Grief Support Services in Schools

Providing compassionate school-based support to grieving children

What Children’s and Teens’ Grief Looks Like

Services Available from Horizons Grief Center

School Based Services Available from Horizons Grief Center

• Sadness, loneliness, depression

• Fears, anxiety, worries

• Anger; fi ghting with peers or family members

• Trouble separating from parents/guardians or peers

• Trouble concentrating, drop in grades

• Body pains, headaches, stomachaches

• Diffi culty eating or sleeping, nightmares

• Individual grief counseling for children, teens, and adults

• Group counseling

• Camp Refl ections, a day camp for grieving children and teens

• Grief related workshops and services of remembrance

• Educational programs and trainings on grief and loss for community agencies, schools, and hospitals

• Wonders & Worries program to support families coping with a serious illness of an adult loved one

• Grief support groups

• Support groups for students coping with the illness of an adult loved one

• Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope grief puppet show program for 3rd graders

• One-time “Grief 101” grief psychoeducation sessions for children and teens

Horizons Grief CenterA Division of Hospice of Wake County, Inc.

250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607919.719.7199 www.hospiceofwake.org

Basic Information About the Program

G r i e f S u p p o r t i n S c h o o l sMany children and teens will experience the loss of a loved one at a young age. Experiencing the death of a close family member or friend often leads to signifi cant changes in a child’s or teen’s life, including a range of vulnerable and diffi cult emotions, trouble concentrating at school and home, and diffi culty eating or sleeping.

Horizons Grief Center, a division of Hospice of Wake County, is extending its grief counseling services to provide support group and educational services in schools across Wake County, in efforts to reach these grieving children and teens and help them to learn ways to cope with grief’s impact. We also offer one time “Grief 101” psychoeducational sessions to preteens and teens which normalize the grief process and grief reactions.

These support groups and educational opportunities are comprised of grief topics and experiences such as:

• understanding normal thoughts and feelings in grief

• expressing the pain of grief

• identifying new coping skills

• learning ways to handle holidays and special days

• connecting with peers who can relate to similar experiences

Who: Any student who has experienced the death of a loved one.

What: Grief support groups in the schools and other educational programs offered by Horizons Grief Center.

Where: All group sessions will occur within the school and during school hours, eliminating the need for arranging work and school schedules to coordinate outside offi ce visits, which can become an additional burden for some families after a loss.

How Much: There is no cost for the individual or school to participate in this program from Horizons Grief Center.

How Many Students Per Group: Each support group can hold a minimum of fi ve students and a maximum of 10 students. We can also arrange to conduct multiple groups per school.

How Long: Group sessions will last six weeks, for about 45 minutes each week. We will work with the school’s schedule to determine days and times that will minimize disruptions to the students’ academics.

Who are the Counselors: The support groups are led by trained grief counselors from Horizons Grief Center and are co-led by school counselors. Horizons Grief Center counselors have specialized training in working with children’s and teens’ grief.

How Can It Help?Children who experience the death of a loved one can feel lonely, frightened, and “different” than their peers. Enrolling a child or teen in this program will allow him or her the opportunity to connect with other children who have experienced a loss through death, understand that they are not alone, and learn strategies to cope with their grief.

How Do Students Enroll?For enrollment, contact Drew Pledger, WCPSS at dpledger@wcpss.net. To enquire about these programs, call Horizons Grief Center at 919-719-7199 and ask to speak to a Children’s Counselor. You can also visit our website at www.hospiceofwake.org for more information. We supply all materials for the grief counseling services, including the expressive arts materials, consent forms for parents or guardians, and letters to parents and teachers explaining the support groups information.

Grief Support Services in Schools

Providing compassionate school-based support to grieving children

What Children’s and Teens’ Grief Looks Like

Services Available from Horizons Grief Center

School Based Services Available from Horizons Grief Center

• Sadness, loneliness, depression

• Fears, anxiety, worries

• Anger; fi ghting with peers or family members

• Trouble separating from parents/guardians or peers

• Trouble concentrating, drop in grades

• Body pains, headaches, stomachaches

• Diffi culty eating or sleeping, nightmares

• Individual grief counseling for children, teens, and adults

• Group counseling

• Camp Refl ections, a day camp for grieving children and teens

• Grief related workshops and services of remembrance

• Educational programs and trainings on grief and loss for community agencies, schools, and hospitals

• Wonders & Worries program to support families coping with a serious illness of an adult loved one

• Grief support groups

• Support groups for students coping with the illness of an adult loved one

• Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope grief puppet show program for 3rd graders

• One-time “Grief 101” grief psychoeducation sessions for children and teens

Horizons Grief CenterA Division of Hospice of Wake County, Inc.

250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607919.719.7199 www.hospiceofwake.org