HopeWest Kids
Grief Support for Children & Teens
How We Help Kids & Teens
Support Groups, Programs & Camps
Meet the Team
Kids Grief Support Resources
How You Can Support HopeWest Kids
When impacted by serious illness or the death of a loved one, children often need help finding ways to cope. HopeWest Kids is our program for grieving children and teens. Experienced counselors also help parents learn healthy and meaningful ways to help their children when a loved one is seriously ill or dying.
HopeWest Kids
Grief Support for Children & Teens
When impacted by serious illness or the death of a loved one, children often need help finding ways to cope. HopeWest Kids is our program for grieving children and teens. Experienced counselors also help parents learn healthy and meaningful ways to help their children when a loved one is seriously ill or dying.
How We Help Kids & Teens →
Support Groups, Programs & Camps →
Meet the Team →
Kids Grief Support Resources →
How You Can Support HopeWest Kids →
About HopeWest Kids Grief Support
When a family is facing a serious illness or a death, HopeWest Kids grief support is designed to help children and teens as they explore, understand, and express their personal grief experience. Our skilled and compassionate staff and volunteers create a safe and welcoming environment while utilizing techniques that best fit each child and teen.
Our work involves facilitating well-being and resilience in the whole child. Our grief support encompasses education and compassionate interventions for the child and family in collaboration with community partners.
Funded exclusively through donations, HopeWest Kids focuses on children and families in our communities regardless of whether or not they have had a family member served by HopeWest.
HopeWest Kids is the only program of its kind in Western Colorado and served 560 kids last year. Specially trained counselors offer grief education and counseling in Delta, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray and Rio Blanco counties.
Common Questions
My loved one wasn’t in HopeWest care, can I still receive grief support services?
HopeWest Grief Support is for anyone in the Colorado community who has experienced the loss of a loved one. Whether it is anticipatory grief, or learning to cope with a loss, our trained and caring staff is available to help surviving family and friends cope with their grief.
Does HopeWest charge for kids grief support services?
Some insurances can be billed for one-on-one counseling, and when they can’t we can work out a sliding scale. Groups are free for adults. Most groups for kids and teens are free, except Healing with Horses and camps which are available for a nominal fee. We never turn anyone away. The ability to pay is never a deciding factor as to whether someone can get support through HopeWest Grief Support.
What type of grief processing is supported?
Through individual counseling, group counseling, camps, programs, and additional resources, HopeWest Grief Support serves those experiencing a serious illness, anticipatory grief, and the death of a loved one.
When can I call?
It’s never too early or too late to discuss how the expertise and compassion of HopeWest Grief Support can help. Whether your loved one died 15 years ago or is currently experiencing a serious illness, it’s always the right time to reach out for support. Call us at 970-257-2390.
How do I get started?
Call us at 970-257-2390 for help with deciding which support options will be the best fit for you. We’ll equip you with all the information you need to get started with HopeWest Grief Support.
Kids Grief Support Groups, Programs & Camps
HopeWest Kids grief support services are open to anyone in the community who has experienced the loss of a loved one. For more information about availability, please call 970-245-5377.
Delta County
For more information on Delta County groups, please call 970- 874-6823 or email nmccrea@HopeWestCO.org.
Individual Counseling
Counseling sessions are available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one or are connected to someone with a serious illness. Services are offered at a nominal fee on a sliding scale basis or are covered by insurance.
School-Based Support Groups
HopeWest Kids partners with school counselors to offer free grief support groups during school hours for students who may benefit from extra care and connection. These groups are:
• Led by trained professionals
• Supportive and confidential
• Age-appropriate and activity-based
• Held during the school day
• Open to any student who has experienced the loss of a loved one—regardless of when it occurred
To learn more about this resource, please reach out to the counselor at your child’s school or call HopeWest. There is no cost for school-based grief support groups.
Mesa County
For more information or to register for Mesa County groups, please call 970-245-5377.
Individual Counseling
Counseling sessions are available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one or is connected to someone with a serious illness. Services are offered at a nominal fee on a sliding scale basis or are covered by insurance.
