From Grieving to Giving: When Former Bereavement Campers Return as Volunteers

This study examines the lived experiences of bereavement camp participants who return to camp as volunteer counselors. Participants in the study were eight bereavement camp counselors who once attended camp as bereaved participants. Using a qualitative case study design, the participants were interviewed by the researchers, and data collected from these interviews were analyzed using the constant comparison method. The findings revealed a variety of personal meaning-making themes and subcategories described by the study participants. These themes were compared between the bereavement camp camper experience and the returning bereavement camp volunteer experience. This analysis uncovered a personal growth development that facilitated a continuing progression for participants through their individual grief and growth process. Implications for the further development and staffing of bereavement camps using returning campers as volunteers and the enhanced therapeutic value these returning volunteers can provide to bereavement camps due to their own experience are discussed.

Staff and Parent Perspectives on a Therapeutic Recreation-Based Bereavement Camp for Families Whose Child Has Died From Serious Illness

This study explores the nature of a therapeutic recreation-based bereavement camp for families whose child has died from serious illness. Open-ended surveys and interviews were conducted with parents attending a three-camp cycle over a 12-month period or a reunion camp. Thirteen parents completed open-ended surveys before and after each camp and six of these also completed interviews after the final camp. Six additional parents completed interviews after the reunion camp. Six staff working with families during the camps were also interviewed. Content analysis of surveys and thematic analysis of interviews revealed the aims, structure, and content of the camp. The findings suggest a model whereby shared experience allows for normalization and offers a nonjudgmental place to share stories, discuss difficulties come together as a family, and create a support network. These findings highlight the value of therapeutic recreation-based bereavement interventions for families whose child has died from serious illness.

Adding Trauma-Informed Care at a Bereavement Camp to Facilitate Posttraumatic Growth: A Controlled Outcome Study

Background: Studies on posttraumatic growth (PTG) among bereaved youth are rare; outcome studies on how to facilitate PTG among this population are even more scarce. Objectives: This study examined the addition of trauma-informed care to bereavement interventions to foster PTG in youth attending a weekend-long bereavement camp. Method: A total of 105 participants completed standardized measures of posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress disorder after which 52 of the participants took part in a camp session. Ninety-five of the participants from both groups were post-tested four weeks after the camp session. Results: Multiple Regression showed that PTG scores were significantly greater at posttest for the treatment group. No significant changes in PTSD were found in either group, although the presence of dissociative symptoms decreased significantly among campers in the treatment group. Conclusions: Findings suggest trauma-informed care may increase posttraumatic growth among youth coping with loss. Implications for future studies and clinical practice are discussed

The Development of a Sustainable, Community-Supported Children's Bereavement Camp

This article describes the creation and development of a sustainable, community-supported children's bereavement camp. Numerous grief camps were examined prior to the project development. The project development was guided by the S.M.A.R.T. (S—Strategic/specific; M—Measurable; A—Achievable/attainable; R—Realistic; and T—Time-framed) stratagem to direct steps toward the development of the bereavement camp. Outcome measures included program participation, as well as evaluations completed by campers, family members, and volunteers. Camp attendance continues to grow, with 48 children the first year and an average of 65 the following 3 years. According to post-evaluation surveys, campers were able to integrate back into school with a decrease in stress and an increase in their ability to verbalize their grief, share feelings and begin to trust others. One child “got her sparkle back” according to her grandmother. Several campers commented that camp allowed them to see themselves as normal children. The goal of Camp Healing Hearts was that campers would laugh again, and they are.

Healing Components of a Bereavement Camp: Children and Adolescents Give Voice to Their Experiences

This qualitative study is the follow-up to a quantitative controlled study which showed a decrease in childhood traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in parentally bereaved children participating in a bereavement camp. The purpose of this study was to identify the healing components of this camp model. Semi-structured interviews with 19 children and 13 parents/guardians were conducted 3 to 9 months after participation in the bereavement camp. Therapeutic Interventions and Traditional Camp Activities emerged as themes. The themes are discussed in relation to previous research as are limitations of the study and the implications for theory, practice, and future research.