INDIANAPOLIS— As Mental Health Awareness Month wraps up, IU Health is organizing a free camp to address a critical aspect of emotional wellness: grief after losing a loved one. Camp Good Grief aims to teach children positive coping skills for navigating this difficult time.
Coping with the loss of a loved one is challenging at any age, but especially for children.
“You feel a bit of guilt, sadness, and a little bit of regret, said 14-year-old Landon Spurlin, who faced these emotions following the death of his father when he was just 12 years old.
“You don't really feel like there's anybody else who understands. I didn’t know what to do,” he added.
Landon's grandmother recognized the need for support and enrolled him in Camp Good Grief; a program she works with that is run by IU Health Hospice.
“Having a camp like this is really good for young kids because they really need to process their emotions,” Landon said. In the U.S., 12% [cdc.gov] of children aged 3-17 have reported experiencing anxiety or depression.
The camp was launched during the pandemic to assist children coping with loss.
Megan Hicks, a bereavement coordinator for IU Health Hospice and a licensed mental health counselor, noted the importance of such initiatives.
“For children, it can be really confusing. Our goal for that day is to give them some skills and tools to better handle that grief and to work through what's going on,” said Hicks who attended the camp when it started in 2022.
Through activities like art, music, and movement, Camp Good Grief creates a space where kids can connect with peers dealing with similar experiences.
“When you lose a loved one and you have to go to school, it kind of feels like everybody's staring,” Spurling said. “So being in a group of people who all understand what you went through really helps you feel more included,” said Spurlin.
Participants also collaborate with licensed mental health counselors.
“Everyone that is taking part in these different activities. Like, they have that resource there,” explaind Hicks. “Grief isn't supposed to be a scary, taboo thing, right? We're working to normalize that.”
This summer, the program will host four one-day camps in various regions across Central Indiana.
The program hopes to expand the initiative in Indianapolis, with a camp set to take place at the Children’s Museum this year on July 12 from 9 am to 3 pm. You can enroll here.
The camp is free and open to any child, even those whose loved ones were not treated at IU Health.
