The Barr-Harris Children's Grief Center has been an integral part of the Institute for Psychoanalysis for the past 22 years. The Center was a direct outgrowth of the Institute's Parent Loss Project, directed by Joan Fleming, which resulted in many outstanding clinical and theoretical contributions to the literature on loss.

In 1976, Irving Harris and George Barr contributed money to open a clinic for the treatment of bereaved children. The clinic was located in the offices of the Institute for Psychoanalysis, in downtown Chicago, Illinois.

The project was an instant success. The Center evolved into not only a clinical facility but also a resource for community education about loss and a place for research on bereavement. Over the years, Barr-Harris developed an outstanding reputation for the evaluation and treatment of bereaved children.

Since its inception the Center has worked with over 800 children and over 600 families. The staff of the Center has made over 400 presentations about loss to schools, social service agencies, community groups and interested professionals. The staff have all been trained at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.

The Center has been the source of numberous publications about loss. Childhood Bereavement and Its Aftermath, published in 1988, was edited by Sol Altschul with contributions by Barr-Harris staff. It is an excellent text about parent loss. There have been numerous other publications from Barr-Harris dealing with various aspects of loss with an emphasis on intervention.

Asclients moved to the suburbs, it was evident that the Center needed to expand to other areas in order to serve a wider patient population, while continuing to address the needs of the city of Chicago.

The North Shore Barr-Harris Center opened in 1997. However, after a year, it became evident that such a facility should be located in a hospital setting and Barr-Harris became part of Highland Park Hospital. Barr-Harris provides the staff and the clinical expertise while the hospital provides the space and marketing. Jennifer Robin, a graduate of the Institute's Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Training program (CAPT), does clinical work at the hospital. She also does community presentations and works with schools to help them address the needs of children who have experienced loss.

The Heart Connection is a program for bereaved children at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. The children are seen in time-limited group therapy sessions. The program is run by Peggy Schneider, Director of Pastoral Care at the Hospital. In 1996, Barr-Harris Center agreed to become part of the hospital, providing individual therapy for children who needed more than the group experience. The hospital provides space, support services and marketing and Barr-Harris provides the staff, supervision, education, and grief-related expertise. Sharon Williams, an advanced CAPT student and a resident of Evergreen Park, staffs the Barr-Harris facility at the hospital. Mrs. Williams has also made numerous presentations to schools and community groups.

In 1998, a Barr-Harris Clinic became operational at the Swedish Covenant Hospital on the north side of Chicago (Foster and California), Doris Libman is the therapist at that site. The clinic there is being integrated in the other community-based programs that the hospital provides.

The expansion of the Center has led to a number of conclusions. There is a real need in the community for intervention with bereaved families and a hospital setting, where death all too often occurs, is the place where Barr-Harris services are needed the most.

_____

Copyright Barr-Harris Children's Grief Center, 1999. Permission is granted to reproduce this page for nonprofit educational use, as long as this copyright and reference information is retained.

---

Return to the Barr-Harris Home Page