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Support and Education What does School Support & Education mean? Annie’s Hope provides training and education for the personnel of schools, preschools, and day cares about what a grieving student may experience, express, and need throughout his healing process. Guidelines on how to best foster the grieving process is explored while tools for support are shared. Annie’s Hope offers school-based support groups for students who otherwise would not be able to attend groups. One school staff person is required to be present for the sessions. Ideally, the personnel of a school would continue the groups on a regular basis after Annie’s Hope has terminated direct involvement. Another manner in which Annie’s Hope supports area school districts is through the development of or enhancement of a Crisis Intervention Response Team. In the event that a death occurs to a staff member or student, the plan is implemented to the degree necessary. Who is eligible for the staff education? All staff is welcome to engage in the training. There are no restrictions for position or responsibility. What does the staff training consist of? The training for staff can include, but is not limited to, “What is grief in a student?”, “How is grief different between adults and kids?”, “How can I assess grief?”, “How can I help a grieving student?”, “How can I help a large group of grieving students?”, “How can I work with the family of a grieving student?”, and “How can we support each other as we reach out to grieving students?”. Where does the staff education take place? Most often, the training takes place on school grounds right after school or in the evening. The number of sessions required varies. For basic grief awareness, training can be complete in one or two meetings. For support group facilitation, the number extends to 30 hours of training across ten meetings. What students would most likely be eligible for a support group within the school? The students who are usually identified for on-site support groups are those that do not have the family support network to ensure their weekly attendance, do not have transportation, or do not have finances to pay for transportation. There are no limitations regarding the length of time since the death, the cause of death, the relationship to the deceased, or the number of death experiences. What are the details regarding the on-site supports groups for students? The goals of the support groups are to expose the children to others who are experiencing similar losses, to help the students feel more normal about their grief process, to introduce more ways of healthy coping, and to open communication about sensitive aspects of their pain. All students that are suggested for group involvement must have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. The support groups last from 45 minutes to 1 1⁄2 hours each session. There are 6 to 8 sessions each set. The number of participants is limited to 8 per age group. The sessions occur during or immediately after school, whichever works best with the school schedule. There is a focus each week that is tailored to best meet the needs revealed by the members. The sessions are activity-centered, not talk-centered. Some of the tools used during the groups include: puppetry, clay work, storytelling, drawing, creative writing, music, body movement, relaxation, collage, journaling, graffiti walls, & adaptive games. What does it cost for a student to be involved? There is no charge for students to participate. Any family who can make a donation is encouraged to do so. A donation/honorarium from the school is highly encouraged. What does the development of a Crisis Intervention Response Team entail? A Crisis Intervention Response Team consists of a variety of persons who will function as the coordinators to ensure a calm, thorough, accurate, timely, and organized reaction to a crisis. Some of the staff persons often involved are the principal, a few teachers, a counselor or two, the school nurse, a clergy person, community resource persons and a grief specialist. A plan is designed so that a safe environment (physically and emotionally) can be available for the students, that emotional support is offered to the students, families, and staff, and that communication of the situation can be shared with appropriate audiences in a smooth, efficient manner. This plan, like any other emergency plan, should be reviewed and practiced on a regular basis. Practice enhances familiarity, comfort, and efficiency. For further information please contact
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