School-Based Grief Support Group
Transportation and family schedules often prohibit bereaved youth from attending a grief support group at the Center. Mourning Hope partners with local public and parochial schools to offer school-based grief support groups for bereaved students.
Children's school bereavement groups offer a safe, natural environment for children to support one another. These groups help prevent negative consequences related to unresolved childhood grief such as difficulty with classroom concentration, behavioral problems, social isolation and withdrawal, depression, truancy, substance use and even suicide. One of the greatest program benefits is youth recognizing they are not alone in their grief.
These school-based services occur weekly during school hours and are co-facilitated by a school employee and a Mourning Hope trained facilitator. Groups are designed to support grieving youth of various ages. All materials are supplied by Mourning Hope and there is no cost for the school or the youth to participate.
School personnel interested in hosting a program at their school should contact Amy Lipins, Grief Education Director, alipins@mourninghope.org.
A limited number of groups are provided each semester and are implemented on a first-come, first-served basis.
