Calm Waters Center for Children and Families - Jason's Story

Life beyond loss. Calm Waters helps children and families in their grief journey caused by death, divorce or other significant loss.

Free support groups for children and families in Oklahoma after a death, divorce, or other major loss. 20 years in 2012.



THE HISTORY OF CALM WATERS

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families was founded in 1992, as the result of a nine-year old boy's grief due to the loss of his father. It was through the eyes of this boy, Jason Woodruff, that a safe place for children to gather and share in their grief experience was envisioned. Thus, Jason and his mother Sondra, in partnership with Charlotte Lankard and the Baptist Medical Center Outpatient Counseling Department, convinced the Baptist Hospital Board of Directors to support the creation of an agency that would address children's grief. Calm Waters Center for Children and Families was founded and modeled after The Dougy Center, a grief support center in Portland, Oregon. Initially, Calm Waters offered free support groups specifically for children (ages 5-18) and their parents, who were grieving the death of a loved one. However, in September 1994, as Oklahoma's divorce rate increased, Calm Waters added groups for divorced parents and their children to incorporate support for the grief that is experienced in the loss of the family unit.

After the Murrah Building bombing in 1995, Calm Waters immediately responded with a community debriefing for both children and adults. Support groups were provided for family members who lost loved ones, and Calm Waters sponsored several community seminars on trauma and grief. Some of the Calm Waters children, assisted by local professionals, participated in a program called Kids Helping Kids at a local television station to tell their stories and reach out to other children experiencing a loss. Calm Waters jumped to the scene again to assist families and rescue workers after the devastating F5 tornado in May 1999. Since then, Calm Waters has become a widely recognized agency, and staff has been called to assist with crisis interventions in local area schools and surrounding communities.




As Calm Waters grew, the need to broaden the base of support and expand became obvious. As a direct outcome of a strategic planning process initiated in 1998 by the Calm Waters Advisory Board, and with the vision of Chairman Gene Rainbolt and INTEGRIS Health, Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, Inc. became an independent nonprofit corporation.

The First Board of Directors was appointed, comprised of distinguished and dedicated community leaders, business executives, and professionals in the field of psychiatry and therapy, and community volunteers. With their guidance, a staff of four, and the assistance of trained interns and volunteers to lead and facilitate support groups, Calm Waters began to make a positive mark in more children and families lives.

Calm Waters continues to grow and evolve. An increasing need for grief and divorce support groups has been demonstrated by the leap from serving 47 children and parents in 1992 to directly serving 2,875 individuals in fiscal year 2010. This surge in outreach and growth has been made possible through Calm Waters' affiliation with United Way of Central Oklahoma since 2007, as well as the initial creation and perpetual development of the Calm Waters' School-Based Grief Support Group program. Additionally, Calm Waters has expanded their services to include court-approved Parenting through Divorce seminars, Grief Training for Volunteers, Counselors, Educators, Communities and Tribes, and local Speakers Bureau opportunities state-wide.

Barbara Butner -- Executive Director

Calm Waters Center for Children and Families
4334 N.W. Expressway #101
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116

405-841-4800
405-841-4803 (Fax)

Website: http://www.calmwaters.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Calm-Waters-Center-for-Children-and-Families...

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CalmWatersOK

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