GRIEF SENSITIVE SCHOOLS TRAINING
By: Kaylene Ashbridge, School Bereavement Liaison
Remember the principal who reached out to us to connect a family who had lost five—yes, FIVE—family members in less than one year!?
She was one of more than 400 school teachers, counselors, and administrators that we visited and trained last year alone as part of the New York Life Foundation’s Grief Sensitive Schools Initiative (GSSI). GSSI aims to better equip educators and other school personnel to support grieving students.
A partnership with a major impact
Thanks to GSSI, we were able to partner with New York Life’s local Scottsdale agent and longtime friend of Billy’s Place, Bruce Frank. Bruce and I work together to visit area schools to introduce grief resources and build relationships to offer greater support to students and families who are experiencing grief.
And we have been busy!
Last school year, Bruce and I virtually met with schools in the Peoria Unified School District, Paloma School District, Deer Valley Unified School District, and West-MEC School District. I was later able to visit many of the schools in-person and several times was invited to participate in a mental health fair or provide professional development training.
Now wait for it….. There is a Bonus! Each school that becomes a Grief Sensitive School, receives a $500 grant from New York Life Foundation to provide additional grief support resources.
GSSI was particularly impactful last year, when we often heard from educators that kids were struggling with pandemic-related deaths in their family.
Feedback from a local reading specialist says it all:
“This couldn’t have come at a better time. I have had 2 students share their family losses due to COVID with me in these first 2 weeks back to school. I am so grateful!!!.”
We directly see the results of this growing awareness of our services. After each presentation, we see an uptick in referrals, anywhere from 50-200% above what we generally receive. Thanks to GSSI, the wonderful resources, and our community outreach, more families are learning that Billy’s Place is here for them—their safe community whenever they need us.
Expanding our reach for 2021-2022
We’re already hard at work setting up trainings and follow-up site visits for this year. We’re aiming to have every school in the Peoria Unified School District and Deer Valley Unified School District as a Grief Sensitive School (we’re more than halfway there!). I’m also returning to schools that we visited last year to help strategize the best use for their grant award from New York Life Foundation.
Where we should go next?
Do you know a school or community organization that could use more resources or a partner like Billy’s Place to help support kids and families experiencing grief? Let us know by emailing Kris at [email protected].
And, please join us in sending our heartfelt thanks to Bruce and the New York Life team for being invaluable members of the Billy’s Place community.
To a healthy school year!
