Programs & Services
Often when there is a death in the family, adults sometimes are too involved in their own personal grief to respond adequately to the needs of a child. The family unit may be thrown into emotional, psychological or financial crisis. Because children deal with powerful emotions differently than adults, their grief may go unrecognized. Depression, fear, guilt, and anger may be acted out and labeled as behavioral problems instead of being seen for what it is, a reaction to the death of a loved one.
New Song Center provides a safe, nurturing environment where children, teens and young adults and their caregivers can address issues of grief and loss in a straightforward way. The grieving process is a very individual experience and is often dependent upon the nature of the loss, the length of the relationship with the deceased and the quality of that relationship. Puppetry, art, dance, music, journaling and recreation are used in conjunction with guided sharing to help people cope with their personal issues of loss at their own pace.
Trained volunteers facilitate support groups and assist participating family members through their grief journey under the direction of professional staff. Family members and volunteer facilitators meet at the beginning of the evening over dinner, and then break into the smaller age-specific support groups. At the end of the evening, children and adults meet for closure before departing.
New Song also offers workshops, in-services and talks to school, work and community groups.