School grief support
Grief support that meets students where they are
Two ways we support your school: ongoing peer support groups for grieving students, and onsite grief response after a death in your community.
How our school groups work
groups meet where students already are. No travel, no missed connections.
once a week for ten weeks, grouped by grade: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12.
free to your school and your students; our work is privately funded.
led by our clinical staff or trained volunteers, supervised by licensed clinicians.
of someone close within the past 2–36 months. Outside that window, we assess case by case.
6–8 students in elementary groups; 8–12 in middle and high school groups.
From request to first session
Minimal paperwork for your staff. We handle intakes, curriculum, and reporting. Groups are offered first-come, first-served, shaped by volunteer availability and scheduling.
Staff submit a short service request. We confirm feasibility: volunteer availability, room, and scheduling.
Your counseling staff identify 10–15 students who have experienced the death of someone close; permission slips go home for guardians to sign.
A 5–10 minute meeting with each student confirms their interest, readiness, and group fit.
Once a week for ten weeks during the school day, co-led by an Our House NYC facilitator and your consistent staff co-lead.
Brief pre/post check-ins on coping and connection, attendance logs, caregiver tip sheets, and a de-identified summary back to your school.
Who does what
Our House NYC brings
- Trained, clinician-supervised facilitators
- Student intakes and an evidence-based grief group curriculum
- Prompt communication on any safety or support concern
- Pre/post check-ins, attendance, and aggregate reports back to your school
- Practical guidance for caregivers and staff supporting grieving youth
Your school provides
- Students identified and invited by your counseling staff
- Permission slips distributed and collected
- A quiet, private room and timely call-downs
- One consistent staff co-lead, present at every session
The same co-lead stays with the group for all ten weeks.
A model with 30+ years behind it
Our House has provided grief support in Los Angeles for over 30 years, partnering with the school district to serve 700+ students every year. We're bringing that model to New York City schools. Students in our groups feel less isolated, build coping and communication skills, and face fewer grief-related barriers to learning.
Onsite grief response
When your school community experiences a death
Groups aren't the only way we show up. When a student, educator, or staff member dies, we come to your school to help your community process together.
Request onsite grief responseWhat a visit looks like
- Space to tell stories, share memories, and speak openly about the person who died
- An understanding of natural grief responses: what you and your students may notice in the days and weeks ahead
- Practical guidance on what to say and what to do to support each other
- Ideas for memorializing and honoring the person, together as a community
- A gentle closing, with handouts your staff can keep and share
Sessions are confidential and shaped to your community: small groups or large, students or staff. Our approach is grounded in the same clinically guided model behind all Our House NYC programs.
