When Hope Feels Distant

In our work, we often sit with students for whom hope feels distant. Their grief—whether from personal loss, systemic injustice, or the weight of the world—can be a quiet, invisible force and while grief is a universal human experience, in certain situations, grief, distress, and trauma manifest in ways that are loud and alarming including self-harm, substance use, or suicidal thoughts and behaviors. These high-risk coping behaviors are often the language of an unbearable grief and distress. How do we, as helpers, learn to hear what is truly being said? In this essential Learning Institute, Joanna Bridger will lead us on a compassionate exploration of this tender and challenging terrain – how to be with and support students through grief and how and when to differentiate it from other forms of distress and trauma. We will journey beyond behavior modification and crisis management to the heart of the matter: accompanying students through the process of grieving. Drawing on a rich, trauma-informed framework, Joanna will provide practical, relationship-based strategies to: • Build the profound trust required to create a safe harbor for students. • Understand the neurobiology of grief and high-risk coping. • Implement healing-centered interventions that foster connection and restore a sense of agency This is more than a training; it is a day of profound learning and deep restoration for the professionals dedicated to being an anchor for students in the storm. Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to describe the definition, scope, and signs of grief in childhood. 2. Participants will to name two ways in which suicide and overdose loss differs from other types of death. 3. Participants will be able to identify stories, tasks, and questions associated with childhood grief. 4. Participants will be able to identify risk factors, protective factors and warning signs for suicide, NSSI, and SUD in the general population. 5. Participants will be able to explain 3 reasons why people who have experienced sexual assault might be more likely to use thoughts of suicide, NSSI, or substances to cope. 6. Participants will be able to describe three non-coercive ways to increase safety for people engaging in potentially harmful coping

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