Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan
Genuine, compassionate, flexible, tireless energy. These words only begin to capture our partner, Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan. Because of their work, children and teens are able to benefit from grief groups within the elementary, middle, high school and alternative high school setting. Hospice counselors are highly skilled at engaging students from diverse backgrounds who are grieving due death of a loved one, recent move or change in school, divorce, incarceration or foster care.
KPS Nurse Jill Reynolds shared with us the need to help students struggling with grief & loss issues. When, a little over 2 years ago a grant through United Way was available, Hospice began school based grief services which have since received numerous accolades from principals, site coordinators, teachers, parents and students alike. When the grant was not renewed the following year, the Hospice Board committed to not only continuing the partnership but expanded from 2 to 8 KPS schools, this year holding 15 Grief & Loss groups that served 108 children and teens. The Hospice Board, administrators and therapists find ways to meet children’s needs, even when resources and time are already scarce.
This service for many of the children is giving them hope and often a second chance at life. One young woman, struggling with the death of her mother, saw her grades drop to the point she felt paralyzed with grief and hopelessness. “I didn’t care about anything”, she said. “I gave up easily…I wasn’t doing my work and was behind on credits.” She took what she saw as her only available option and dropped out of high school--she almost became a statistic. Almost.
KPS staff did a great job of convincing this young woman to return to school, suggesting the alternative high school setting might be able to provide some additional services through KCIS. The Site Coordinator immediately connected her up with Hospice. She credits the work she did in the weekly groups with therapist Cate Jarvis not only with helping her get back on track to graduate but now, as the oldest child in a parentless family, she recognizes that the best way to honor her mother’s memory is to make sure that her little brothers and sisters attend school regularly and do their homework so they too can graduate and take advantage of the Promise.
Congratulations, Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, on your 2008 Champ Award!