Linking Support Systems for Students and Families: Helping Disenfranchised Mourners Grieve a Death.

A self-inventory for school psychologists to become cognizant of their own understanding of and feelings about disenfranchised grief is presented. In death-related behavior, grief is socially constructed. There are social standards that apply to expressing grief; however, there are times when "grieving rules" may not coincide with the situation, attachments, sense of loss, or feelings of the survivors. In these cases grief may be hidden. Four categories of disenfranchised grievers (disenfranchised relationships, disenfranchised losses, unrecognized or disenfranchised grievers, death not socially sanctioned) are discussed. When a loss is ambiguous and cannot be openly mourned, grief is disenfranchised and mourning becomes complicated. A process model for grief and recovery is reviewed. Guidelines for school psychology practice are provided under the final topic, "What Can School Psychologists Do?" Appendix A gives instructions for use of the "Disenfranchised Grief Self Inventory" are given with discussion of debriefing for psychologists. Appendix B presents Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory as it is used to further support the school psychologist in reaching out to unsupported grievers. Appendix C is a list of resources for supporting grievers. (Contains 21 references.) (EMK)