Interview 22

CFD has asked Barbara LesStrang to author a series of monthly articles about "aftercare". In this and subsequent issues, we'll bring you information from interviews with funeral directors from all over the world, who are now serving their communities with aftercare programs.  Last  month we interviewed a funeral director from Owen Sound, Ontario.  Let's take a look at what others have to say.

Roy  A. Van Atta is a native of Newark, Ohio and the third generation of the Van Atta family to provide funeral service to the community.  Roy graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1985 with a B.S. in finance.  He continued his education at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science graduating in 1987.  He is a member and Elder of The Second Presbyterian Church and Vice-president of The Newark-Heath Rotary Club.  Roy and his wife, Patti, their two children, Katie and Alexander, along with their black lab,  PJ and their basset hound, Barkley, make their home in Newark, Ohio.

The roots of the Henderson, Van Atta & Johnston Funeral Service enjoy a long history in their community. In 1922, Ernest A. Gutliph purchased Bradley Funeral Home, one of the oldest funeral firms in Newark. In 1927, C. Ross Henderson joined the firm following service in the United States Navy. In 1929 the name was changed to Gutliph and Henderson Funeral Home. After operating from three downtown locations, the funeral home was moved in 1940 to its present location.

Charles L. Johnston and Ronald G. Van Atta became a part of the funeral home in 1951. In 1957, the funeral home was incorporated under the name Ross Henderson Funeral Home, Inc. After Mr. Henderson's death in 1969, it became Henderson, Van Atta & Johnston Funeral Service Inc.  To further expand their level of service, in 1990, a new facility was added in Heath. The staff at Henderson, Van Atta and Johnston is proud of its heritage and the community in which it serves.

During a time when social structures are so rapidly changing, do you feel that bereaved families get the necessary grief support within their churches, neighborhoods and friendship circles?

Van Atta: I sincerely believe that the most important part of grief support comes from the church.  Obviously, there are many people with no church affiliation.  At that point the support must come from their family and friends. Community workshops are becoming more visible to those in need. Our local Hospice is becoming a very important partner in our service to the community. As time rolls on we look forward to helping people become more educated about grief, bereavement and then assisting them down the road to recovery.

Based on your experience, how would you describe the major needs of newly bereaved people.  

Van Atta: The major need of newly bereaved people, as I see it, is the need to be understood.  There are so many things that need to be done after the funeral, from a legal aspect, that it doesn't take long before the bereaved feel totally overwhelmed.  The community of friends and family, unless they have suffered a loss themselves, may not have the empathy needed to adequately help the bereaved.  At times like these true friends will show their faces.

What was it that precipitated your decision to implement an Aftercare program?  How long has your program been in effect and how long do you remain in contact with your families after the primary service?

Van Atta:  We wanted to play a bigger role in people's lives after the funeral service.  Implementing an Aftercare program was a logical step to take.  Our program has been in effect for over seven years now.  We provide a six month subscription to the AfterLoss helpletter.  The family receives the first issue about a month and a half after the death.  On the anniversary of the death, we send a brief note to the family letting them know that they are in our thoughts.

Does having an Aftercare program in place make you feel differently about the quality of your funeral service?  

Van Atta:   We have received so many positive comments that it would be impossible to NOT feel differently about the quality of our funeral service.  We have always placed a great emphasis on our service to our families.  I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "If we don't take care of our families, someone else will!"  Our Aftercare program is a natural extension of our at-need services and has become a permanent part of our overall service.

Do you use or need special staff to facilitate your program? 

Van Atta: We certainly do have a special staff!  I am very proud of my associates.  Day in and day out, they show their deep concern for the funeral profession and the people that walk through our doors at their time of crisis.  The work involved with the Aftercare program is not considered "extra" by anyone here.

What kind of response have you had to your Aftercare program?  

Van Atta:  The families that receive the helpletter also receive a comment card from AfterLoss. The comment cards are then forwarded to us for review.  I am proud to say that I have not seen one negative comment about the program.  Additional feedback involves positive comments from families either when they come by the funeral home or by mail.

Has your Aftercare program enhanced the image of your funeral home within your community?

Van Atta: Without a doubt.

Has your Aftercare program opened any doors for speaking engagements, school tours, or other community outreach opportunities?

Van Atta:  We have always made ourselves available for those types of events. Like advertising, it would be difficult to determine the cause & effect of the Aftercare program as it relates to requests for engagements, school tours and other outreach opportunities.

Are your competitors providing Aftercare for their families?

Van Atta:  I don't know exactly what my colleagues are doing in the way of Aftercare.  I do know that they are active in following up for pre-need purposes.  How much of that follow-up is geared towards assisting those families down the road to recovery is unknown to me.

What kind of response have you received to your Q&A Grief Recovery Ads?

Van Atta:   We have received many calls requesting the booklets offered at the bottom of the columns.

Have you received any local media coverage with your program?

Van Atta: From time to time, we have had press releases on our program.  We filmed a cable spot promoting the holiday helpletters.

Statistics indicate that over 90% of the clergy receive no grief counseling training. This being the case, have you found a way to help educate the clergy in the important area of grief recovery?

Van Atta: We have made available a Portfolio to our local Hospice and to  the local clergy.  The portfolio contains all of our Aftercare material and is a wonderful tool for those directly involved with those in need.  While this does not substitute for formal grief counselor training, it is an invaluable resource to have on hand.

The holiday season is a difficult one for those who have lost a loved one. How do you help your families through this difficult time?

Van Atta:   We make available a holiday helpletter called "Facing the Holidays after Your Loss".  It's just one more way of providing information to families at their time of loss.

What are the most difficult situations you have encountered as a funeral director?

Van Atta:  The most difficult services to handle are those of children.  I have two young children and I can not imagine losing them to death.  The death of a child is so "out of order" that there is so little we can do to ease the pain.  At times like these, the promises of God need to be a part of your life.

How do you deal with stigmatized and traumatized deaths.  How do you meet these special needs?

Van Atta: Each and every family that walks through our door at their time of a loss is listened to carefully.  Only by listening, can we meet their needs.  For instance, when someone dies of AIDS, the family is left with many questions. We try very hard to understand their concerns and comfort them the best we can.  My cousin was recently murdered in a random act of violence.  The shock felt by our entire family is still present.  Unfortunately, the shock is so prevalent at a time like this that it is very difficult for the bereaved to walk down the road to recovery in a way in which we are familiar.  Suicide and guilt walk hand in hand.  All we can do is listen carefully and do our best to be a friend.

What suggestions might you give to directors in other parts of the world who have yet to provide Aftercare services?

Van Atta: Providing Aftercare services is a logical progression for the successful funeral professional. As I mentioned earlier in this interview, "If we don't take care of our families, someone else will".  This not only means pre-need and at-need but also "after-need".

Roy, any final thoughts?

Van Atta: Everyday I wake up, I thank God for having the opportunity to help people the way we do in the funeral profession.  We see people at their lowest, and by listening and caring about them, help them work through their grief and smile again.  Having an effective Aftercare program in place, is a very natural extension of our service.  I would like to thank you for the opportunity to discuss this issue.