Speaker Bio
Laura Hoeppner, LMFT
Brighter Days Family Grief Center
Laura Hoeppner is the School Support Liaison for Brighter Days Family Grief Center. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has worked with kids of all ages, from early childhood through high school, as a school-based and outpatient therapist. Laura enjoys partnering with school staff to create grief-informed school environments. She strives to help people feel less alone in their grief and is honored to work with children and families on their journeys. Outside of work, Laura likes going to yoga, taking care of her garden, reading, and having good meals with family and friends.
Breakout 1B & 2B
Grief & Loss Track:
School Based Grief Group Facilitator Training
Nicole Barnes & Laura Hoeppner
This workshop is designed as an educational cohort opportunity that is inclusive of two in person sessions at the MSSWA Fall Conference and four, 60-90 minutes virtual sessions throughout the 2026-27 school year. The two in person sessions (must attend both) will offer foundations of school-based grief support and application of grief group curriculum. The four virtual follow up sessions will include evaluations and starting your first group, supporting death related incidents, types of grief, culture, and diversity, and self-care. For a participant that attends both in person sessions, 3 of the 4 virtual sessions, and hosts at least one grief group in the school year they will be eligible to enter a lottery for a scholarship to pay for the 2027 MSSWA Fall Conference registration fee.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the prevalence of childhood bereavement nationally and locally,
2. Understand how trauma informed and grief informed are the same, yet different,
3. Apply grief group curriculum with expectations to bring skills back to their work setting.
CEUs: 1.5 BOSW Clinical