The Child and Teen Program of Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado is the only program of its kind in Western Colorado that provides grief and bereavement services to children, teens and their families who are coping with the serious illness or death of a loved one. Specially trained counselors offer grief education and counseling in Delta, Mesa, Montrose and Ouray counties.

Children and teens handle grief differently than adults.  When a loved one dies, adults are often overcome by their own grief and may become unable to attend to the child's emotional needs.  We have learned that open and honest communication geared to the child's level of understanding is a critical factor in the healing process. See points about children's grief below:

• Grief is a natural reaction to loss.
• Children grieve differently than adults.
• The intensity and length of time one grieves is different for everyone.
• Children need to know that they are not alone in their experience.
• Symptoms of grief may include: behavior problems, drop in grades, sleeping too little or too much, loss of appetite and withdrawal from friends and family.

 

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Services Available to Children and Teens

Camp Good Grief! - Camp Good Grief! is a weekend summer camp for children and teens entering  grades 3 - 9.  The goal of Camp Good Grief! is to provide a safe and compassionate environment for children and teens to explore their grief issues with peers and to just have fun!

Teen Retreat - Teen Retreat is a camp especially for high school age teens.  The Child/Teen Center's professional staff guide campers through activities such as art, music, and storytelling, with free time for hiking and fun.

Itty Bitty Camp - a day camp designed for children entering Kindergarten through 2nd grade who have lost a loved one.

Individual & Family Counseling - Counseling can help children increase their coping skills, heal difficult experiences and grow.  The service is based on a sliding scale, whereby scholarships are available and open to any child who has experienced a death loss.

Family Support Group - The 'Forget-Me-Not' grief support group provides support for children and family members.  Groups are held for different age groups and utilize journaling, art, music and other activities aimed at helping families adjust to their loss.  These groups are sponsored through donations and are free of charge.

School Programs - Programs at area schools provide an easily accessible way for children to participate in activities such as:  support groups and 'Kids on the Block' puppet show that teaches children about serious illness and grief.

In addition to being funded in part by United Way of Mesa County, generous support from individuals, businesses and grants make this program possible.

Equine Program - Led by EAGALA certified staff, the Healing with Horses at Hospice program pairs kids with horses to process the thoughts and feelings associated with grief.  The groups are seasonal (Fall, Spring and Summer) and meet once a week for seven consecutive weeks.  The final two weeks involves a parent or guardian.  The fee is $25 and scholarships are available.