Bereavement Professional

My hospice agency has historically offered groups to children and teens through a family support model in which a concurrent group is also offered for the parent/caregiver.  Our attendance keeps dwindling to the point where we are no longer offering groups.  Our impression has been that children and teens are over scheduled and families are unable to commit to groups.  We therefore tried offering a family activity night once a month as we thought this would be less of a commitment but it was not clinical and feedback was mixed.  We also used to offer a camp in the summer but no longer have funding.  We would like to continue to offer something to kids and teens but we are struggling to come up with new ideas.  Our latest thought is a once a season family grief workshop on a Saturday for 4 hours or so.  Our thought is to offer a variety of activities such as group, a meaningful art/craft project, a snack and screening a movie relevant to grief/emotions such as Inside Out.  My question is, are any other programs struggling to get families committed to group and if so what other types of programs have been successful other than groups and camps?

------------------------------
Heather I.
------------------------------

We have had similar experience with tradition children's services.  We still "offer " groups and will do one whenever we can get 4 or 5 children together.  Scheduling indeed has been the challenge.  What we're doing now is making a more concerted effort to connect with families (thru SW/Chap) prior to death of patient offering support and resources geared to children. We then have the same Children's Grief Counselor do the Bereavement Contact at 4-5 weeks.  This Counselor does a fair amount of support to parents on the phone as well as individual sessions, seeing the parent and child together.  I think we are reaching our families more consistently and giving them what they need and want.  We are offering a Grief Camp at the Zoo day in June.  After touring the zoo, we have a group activity including a talk by the docents about life and death of animals and how staff/animals cope.  So far this has been well attended.

------------------------------
Deb Kinnan, LPC
Mgr, Center for Grief and Loss
Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care
Colorado Springs, CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-05-2017 21:33
From: Heather Imperato
Subject: Children's Program Services Other Than Groups & Camps

My hospice agency has historically offered groups to children and teens through a family support model in which a concurrent group is also offered for the parent/caregiver.  Our attendance keeps dwindling to the point where we are no longer offering groups.  Our impression has been that children and teens are over scheduled and families are unable to commit to groups.  We therefore tried offering a family activity night once a month as we thought this would be less of a commitment but it was not clinical and feedback was mixed.  We also used to offer a camp in the summer but no longer have funding.  We would like to continue to offer something to kids and teens but we are struggling to come up with new ideas.  Our latest thought is a once a season family grief workshop on a Saturday for 4 hours or so.  Our thought is to offer a variety of activities such as group, a meaningful art/craft project, a snack and screening a movie relevant to grief/emotions such as Inside Out.  My question is, are any other programs struggling to get families committed to group and if so what other types of programs have been successful other than groups and camps?

------------------------------
Heather I.
------------------------------

Hi - 
For years we offered a support group where parents/guardians met in one room and kids in another.  The attendance dwindled and so we stopped.   What we do---- we offer support groups in the schools.  They are well attended. We have a full school services program.  We offer family programs a few times a year - attendance is okay. We have upped these and are have a stronger marketing effort. We offer teen retreats  on the weekend twice a year- sometimes there are 18 kids, sometimes we have to cancel.  We offer a number of summer camps and attendance is good.  We do a quarterly Kidz Healing Arts Workshop where they make something.  These are usually successful and only occasionally do we have to cancel.  (we cancel when less than 4 have registered).
We do see families as group - the bereavement coordinator schedules that.  
Prior to death, the art therapists have good luck working with the kids on anticipatory grief.  Sometimes, the bereavement coordinators see kids prior to death.  We have a children's packet for SW to give to families with good information and hand-outs.  
There's probably more - but I hope that's a good start and will help.

Diane

------------------------------
Diane Snyder Cowan, CHPCA,MA,MT-BC
Director of Bereavement Center
Hospice of the Western Reserve, Inc
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-05-2017 21:33
From: Heather Imperato
Subject: Children's Program Services Other Than Groups & Camps

My hospice agency has historically offered groups to children and teens through a family support model in which a concurrent group is also offered for the parent/caregiver.  Our attendance keeps dwindling to the point where we are no longer offering groups.  Our impression has been that children and teens are over scheduled and families are unable to commit to groups.  We therefore tried offering a family activity night once a month as we thought this would be less of a commitment but it was not clinical and feedback was mixed.  We also used to offer a camp in the summer but no longer have funding.  We would like to continue to offer something to kids and teens but we are struggling to come up with new ideas.  Our latest thought is a once a season family grief workshop on a Saturday for 4 hours or so.  Our thought is to offer a variety of activities such as group, a meaningful art/craft project, a snack and screening a movie relevant to grief/emotions such as Inside Out.  My question is, are any other programs struggling to get families committed to group and if so what other types of programs have been successful other than groups and camps?

------------------------------
Heather I.
------------------------------