Children and Youth Services

Services for children and youth:

  • Griefbusters is a grief support program for children ages 7 — 12 presented several times a year in a series of six sessions.
  • New Horizons for Grieving Teens is a grief support group for youth ages 13 — 19, meeting at intervals decided by the group and providing social activity and discussion.
  • Age specific written and audiovisual materials on loan.

Understanding a Child's Grief

Children are always developing. Therefore, their understandings of death and their reactions to illness and loss are also undergoing change. Children grieve in ways that are both different from and similar to the ways adults grieve.

We don't always recognize children's grief because they grieve a lot through play. We tend to think they're "doing so well" or "adjusting so quickly" or that the death was seemingly of little of no importance to them.

But children need significant support as they deal with loss. Hospice of Salina, Inc. supports the belief that children have unique mourning needs as they grieve the death of a loved one. In response to those needs, Hospice of Salina, Inc. offers a grief group for children ages 7 - 12. The group runs for six consecutive weeks and each session is approximately one and one-half hours in length.

The sessions offer a variety of age appropriate materials, videos, hands-on-projects and music as well as time for reflective thought and discussion. Parents are expected to be involved and to attend the first and sixth sessions with their children. Education on children's grief is provided separately for parents at the first session.

For further information or to make a referral, call the Hospice of Salina, Inc. office at (785) 825-1717.

The Griefbusters Support Group

The Griefbusters Support Group is held 2 - 3 times a year. The group meets for six consecutive weeks on Tuesday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Call the Hospice of Salina office at (785) 825-1717 for the next date offered.

The groups are all professionally facilitated by Hospice of Salina staff. Specially trained Hospice of Salina volunteers assist with activities.

All meetings are held at the Hospice of Salina, Inc. office. All information is strictly confidential.