SPECIAL TO THE HT
As students head back to school, HopeWest Kids is once again offering school-based grief support groups for children and teens who have experienced the death of a loved one.
HopeWest Kids partners with school counselors in Meeker, to identify students who may benefit from grief support services. These groups are held during the school day, coordinated through school counseling staff, and facilitated by HopeWest Kids grief counselors.
Groups typically meet weekly for six to eight weeks, helping students explore and express their grief while connecting with peers who have experienced similar losses.
“School-based grief groups provide support in a familiar place,” said Ashley Collins, Grief Counselor at HopeWest. “In a small community like Meeker, creating a space where students can connect with others who understand what they are going through can be especially meaningful. It also helps remove barriers for families because parents don’t have to worry about transportation, missing work, or taking their children out of school to receive support.”
The need for grief support extends well beyond HopeWest’s palliative care program. In fact, 82.6% of HopeWest Kids participants experienced a non-palliative-care-related death. With an estimated one in 12 children in the state of Colorado, expected to experience the death of a parent or sibling before age 18, access to grief support is necessary to help children and teens navigate loss and equip them with healthy coping skills.
School grief groups are offered at no cost thanks to the generous support of our community. Families who believe their child could benefit from grief support are encouraged to speak with their school counselor or contact HopeWest directly at (970) 257-2390 or through our online contact form at hopewestcares.org/grief-support.