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 numerous
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.
As clients 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 at 718 Glenview in Highland Park. Barr-Harris provides the staff and
the clinical expertise while the hospital provides the space and marketing.
The Heart Connection is a program for bereaved children
at Little Company of Mary Hospital at 2800 W. 87th Street 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.
In 2002, a Barr-Harris Clinic opened at La Rabida
Children's
Hospital on the south side of Chicago, at West 65th Street and Lake Michigan. Johanna Sonnenfeld is the therapist
at La Rabida.
In 2004, Barr-Harris started operating at the Riverdale
Community Center at 13725 S. Wabash Ave. in Riverdale, one of the southwest
suburbs.
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.
After 16 years of successful leadership, Benjamin Garber
retired as director of the Center in 2008. The current director is Judith
Feigon Schiffman, who was previously co-director of the Institute's Child and
Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program (CAPPT).
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