ABSTRACT
If a school community is to respond effectively to the grief that follows a death, all members of that community must be able to obtain assistance if needed. This includes educators and staff. In one school system, a teacher died in a tragic accident. The administration and teachers were there to support the students, families, and community members who looked to them for leadership in establishing aftercare programs. However, there was almost no thought given to the needs of the educators themselves. After a stress-filled year, their personal need to grieve caused many of them to become emotionally overwhelmed and, in some cases, physically ill. With proper “care” available to the
caregivers throughout the aftercare process, this sort of trauma can be minimized. Both of these issues have been successfully addressed as part of professional in-service programs preparing school leaders to implement aftercare.
