COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The pandemic is compounding the regular stresses of the holiday season, and it's an especially challenging time for Ohioans living with substance use disorder.

The Ohio START Program connects people who've experienced substance use disorder, recovery and the children services system with families who are currently struggling with similar issues.

Ashley Durst, an Ohio START caseworker in Trumbull County, explained a support system is crucial for sobriety, so clients are advised not to isolate themselves. But they could be exposed to drinking or drug use at family gatherings.

"A lot of the cycle of addiction goes from generation to generation, and that's not the best place for them," Durst observed. "But they're also told not to isolate. So it's kind of a Catch-22."

Sarah Hayden, a family peer mentor for Warren County Children Services, said COVID is limiting in-person supports for her clients.

"For holidays, if they don't have their kids with them or they've lost loved ones or if they're just now getting to the point to where they are wanting to try to get sober, all those dynamics take a big toll on their recovery," Hayden described.

Hayden added she's trying to provide extra support to clients, with phone calls and more frequent check-ins. The program also connects clients to more intensive services, including treatment programs that can support their success.

Crystal Jameson, a family peer mentor for Trumbull County Children Services, believes Ohio START is successful because it takes an intensive, team approach and is non-judgmental.

"It's not easy to face substance abuse," Jameson remarked. "You need to have structure and that support. That's the best thing that this program offers. It's just an amazing opportunity to watch that light click on with our clients and see the changes that they make in their life."

Ohio START is currently in more than three dozen counties and is taking applications for 14 more in 2021. The program served 225 new families this year, including nearly 600 adults and more than 300 kids.

Last week, the program was approved for inclusion in a federally-funded clearinghouse that identifies and shares information about evidence-based practices in foster care.

A touring conference from the National Alliance for Children's Grief comes to Montana this week. The event will be in Whitefish on Tuesday.

The alliance works with organizations like the Tamarack Grief Resource Center in Missoula, which is organizing the Whitefish conference. Tina Barrett, executive director of the center, said it started as a camp 25 years ago to help kids and families heal after the death of a loved one.

"We can't take the pain away, but we can walk alongside and we can add strength to one another's journey," said Barrett. "And may we wrap children in not only care, but effective care - with understanding others, with opportunities to creatively, symbolically, physically, narratively move through their experience."

Since Montana is such a large state, Barrett said part of Tamarack's goal is to support education so folks can expand the circle of care for people who are grieving.

In Montana, one in 12 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18, according to the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Tami Sparks works at Tamarack Grief Resource Center as an outreach specialist and has personal experience with the work it does. Her husband died by suicide in 2006, leaving her with three children. Her oldest, who was five at the time, attended the camp that predated Tamarack. She said eventually, all three went to the camp every year.

Sparks said kids get the space to be children there, but also to talk about their feelings.

"They really attribute how they show up in the world to being involved with Tamarack," said Sparks. "They feel like going to camps gave them the experience and ability to understand where other people were coming from in their walk with grief."

The conference in Whitefish features three speakers who will discuss the losses many families have felt in the past two years of the pandemic. Barrett said they'll touch on a variety of topics.

"How do we look at cultural humility and center culture and equity in our programming that we do?" said Barrett. "How do we understand the prevalence, and more importantly, the story behind the numbers as we're seeking to more effectively support children's grief? And what are some practical takeaways?"

The conference begins at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The theme is "No Child Grieves Alone."

Advocates for children's well-being are in Washington, D.C. today, calling on lawmakers to invest in
kids.

The Save the Children advocacy summit is gathering people from around the country to speak with members of Congress. They are focusing on the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which is a voluntary home visiting program.

Anita Davis, volunteer and outreach leader for the Save the Children Action Network in Tennessee, said she did home visiting for seven years in Metro Nashville in a low-income housing area and is well aware of the needs of families and the importance of the renewal of the program.

"This legislation will end on September 30th if Congress does not renew it," Davis pointed out. "So we're talking with -- I'll be speaking with -- my two state senators and two of the congressional representatives from Tennessee, to urge them to please not only renew this legislation but to improve it."

Davis noted they also are advocating for Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which would include improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

According to Feeding America, in Tennessee, 41.8% of households receiving SNAP benefits have children. Save the Children is urging Congress to preserve and protect SNAP benefits because so many families rely on them.

Roy Chrobocinski, managing director of federal domestic policy for Save the Children, said the rising price of goods and supply-chain issues have affected families and their ability to access food.

"We know the benefits don't go far enough," Chrobocinski stressed. "We know that families who receive the benefits, they still have to pay money out of pocket. It's not covering the cost of all of their food, but it makes sure that they can supplement what they are paying to make sure that they have enough food to eat each day, each month."

Chrobocinski added children do not donate to political campaigns, and they cannot vote, so he argued it is critical for Save the Children advocates in Washington to share their stories and make it clear to members of Congress the importance of investing in children.

Nebraska is one of six states participating in "No Child Grieves Alone," a series of regional conferences aiming to help communities recover after the social isolation and the tremendous loss of life during the global pandemic.

Carly Runestad, executive director of the Mourning Hope Grief Center, said the event will explore ways for parents, teachers, school counselors and anyone else working with children to support them as they process the loss of a family member or friend.

"It's kind of our human nature for us to try and shield children from grief, but grief is really a natural human experience," Runestad explained. "It's not a problem, we don't need to try to fix it, it is just a universal healthy reaction to loss."

The one-day conference begins at 11 a.m., Sept. 29 at Mourning Hope's campus on South Folsom street in Lincoln. The event is free to attend, includes lunch, and professionals can earn three Continuing Education credits for a fee.

Children of color are more likely than their white counterparts to experience the death of a parent, as are children living in rural areas. One in sixteen Nebraska kids will experience a death before they turn 18.

Runestad emphasized when children have support, they can learn to integrate a death-loss experience and go on to live healthy, engaged lives. Without support, they can suffer long-term consequences.

"That's where we can see their life trajectory derail a bit," Runestad observed. "That's where we can start to see them finding unhealthy coping skills, where they may start to look at drugs or alcohol to help ease the pain of their loss."

Runestad noted just like adults, each child experiences grief differently. It is not one size fits all. She added anyone with children in their lives can offer critical support by simply being there, and listening with their heart.

"Having people that walk alongside them in their grief, that meet them where they're at, and are really present for that person's pain," Runestad advised. "Not trying to take it away, not trying to relieve it, but just to be present for them."