Hospice of the Western Reserve Receives Continued Grant Funding for School Crisis Program

CLEVELAND, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hospice of the Western Reserve has received continued grant funding for its School Crisis Response Program from The Ridgecliff Foundation ($25,000) and The Pentair Foundation ($5,000).  Both foundations have provided annual support since 2007.  This continuity enables the non-profit agency's Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center (ESPBC) to develop deep staff expertise and strong, trusting relationships with area schools.

The School Crisis Response Program supports students and school staff when death-related crises occur, such as suicides, shootings, accidental deaths, unexpected sudden deaths, and anticipated deaths due to serious illness.  The counselors provide timely on-site support.  Each crisis has unique circumstances. Each response is carefully planned in coordination with the school's staff to fit the specific needs of the impacted school community. 

"The response team helps the students develop a normalized view of the grief process, find appropriate ways to express their feelings, and memorialize the deceased," explained Dominique Butler, school liaison, ESPBC.  "After the initial response, many schools invite our counselors to lead follow-up activities, such as grief support groups and classroom presentations.    

"The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center's School Crisis Response Program supplements the programs and services already available in schools, without further straining school budgets," Butler added. "We are available to provide proactive consultation with school administrators."  For more information about the program, contact the bereavement center at 216.486.6838, or visit http://www.hospicewr.org/grief-loss/school-services.

About Hospice of the Western Reserve

Celebrating 35 years of service, Hospice of the Western Reserve is one of the largest and most experienced community-based hospice agencies in the U.S., providing comfort and emotional support to patients and their families. The nationally ranked non-profit provides palliative end-of-life care, caregiver support and bereavement services throughout Northern Ohio, and cares for people in a variety of settings, including private residences, assisted living and retirement communities, nursing homes, at Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake and David Simpson Hospice House on Cleveland's east side. For more information, visit www.hospicewr.org or call 800.707.8922.

Media contact: Laurie Henrichsen, [email protected], 216.701.1768

SOURCE Hospice of the Western Reserve