About:  

The Hope & Healing Place believes a reputation of integrity is our most valuable asset. We keep our word, speak the truth and treat all people with dignity. We strive for excellence in all we do. We adhere to high standards and are efficient stewards of the resources vested in us. We measure effectiveness and are accountable to our supporters, the community, the people we serve and each other. As stewards of public trust, we operate with transparency so that people can see what we are doing, how we are doing it, and the value of their support. We embody the core values of The Hope and Healing Place in our words and actions and refuse conflict or the appearance of conflict between personal and organizational interests. 

Vision:   

To create a community in the Texas Panhandle that embraces hope and the healing journey after a death.  

Need:  

“Grief reactions are neither right nor wrong, they just are!” Death is a part of life, which is shared by all members of the family. The HHP provides direction, structure, and support to meet the needs of families and individuals in our area who are grieving.   

Program Principles:  

We provide a safe place to tell your story. We will be a witness to your grief journey for whatever amount of time it may take. You are not alone, and your journey will be companioned by others in age-appropriate groups.  

Services:   

We provide grief support for children their families, and individuals grieving the death of a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, relative or close friend at no cost.  

• Support Groups: We provide grief support services, for children with their families, as well as adult only programs.  Individuals presenting problems outside of our scope of services will be given referral to an appropriate social service or counseling center.  

• Special Programs: One day workshops and other events are occasionally offered by HHP. They are generally open to the public and topic specific (for example: Hope for the Holidays).  

• Psychoeducational Services:  Trainings on how to handle grief in the workplace/schools are offered to the community. Your compassionate contribution of a minimum of $100 for time and materials ensures that we can continue providing vital support to those navigating the challenging journey of grief.   

Core Values & Guiding Principles:   

It is our desire to continue the spirit of hope and healing from Beth Kean and Tricia Trimble (the founders). Though not founded as a religious organization, the founders made it well known that prayer was a cornerstone to the founding of The HHP. Their faith in Jesus was a beacon during the earliest days of our organization.  They also noted that hope and healing come from the Greater Hope and our Great Physician Jesus Christ. Additionally, Bible verses were written on the structure throughout the remodel and when building the new additions. They believed that the morals and values that steer our core curriculum should align within the organization as a whole, not compromising to social standards.    

As such the staff who steward HHP will continue to offer a blessing for our program evenings and events. Our curriculum and grief model does not directly reference scripture and we will not proselytize, but the team will make themselves available for those who seek Jesus as a source of strength.     

In its simplest terms,   

Core Values:                     

Listen  

Engage   

Empower   

Encourage  

Cornerstones of service:  

We build Relationship  

When Recruiting  

and believe in genuine Retention of those relationships, to grow the best stewards and advocates of HHP in our Staff, Board, Participants, Facilitators and Donors  

All events that are held to garner recognition and support of The Hope & Healing Place should be:  

• Family Friendly  

• Alcohol Free  

• Wholesome Entertainment  

• An overall experience with families and their specific needs in mind  

Participant Interactions:  

We believe in the dignity and worth of the individual, including the individual’s ability to heal, their right to be understood, heard, and supported during bereavement. We respect each individual's right to self-determination, understanding that each person's grief is unique, including their cultural background, family beliefs, individual personality, relationship with the person that died, and personal grieving style.  

• We will partner with caregivers when helping children. This guide is not designed to limit the way children express themselves, rather, it is designed to partner with the caregivers.  

• We avoid euphemisms about death.  

• Grief does not exist in a prescribed timeline and does not occur in a prescribed way. We believe it's never too late to address one's grief, however services offered too early can overwhelm individuals and make it difficult to process grief. In most cases we recommend being at least 8 weeks out of the death. However, let's talk about what would work best for you. We are glad to offer a referral for individual counseling in the meantime.  

• We seek to avoid labeling behaviors of acting out, attention seeking, avoidance or resistance. Grief is a difficult set of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors for everyone.  

• We honor the voice of the those that are grieving by not adding content to sensationalize or amplify their grief.  

• When traumatic feelings are still overwhelming to the participant, the participant is often unable to process their grief. Other mental health services are recommended to address the trauma. 

Language:  

• Use caregiver, not parent.   

  • We seek to acknowledge the breadth of family systems caring for children who are grieving.  

• Use child/adult/person who is grieving, not grieving child/adult/person.   

  • They are not their struggle.  

• Experiences and/or expressions of grief, not grief symptoms.  

  • We will seek to avoid pathologizing the unique ways that individuals grieve.  

• Your significant person, not loved one.  

  • There are many factors that may influence the relations with the person who died and can cause conflicting feelings about death. Using this language allows for space for anyone to reflect and process grief regardless of the relationship they had with the deceased or their feelings surrounding death.  

The HHP Grief Model:  

Written by Founder, Beth Kean and organized under the theories and principles of "Restoration Therapy" with permission from Dr. Terry Hargrave, it provides a clear understanding of how grief is affected by violations of love and trustworthiness and can develop into problems of identity and safety. Applications of these theories to our grief model keep participants organized and focused on their "new normal." As these identity and safety patterns are made known, participants can be helped by making more thoughtful and informed choices about personal beliefs about self and relationships resulting in long lasting behavior change.   

Disclaimer:  

This document is a living document and subject to change without notice. Users are advised to regularly review and verify the content for the most up-to-date information.