Soaring Doves Family Bereavement Program
About the Soaring Doves Family Bereavement Program
Hospice of Washington County Bereavement Care team offers a variety of children, teen, and family bereavement services. School based services are available in partnership and via a MOU with Washington County Public Schools (WCPS).
Please reach out to connect with the Bereavement Care team by calling (301) 791-6360, or emailing howc-bereavement@hospiceofwc.org.
Children and Teen Programs Include:
Individual Bereavement Care Support (available in office, school, or virtual settings)
School Based Peer Support Groups (Elementary, Middle, and High School)
Education and Support Services for Schools
Special Seasonal or Community Events (check calendar)
WCPS School Resources:
Hospice of Washington County is pleased to partner with Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) to provide grief support to students. While addressing the challenging subject matter of grief, our aim is to cultivate a positive and nurturing experience for every student.
Resources for WCPS School Counselors include:
Dear Parent or Caregiver - Grief Support Info Document
Child/Teen Registration for Grief/Bereavement Care - Web Form
2025-2026 School Year WCPS School Group Interest form - to be completed by WCPS Staff
Resources:
Family Bereavement - Overview Document
Soaring Doves ToolKit - Request Form
DoveTales - Camp Website
Supporting Students Who Are Grieving - PowerPoint
Bereavement Care Services Inquiry - Care Form
Here are a few resources to help support and educate children, teens and adults:
Coalition to Support Grieving Students
This comprehensive website provides educational videos and resources for a variety of topics including conversation and support, developmental and cultural considerations, practical considerations, professional preparation and self care, crisis and special circumstances, and teacher training materials.
Coping with the Death of a Student or Staff Member
Published by the Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance (REMS TA), this guide provides tips to schools regarding emergency management planning, how to respond to the death of a student or staff member, ways to handle response based on cause of death, legal implications of releasing information, and how to work with and talk to bereaved students.
Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff
Published by the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, this guide provides a detailed step-by-step guide to dealing with a death in your school, including what kind of support to provide students.
Guidelines for Schools Responding to a Death by Suicide
Published by the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, this guide provides a detailed step-by-step guide to dealing with a death suicide in your school community, including how to talk about suicide, providing emotional support for students dealing with this loss, how to handle funerals and memorials in this kind of death, and risk factors for students following a suicide.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Suicide Loss Response
AFSP offers comprehensive suicide loss specific education and resources for parents, students, and school professionals.
This link will take you to articles from the National Association of School Psychologists’ publication, Principal Leadership, which provides detailed instructions for those in leadership roles at schools about responding to a death in the school community.
Template Messages and Letters to Parents, Students, and Staff
This link will take you to the website for the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where you will find templates for letters to parents, students, and staff for a variety of death situations, as well as classroom talking points for teachers, provided in Word document format. These templates will assist you in communicating about a death in your school community.
