Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Jon Bramnick that instructs school districts to teach students how to cope with grief and loss was advanced by the Senate Education Committee.
Sen. Bramnick’s bill that instructs school districts to teach high school students about how to cope with grief was advanced by the Senate Education Committee. (Wikimedia Commons)
“Grief is one of the hardest emotions to understand and manage as an adolescent,” said Bramnick (R-21). “Although grief and loss are difficult for any person to go through, we have the tools to teach kids healthy ways to cope and teachers who are eager to provide their support. This legislation ensures that our high school students learn how to effectively manage the physical, emotional, and behavioral impacts of grief.”
Senator Bramnick worked with Imagine, a Center for Coping with Loss on this legislation (S-3330) to require public school districts to add instruction on grief for students in grades eight through twelve as part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education is required to provide age-appropriate resources and learning activities to public school districts. This includes information on mechanisms and techniques to use while dealing with the symptoms of grief. Public school districts would also be instructed to provide in-school support, mental health crisis support, and individual and group therapy for students.
The bill’s sponsors, Senator Jon Bramnick and Senator Joseph Cryan (D-22), held a press conference in November with students and parents who support the bill: