The Coalition to Support Grieving Students appreciates the important role that schools can play in supporting grieving students. This topic has rarely been part of professional training of school personnel or included as a component of continuing education offerings. This website was created to fill this gap. It provides training resources specially designed for school professionals, including brief video modules on a range of topics. Each video module is accompanied by a handout that summarizes the key points covered in the video; many of the modules are divided into several “chapters” so you can watch part of the video and return to a subsequent chapter at a later time. There are also some additional materials, as well as links to other websites, that can be found in the Additional Resources section.
Principals, assistant principals, superintendents, school board members, and central office staff have important leadership roles in this area. You can help ensure that classroom teachers and all school personnel are better prepared to meet the needs of grieving students and their families. You may wish to use the training modules for in-service training or recommend that school personnel view the materials for self-directed professional development. We invite you to incorporate this information into your current bereavement policies and procedures, staff training plans, and community education initiatives.
You will also find resources that address how to lead in the setting of a school crisis where deaths are involved. We will add more materials to the website over time, as well as periodically post special information after major national disasters or crisis events. Please feel free to contact us if you have suggestions for new topics or questions, or if you would like to consult with someone from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement about support strategies and procedures that could be used following a death in your school.