graduate certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy, is trained in EMDR I/II and Brainspotting. For Meredith, play therapy is a passion and she seeks to incorporate the healing power of play into her work with clients of all ages. Meredith’s passion about family and play continue outside the office, as she avidly enjoys running and enjoying the outdoors with her three sons and husband.

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

After a Suicide: Helping Children, Adolescents, and Teens