THE PROGRAM

FRIENDS WAY offers open-ended groups for children ages 3-19 and their families after the death of a loved one.  The groups meet on alternating weekdays.  There is no fee charged for participation in our programs.  Prior to the arrival of the families, the facilitators meet with the clinician to discuss the new families (i.e. Who died? When? How? How is the family coping as a unit and individually) and review the group activities.

Every evening begins with a meal provided by FRIENDS WAY to be shared by the families and facilitators.  This tradition promotes a comfortable and familiar atmosphere where families and facilitators can begin to connect with one another and build rapport.  Families often state that mealtime is a particularly difficult time after the death of a loved one, and this provides an opportunity for families to join together in a supportive environment.  After the meal, the families attend their individual groups.  The groups consist of children, pre-teens, teens and young adults, with simultaneous adult caregiver groups.  The rooms are designed and furnished for each age group.  The groups may be further divided by type of loss (i.e. parent, sibling).

All groups are facilitated by professionally trained volunteers and monitored by a masters prepared clinician who completes intake evaluations on each family.  Furthermore, the clinician develops curriculum for the group activities, supervises the volunteer facilitators, monitors the group activities, provides feedback to the facilitators and families, and provides appropriate community referrals.

The ratio of child to facilitator is small, based on age and clinical needs.  Through the use of creative activities including art, music, guided imagery, physical play, puppetry, story telling, journaling, games and role-play, children are invited to openly and honestly express their feelings and grief reactions.  Children are encouraged to participate and share at their own pace.  If children become overwhelmed during a particular group, facilitators offer to meet with the child individually or provide a safe space to vent feelings privately.

At the conclusion of the individual group sessions, all of the families and facilitators gather for the closing ritual of song, thereby enhancing the feelings of community and the connection.  When the families have left, the facilitators meet with the clinician to discuss the issues of the evenings and share insights and concerns.  If necessary, the clinician follows up with families and/or provides professional referrals.