School-Based Support Groups
HopeWest Kids partners with school counselors to offer free grief support groups during school hours for students who may benefit from extra care and connection. These groups are:
• Led by trained professionals
• Supportive and confidential
• Age-appropriate and activity-based
• Held during the school day
• Open to any student who has experienced the loss of a loved one—regardless of when it occurred
To learn more about this resource, please reach out to the counselor at your child’s school or call HopeWest. There is no cost for school-based grief support groups.
Forget-Me-Not Family Grief Support Group
Join HopeWest Kids for Forget-Me-Not, a family-centered grief support group.The group, open to all aged members with community connections, provides a safe and caring place to explore grief and its impact on the family. Forget-Me-Not offers education and support regarding the grieving process through the use of games, art and craft projects and music. Children and teens will work in age-specific groups, and parents will have a separate group, allowing participants to connect with peers facing similar experiences.
Equine Therapy Support Groups
These groups are designed to help children and teens understand and cope with their loss through self-expression and interaction with horses.
Rio Blanco County
For more information on Meeker groups, please call 970-878-9383.
Individual Counseling
Counseling sessions are available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one or are connected to someone with a serious illness. Services are offered at a nominal fee on a sliding scale basis or are covered by insurance.
School-Based Support Groups
HopeWest Kids partners with school counselors to offer free grief support groups during school hours for students who may benefit from extra care and connection. These groups are:
• Led by trained professionals
• Supportive and confidential
• Age-appropriate and activity-based
• Held during the school day
• Open to any student who has experienced the loss of a loved one—regardless of when it occurred
To learn more about this resource, please reach out to the counselor at your child’s school or call HopeWest. There is no cost for school-based grief support groups.
Equine Therapy Support Groups
These groups are designed to help children and teens understand and cope with their loss through self-expression and interaction with horses.
Montrose & Ouray Counties
For more information on Montrose & Ouray County groups, please call 970-240-7734 or email TKinkade@HopeWestCO.org.
Individual Counseling
Counseling sessions are available to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one or are connected to someone with a serious illness. Services are offered at a nominal fee on a sliding scale basis or are covered by insurance.
School-Based Support Groups
HopeWest Kids partners with school counselors to offer free grief support groups during school hours for students who may benefit from extra care and connection. These groups are:
• Led by trained professionals
• Supportive and confidential
• Age-appropriate and activity-based
• Held during the school day
• Open to any student who has experienced the loss of a loved one—regardless of when it occurred
To learn more about this resource, please reach out to the counselor at your child’s school or call HopeWest. There is no cost for school-based grief support groups.
Equine Therapy Support Groups
These groups are designed to help children and teens understand and cope with their loss through self-expression and interaction with horses.
Grades K-2
Grades 3-12
“It really helps to talk to someone who you are comfortable with – friends, family, or even animals. The horses are big, graceful, sweet, and smart. It’s like they can give you a big hug.”
Carmen quickly learned the healing power of horses when she began attending HopeWest’s equine grief support program. Carmen was 8 when her mother died suddenly in a tragic accident. Healing with Horses was a natural fit for Carmen, who loves all animals. It was a safe place to grieve.
Meet the HopeWest Kids Team
Our therapists are masters-level prepared and have long-term experience in the field of illness and grief support. They have special training and expertise in grief and loss, holding certifications in art therapy, equine therapy, and EMDR—a method designed to alleviate distress associated with trauma.
Elaine, MSW, Delta Bereavement Coordinator
About Elaine
Elaine brings more than a decade of experience supporting individuals and families through some of life’s most difficult moments. Before joining HopeWest, she worked in child welfare and community mental health across Colorado’s Western Slope, specializing in trauma-informed care, grief, loss, and family systems. She earned her Master of Social Work in 2025 and is committed to ongoing professional growth and ethical, compassionate practice.
