WinterSpring has doubled its reach at Southern Oregon schools, expanding a program designed to help children process the death of a loved one during the school day.
The Medford-based program, part of La Clinica’s Learning Well, now provides free peer-support groups at six elementary schools, five middle schools and four high schools.
Program Manager Nancy Roberts said bringing the groups onto school campuses makes support easier to access for children and families already coping with loss.
“Our mission is that nobody would have to grieve alone,” Roberts said.
Offering the groups during the school day can also ease the burden on parents who might otherwise have to arrange transportation or fit another appointment into their schedules.
“The one thing that we can do to really help alleviate some of that pain is give the kids a spot where, when they’re at school, they can go and they can have their grief group at school,” Roberts said.
WinterSpring uses an approach known as “companioning,” an approach to grief support that focuses on walking alongside people rather than trying to fix or resolve their pain.
Roberts said children often experience grief differently from adults, moving in and out of grief between periods of play and other activities. Giving them a place to talk openly about the person who died can help them process the loss.
“What really is the most important thing that we can do for kids in grief is to talk about the person that they lost and to acknowledge that they actually can take more of the story than we realize,” Roberts said.
The school groups also allow children to meet classmates who are dealing with similar experiences, helping reduce feelings of isolation.
Younger children may take part in play-based activities, while teenagers use games designed to encourage conversations about emotions and grief.
Roberts said those conversations can extend beyond the classroom.
“They go home and they’re modeling what it’s like to have a healthy grief experience with their parents,” she said.
Guest
Nancy Roberts, manager, Winterspring Grief and Education Support, LaClinica Learning Well
