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Facilitator's Guide:
Introduction, Programme Themes, Overall
Aims of the Programme, The Whole School
as a Supportive Community, The Special
Role of the Guidance Counsellor, Chaplain,
Year Heads and Form Tutors, Who Should Teach
or Facilitate the Subject, Challenging Issues,
lnservice Training, Methodology and Facilitation,
Timing, Where in the Curriculum?, An Ethical
Framework, The Ethical Framework During
Programme Facilitation, Programme Evaluation,
Introducing the Programme, The Facilitators
role and Facilitation Methodologies, Physical
Environment and Spatial Dimension, Guidelines
using Specific Facilitation Methodoligies,
Brainstorming and Nominal Group Technique.
Programme Units:
I. Change Throughout Life
2. First and Earliest Memories of Loss
3. Initial Reactions and Responses to Death
4. The Possible Stages of Grief
5. Factors which Influence our Responses to
Death
6. Contemplating Different Types of Death
and Possible
Grief Responses
7. The Grieving Process and the Tasks of
Mourning
8. The Consequences of Unresolved Grief
9. Gender and Loss
10. The Do's and Don'ts of Grief and Loss
I I. Communication Issues and Changing
Relationships
12. Parental Separation and Loss
13. Mental Health Issues and Suicide
- A pro-active response
14. Universal Beliefs and Funeral Rituals
15. Change Death and Loss as Catalysts
for Fulfilment in Life plus a Directory
of Organisations & Support Services.
Overall Aims of the Programme
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To provide a proactive programme of Change
& Loss Education - which would facilitate
student understanding of change and loss
as intrinsic to life itself.
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To assist students in developing coping skills
which would enable them to deal more
successfully with their own loss.
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To be of positive support to others as they
experience loss-throughout life.
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Specific Objectives
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To help students accept change and
loss as part of life - by exploring with
them changes and losses which they
have previously experienced.
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To inform pupils of, and to help them
understand the facts of death and dying.
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To help students reflect on their
memories of death - their reactions
and recollections.
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To facilitate student understanding of
the grieving process by explaining the
stages of grief - thus providing
reassurance regarding the significance
of associated emotional responses.
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To expose students to many different
possible death situations and the
possible responses of the bereaved to
those situations.
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To offer some useful advice on the
desirability of meaningful grief and the
potentially dangerous consequences of
unresolved grief.
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To assist students in developing
successful coping skills by suggesting
some positive response strategies.
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To help pupils assist the grieving process
for others by offering advice on positive
/ effective responses.
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To alert students to some of the typical
difficulties faced by teenagers and their
peer group when dealing with grief and loss.
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To explore issues of grief/loss and gender
responses.
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To enable students to understand and accept
how the dynamics of family relationships
can change due to death.
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To open up the emotional-world for each
student and to encourage communication
of emotions.
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To develop the skills of listening so that
quality time could be given to friends or
family members who may need their support.
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To reflect on the issue of suicide and its
consequences, and to propose other positive
means of dealing with problems/crises.
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To explore in a reassuring way the possible
nature of loss experienced through marital
separation and to offer guidance on support
systems/responses for those who need them.
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To examine the issue of 'ritual' and to explore
the function and nature of ritual across
different cultural paradigms.
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To focus special attention on some traditional
Irish rituals and their function
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To help students see death as possibly a
catalyst for 'achievements' fulfilment and
'living' throughout life.
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To expose students to some of the very useful
literature and resources on the theme of
grief/loss.
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To provide relevant information on possible
referral services including telephone numbers
and addresses.
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