A death impacts everyone on campus and the emotional affects can be profound. To help process the grief/trauma and prepare for the next steps, VIA LINK/PCAL offers grief support, and postvention services. We provide postvention services for both students and faculty who are impacted by a traumatic loss. We also provide support services and trainings to prepare your school staff in the event of a loss, as well as, disaster trainings on suicide, crisis intervention, trauma, grief, and psychological first aid.
For School Staff
- Verify facts from official sources. Stick to the facts.
- Notify students’ families, providing accurate information.
- If the death occurs during the school day, hand-deliver a note to each faculty member. Include suggestions on helping students should rumors circulate during the school day before official notification has been made.
- Appoint one person to manage family questions and media calls/intrusions at the school.
- Hold a mandatory meeting as soon as possible for faculty/staff to help them process events.
- Hold an informational meeting with parents and faculty. This is the front line of support for students. Share available information and provide tips on helping students grieve.
- Excuse absences to allow students/faculty an opportunity to attend funeral services.
- Do not underestimate the impact on students and faculty.
- Reschedule tests and modify curriculum to accommodate grief and trauma responses. Use time in classes for grief work.
- Know this can have a long-term impact on faculty and students. The impact of grief and trauma will fluctuate over time. Increase prevention efforts to ensure student safety.
- Know the differences between grief and mourning. The absence of outward expressions of grief does not mean the absence of pain.
- Acknowledge that grief and trauma may affect cognitive abilities of students and faculty. Consider appropriate efforts to help students who may suddenly have academic challenges.
- Teachers should be honest about their emotions and feelings, thus giving students permission to express a wide range of emotions.
- Avoid euphemisms or unclear language. Be direct.
- Train and empower teachers and staff before incidents occur.
- Set in place a plan to utilize outside counselors.
- Set up a crisis team.
Translation services available for phone, text and chat services.
For Staff/Caregivers
How Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana Can Help After a Child’s Death or Trauma
A child’s death impacts everyone at your organization, because individually and collectively you care so deeply. If the death or traumatic event happened at your workplace or under your care, the event activates grief and trauma responses for your staff which in turn impacts their ability to work productively and effectively. The emotional affects on them can be profound. At VIA LINK/PCAL, we programs that are geared towards helping individuals process feelings of grief and trauma, so they may continue to effectively work with other children and teens and perform their jobs while supporting organizational goals.
Translation services available for phone, text and chat services.
Caring for Each Other
A program to support staff after the death of a child.
Provide an opportunity for staff to process feelings of grief and loss.
Offer training and education on how staff can help each other, and the organization manage the crisis.
Teach staff on how to help the grieving child.
Help staff identify others at risk who may be affected by recent events.
Caring for Children and Teens
A program designed to help provide support after the death of a child.
Understand childhood grief and trauma responses.
Review Grief Behaviors Checklist.
Identify strategies to help cope with grief.
Create an environment that is both grief and trauma informed.