Elaine believes grief is not something to “fix,” but something to be honored, understood, and carried with support. Her approach is grounded in presence, honesty, and respect for each person’s unique story. She values walking alongside people at their own pace—listening deeply, offering tools when helpful, and creating space for both sorrow and meaning.
A longtime resident of Western Colorado, Elaine cares deeply about this community and the people who make it home. Outside of work, she enjoys music, creative projects, time with family and friends, and finding small moments of beauty in everyday life. She is honored to serve with HopeWest and to support individuals and families as they navigate loss with dignity, connection, and hope.
Jodi, MSW, LCSW, Mesa County Youth Counselor
About Jodi
Jodi, MSW, received her Master of Social Work from Campbellsville University in 2022. She began her journey with HopeWest as an intern in 2017 and became employed in 2018; she has worked in the Bereavement Department, Palliative Care, and PACE. She values a strong, therapeutic relationship and integrates the use of a strength-based approach, systems theory, expressive arts, and mindfulness in her work with grieving individuals, caregivers, and those experiencing serious illness. Jodi enjoys working with individuals, families, and running grief groups.
Ashley, MSW, Meeker Grief Counselor
About Ashley
Ashley earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Missouri in 2018, where she began her professional career working in Child Welfare. In 2020, she received her Master of Social Work from Capella University and transitioned into hospital case management at OSF HealthCare hospitals in Illinois.
With a strong passion for mental health and crisis response, Ashley also served as a PRN Crisis Counselor, providing crisis intervention in schools, homes, and hospital settings. In 2023, Ashley returned to Missouri, where she worked as an Inpatient Social Worker at Barnes-Jewish Hospital while continuing her crisis counseling work on a PRN basis. In 2025, Ashley accepted a travel social work assignment that landed her in Meeker, Colorado, where she will continue her mission to help others through grief support.
Outside of her professional work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family and her dog Stella, traveling, being outdoors, and is a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Trisha, MSW, SWC, Mesa County Youth Counselor
About Trisha
Trish specializes in grief counseling for children and adolescents experiencing loss and the ways grief impacts growth, behavior, and emotional well‑being. She connects easily with youth of all ages and provides a supportive environment where clients can safely explore their experiences. With a strong foundation in child development, attachment theory, and trauma‑informed care, Trish integrates CBT- and DBT‑informed skills with play, art‑based, expressive, and movement‑based therapeutic approaches to support grief processing.
Resources & Suggested Reading
Kids Grief Support: Talking to Children & Teens
Children grieve differently than adults, which can make grief hard to identify. Since kids do not sustain emotional pain for long periods of time, they grieve in spurts. Grief may present itself as changes in…
read more
A Teen’s Journey to Healing with HopeWest Kids Grief Support
For Sam Hightower, 18, the path of grief was at times rocky and unclear. But with every step, and the support of the HopeWest Kids program, he’s found his way forward. Sam was only eight years old when he lost his father to an incurable brain tumor. He doesn’t remember all the details, but he does remember feelings of…
read more
Helpful Books for Children Experiencing Grief & Loss
HopeWest counselors have curated a list of helpful books for children experiencing grief and loss.
view recommended books
Rainbow Connections: A Guide Through the Grieving Process for Kids 12 & Under
When a loved one dies, kids continue to need long-term care and support. Rainbow Connections is a 12-issue newsletter for kids 12 and under that combines general information about loss and grief with proven tips and coping strategies.
view Rainbow Connections newsletter
Healing with Horses
Through the HopeWest Kids equine assisted counseling program, children and teens have the opportunity to work through grief in the company of horses. This seven-week program facilitated by HopeWest counselors and equine therapy volunteers, helps children build a sense of self-concept and trust, improve communication and receive tools to help…
read more
Helpful Books for Teens Experiencing Grief & Loss
HopeWest counselors have curated a list of helpful books for teens experiencing grief and loss.
view recommended books
Connections for Teens: A Guide Through the Grieving Process
When a loved one dies, teens continue to need long-term care and support. Connections for Teens is a 13-issue newsletter that combines general information about loss and grief with proven tips and coping strategies.
view Connections for Teens newsletter