MacKillop Family Services is proud to announce that in April 2023, our Seasons for Growth suite of programs will be delivered under a new name - MacKillop Seasons. We’re the same organisation, delivering the same programs, under a new brand.
Operating for over 25 years, our Seasons for Growth suite of evidence-based programs have supported more than 400,000 children, young people and adults worldwide.
Currently delivered by Good Grief as part of our Institute, we seek to increase the change, loss and grief support we provide to Australian communities and internationally under our new MacKillop Seasons brand.
In April 2023, we will launch a new website, where you will be able to access resources and book into training; and Companions can link into Communities of Practice, purchase training materials, and access other supports that assist them to facilitate Seasons and Stormbirds sessions with children, young people and adults in their community.
Let me know when the new website is available!
Find out more about our programs
Introducing the Seasons for Life initiative
Seasons for Life supports high school communities across Australia with evidence-based loss and grief education following a suicide or other loss event. It strengthens the capacity of young people, and the adults supporting them, to understand and respond well to change, loss and grief.
Seasons for Life is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing and is offered to high schools at no cost. High schools participating in Seasons for Life will have:
- Nominated staff trained to deliver the Seasons for Growth program for young people, including program manuals and student journals
- Nominated staff trained to deliver the accompanying parent session, including a session for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parents/carers
- Support to implement the Seasons for Growth program, including: coaching support from a Seasons for Life Coordinator, access to a Community of Practice and a step-by-step school guide
- A Seasons for Life Coordinator to provide an all-staff professional learning session about change, loss and grief and responding to the needs of young people, including following a suicide related loss
Expression of interest
If you’d like more information about how your high school can be involved, please submit our expression of interest form
Become a Companion
All our MacKillop Seasons programs are facilitated by skilled adults known as ‘Companions’. Through creative activities young people are guided to learn about the grief process, strengthen emotional literacy, build coping skills, make good choices, set goals and identify support networks. Each session has learning outcomes, and Companions are support to facilitate them through training, a facilitator manual, student journals, refresher courses, and a Community of Practice.