TRAINING & RESOURCES

Understanding and Managing Grief

Every day, 30 million people in the United States are grieving. We grieve the loss of life, the loss of independence, the loss of jobs and income, the loss of marriage through divorce, the loss of connection through moving or incarceration, the loss of dreams unrealized. Our youth are not immune to this experience. In fact, 70% of children, adolescents and teenagers will face loss before they reach adulthood. Their ability to navigate the grieving process will impact the remainder of their lives. Therefore, it is essential that they have the guidance and support they need from the adults in their lives. No matter how resilient our school aged children are or how well they seem to be coping with a significant loss, they should not face their grief alone.

Please allow Dustin Project to help. We want all adults to be better equipped to help the children in their lives deal with grief and loss. To this end, we provide training opportunities for parents, teachers, counselors, social workers, nurses, clergy, mentors, professional and volunteer youth workers and anyone who has regular contact with our young people.

Student Grief Resources

  • Reaching Out – Preventing Teen Suicide link song:
    :: view video
  • Teen Suicide Prevention Video link (4 minutes):
    :: view video
    Mayo Clinic video– Teens describe common signs that a teen is considering suicide and provides encouragement for communicating directly and immediately for support and safety. It includes suggestions for what to say to a teen you may be at risk for suicide and ways to keep them safe.
  • Coping With Grief During The Holidays
    :: download document
  • Teenage Grief
    :: download document
  • Warning Signs
    :: download document