MVYPS School Counselors
Chilmark (Joan Rice)
Edgartown (Eric Butler, Carmen Creanga, Lori Ford)
MVRHS (Cheri Cluff -bilingual, Amy Lilavois, Matthew Malowski, Katie Perez)
Oak Bluffs (Courtney Bennett, Lianne deBettencourt)
Tisbury (Joanie Creato, Aly Wiesner)
West Tisbury (Molly Cabral, Graham Houghton)
preK-8 School Social Worker (Sara Townes)
HEARTplay can provide students direct grief counseling at no cost, as well as providing online grief groups for different age groups, elementary to young adulthood. Services are available in English and Spanish, as well as individuals with developmental disabilities.
Contact: Jennifer Wiles (jwiles@gscommunitycare.org, 508-309-5107) or use the registration form online here.
Virtual Groups calendar can be accessed here but also listed below.
Elementary and teen groups meet alternating Thursdays 4-5pm
Down Syndrome group meets 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 3:30-4:30 PM
Autism group meets 1st and 3rd Monday 4-5pm
Open Access at MV Community Services (In cases where there is a mental health challenge occurring/or someone is questioning whether or not they are experiencing a mental health challenge)
M-F, 8 am - 8pm, Call 508-693-7900- Option 1
Appointments are available on some Saturdays
Telephone: 508-693-0189
Hospice not only can do individual counseling but also can run small grief groups, as well as counseling and groups for middle and high school students.
Contact Jill Del La Hunt.
Brightline Pediatric Behavioral Health (hellobrightline.com)
Coaching and or online therapeutic care for children ages 6-18. Individuals are placed with supports within 48 hours. Some insurances accepted.
Mental Health Emergency, Call or text 988 or go to the MV Hospital Emergency Dept.
Some examples of what you might say to students who respond to sudden loss or a traumatic event, or knowledge of a traumatic event:
Focus on the person's death and not on the details.
"It sounds like you heard...would you like to speak with someone more about that?"
You don't have to have the answers, just acknowledge emotions, thoughts, and feelings and help get support as appropriate.
"That's interesting/important to me that you are wondering about that, let me see if I can get someone to help us talk through this."
Validating and normalizing
"It is sad that person has died and is no longer with us. I am sad too..."
"Death does mean that we will never see that person again, it can leave us feeling alone, would you like to stay with the class and work on... or would you like to speak with someone about your thoughts/feelings?"
Let students know that death is not contagious and that they are safe.
"Although all human beings will die at some point, death is not something that can be 'caught' and it is unusual for children to die. You have a lot of people here that care for you and that are not going to die right now."
TIPS:
If a student directly asks about the person's death, ask what they have heard. If asked for more details, discuss that the person has died and that means that their body has stopped working and we will not see them again. Feel free to help children find space to process with a trusted adult: school counselor, school nurse, administrator, etc.
Acknowledge that this might be difficult for friends, families, and teachers. Focus the conversation around how to be supportive to one another, things students might do to help themselves feel better and who can help us if we feel sad or confused.
If someone shares information that includes detail. Acknowledge that it seems like they have heard some information and if they would like to process it better they can access support at school. Then return to regular classroom activity.
To refer students you are concerned about to school counseling.
If you are visibly sad, it's okay to acknowledge that your friend died and are sad about it. Reassure the students that you are still there to help them learn and stay safe.
If you feel uncomfortable and would like help navigating a question that comes up, simply say to the student,and ask for counselor support. Also reach out ahead of time if you know you are not ready to field that info.
Additional Resources for Supporting Students through Childhood Grief (Dougy Center)
Mental Health Emergency, Call or text 988 or go to the MV Hospital Emergency Dept.
Open Access at MV Community Services (In cases where there is an mental health challenge occurring/or someone is questioning whether or not they are experiencing a mental health challenge)
M-F, 8 am - 8pm, Call 508-693-7900- Option 1 [in-person, phone consult, or teletherapy available]
Appointments available some Saturdays
Telephone: 508-693-0189
Hospice not only can do individual counseling but also can run small grief groups, as well as counseling and groups for middle and high school students.
Perspectives (EAP), text or chatline 24/7 text or phone counseling, 800.456.6327 [Available to all MVYPS staff]
Perspectives (EAP) also offers to place staff with a counselor through filling out an intake form https://www.perspectivesltd.com/login
Username: MEGA, Password: Perspectives
Virtual therapy through your insurance company. If you need help accessing these resources, please contact your insurance provider or go to their website.
Pychologytoday.com and MVPsychotherapy.net also have lists of counselors both locally and virtually.