For Philadelphia students and families having trouble coping with the loss of months of in-person school amid the trauma of a pandemic and a changing world, help is on the way.
On Monday, the Philadelphia School District and Uplift, the Center for Grieving Children, will launch the Philly HopeLine, a hotline that will connect district children and families to grief support services, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said at a news conference Thursday.
The resource comes in response to a need in the community, said Jayme Banks, the district’s director of trauma-informed practices.
“Speaking with families and students over the past few months, they’ve shared how difficult this time is for them,” said Banks. “They feel isolated, disconnected, they have worries about all of the unknowns.”
The hotline, 833-PHL-HOPE, will operate Monday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. It will be staffed by master’s-level clinicians and available by call or text, and will not end when the school year ends for students on June 12.
To read the full article by Kristen Graham, click here.
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