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After a death occurs, a parent or guardian may schedule an appointment to visit The WARM Place, and to talk with a trained counselor about the death loss. During their first visit, the counselor will explain our program, talk with each family member, and determine when the family will come to The WARM Place for their first group meeting. This initial meeting is scheduled during the daytime and usually lasts about two hours. What to expect on your group night. On group nights, families gather for a pot-luck dinner and conversation, and then break into small groups by age levels: children age 5-8, pre-teens age 9-12, teenagers age 13-18, and parents/guardians. Separate groups meet for 3-4 year-olds and young adults, 19-25. Each group has its own volunteer facilitators who lead the discussion and direct age-appropriate activities designed to help participants express their emotions constructively. Depending on the age of the participants-drawing, modeling clay, painting, journaling, music games, cuddling teddy bears, and sharing thoughts or feelings may be a part of the group session. These activities are designed to encourage each person's expression and understanding of grief. Many times the children sit on the floor and talk with each other about the feelings they share. Why this method works. Each session at The WARM Place is led by volunteer facilitators who have been through extensive training on the grief process and group dynamics. The facilitatiors help the grieving children and adults express feelings they cannot discuss in most settings. This nurturing environment allows children and their families to process their sorrow with the assistance of staff members, trained volunteers and other families in the same situation. Children and their families are carefully monitored during group sessions so that serious problems can be referred to outside professionals. The length of time a family stays in the program is based on the individual family's needs. Who we serve. The WARM Place has groups for preschoolers, school-age children, pre-teens, teenagers, young adults and parent/guardians. Group sessions are different for each type of death loss. When our groups meet. Each night of the week is designated for a different type of death loss; parent, sibling, grandparent, friend or other family member. Groups meet every other week on either a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The number of sessions a family attends is based on each family's individual needs. The average length of participation in our program for a typical family is one and a half years. SPECIAL PROGRAMS Little People. This is an eight-week session for young children, ages 3-5 and their parents or guardians. This group meets from 12-12:45 on Thursday mornings for forty-five minutes. Young Adults. This is a six-week session for young people age 19-25 that meets on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30. |
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