ELHS mental health committee partners with community group to provide grief counseling

Amelia Villhauer (12) struggled to find someone who could understand what she was going
through when her dad passed away from brain cancer in 2018. She was tired of hearing the
condolences that did nothing to help her figure out how to keep going. She struggled to find help
and understanding but found the thought of attending a grief group nerve-wracking.

"To lose such a huge part of your life was kind of world shaking," Villhauer said. "It was a
lot. Trying to find a normal state of mind and going home and dealing with the fact that he wasn't
going to be there...trying to find a new normal."

Knowing Villhauer isn’t the only student facing the impact of loss, administration decided to
implement Ele’s Group, a new grief support network. They wanted students who have faced the
loss of someone close to them to be able to get the help they needed.

"We started discussing the idea," Assistant Principal Matthew Morales said. "Since we are
continuing to have a more social, emotional focus within our school if it would be appropriate to
have an Ele's Place grief and loss group."

The group is sponsored by Ele's Place, a healing center for teens and families who have lost
someone close to them. The organization has been collaborating with high schools throughout
Michigan for years, but this is the first time they will have an Ele's Group program with ELHS,
which will begin Jan. 7.

"[Dealing with grief is] a lot it's more than just your typical day to day school struggles," Villhauer
said. "To find someone who can listen and understand, because you get sick of the ‘sorry for
your losses’ after a while. It's hard to find someone to connect to and you can talk to
without feeling uncomfortable."

It is the space of understanding that Ele's Place strives to create with Ele's Group. When teens
and children deal with the loss of someone close to them, they often find that their friends can
not fully connect or understand what they have been through. According to social worker
Heather Findley, Ele's Group wants students to open up with others who have been through
similar experiences as them and may better understand.

"I think any kind of group can be really effective to have some common ground with people,"
Findley said. “What we found is that kids and youth are much more likely to benefit from some
peer support and peer networking. Research has shown that peers are more likely to listen to
their peers rather than adults, so why not have a safe space for them to have some common
ground?"
Student-to-student conversation in the core to the Ele's Place healing process--teens hearing
stories like their own, and being able to share their own story. It is about opening up and being
heard, rather than pitied, that helps ease the pain of loss for students.

"I think it comes back to having various systems of support in a school," Morales said. "Having
the feeling that they [students] can feel that the East Lansing High School is a safe space for
them and that they are able to discuss, different social and emotional needs."

A facilitator from Ele's Place will come to lead the group, as well as some faculty involvement
from the high school staff. School counselors and teachers can recommend students for the
program as well. Commented [1]: Good place to add details about the group
meeting times/dates/info

"I was recommended to go," Villhauer said. "But I was kind of scared to because the thought of
just walking into a room and not knowing anybody and talking about this vulnerable event when
no one knew who I was...it kind of freaked me out a little bit."

Though Villhauer did not attend a support group after her father’s death, she wishes she had
later on. It may have given her the help she never got, and gotton her through the pain she still
deals with. Commented [2]: This sentence don't make no sense...

"I would tell [somebody dealing with a loss], do it if they think it'll benefit them," Villhauer said.
"Because I know not everybody could get support from that but I think some people really could
and I feel like getting it off your chest could really benefit you at the end of the day."

East Lansing High School has been shifting into a greater mental health focus for students Commented [3]: Try to avoid using the name of our school
in articles - it's a school paper so everything we publish is
recently and is channeling more collaborative energy to get students the help that they need about our school
and not only academically. Commented [4]: this sounds cool but what does it mean?

"We're not here just to simply support our students on an academic level.", Morales said. "We're
also here to support our students on a social emotional level too." Commented [5]: I almost think you don't need these last two
paragraphs. They seem just tagged on at the end. Amelia's
last quote is a better kicker