Program Spotlight: Traumatic Loss Response Team & Camp Bridges

The Traumatic Loss Response Team and other staff from FrontLine’s Trauma Department at Camp Bridges 2022.

Before the sun was up, even though her shift wasn’t starting for hours, Kathy traveled to the scene of a homicide. Police had called FrontLine to assist a 4-year-old and a six-year-old at the scene who had witnessed the tragedy. Kathy spent hours with them in the back of a police car and at the hospital, keeping them safe and occupied. She was a calm, comforting presence at their worst moment.

Kathy is a member of FrontLine Service’s Traumatic Loss Response Team (TLRT). Since 2008, TLRT has helped Cuyahoga County families navigate the sudden loss of a loved one to homicide, suicide, or other traumatic event. Licensed clinicians, available 24/7, respond to wherever families need them to provide immediate support after a traumatic loss. The children Kathy supported are among the more than 1,000 individuals TLRT served in 2022. 

Losing a loved one can be overwhelming. Losing a loved one to homicide adds another layer of trauma and confusion. After responding to a scene like this, Kathy and other TLRT clinicians provide support over the next few months to help families cope with the aftermath of their loss. TLRT staff provide practical support, such as funeral planning, information about changing custody, help in understanding the investigation, and any other support the family needs. TLRT staff also help children and adults address difficulty sleeping, intrusive thoughts, survivor’s guilt, and other common trauma reactions.

Since 2010, TLRT staff and representatives of the Cleveland Division of Police have traveled throughout the U.S. to share this innovative model. Police departments from the Bronx to North Carolina have developed programs modeled after FrontLine’s Traumatic Loss Response Team. 

"In 2022, there were 170 homicides and 30 child fatalities. We called FrontLine every time. I can’t imagine how homicide departments across the country operate without this support for families," said Commander Ali Pillow, Bureau of Special Investigations from the City of Cleveland Department of Public Safety, Division of Police.

FrontLine also hosts Camp Bridges, an annual day-long camp for children who have been served by TLRT. Losing a loved one to homicide, suicide, or another traumatic event can make a child feel “different” from other children. At Camp Bridges, these children don’t feel as alone as they enjoy a day of summer fun with other children who’ve experienced similar trauma.

If you would like to support children impacted by Traumatic Loss, you can donate or volunteer at Camp Bridges. Click the button below to learn more.