iCARE team helps EBR students cope with grief, violence

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The iCARE team is working to help students facing struggles in their everyday lives, with grief being one of the constant uphill battles they address.

According to the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, one in five children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18.

“It’s based on the violence, you know, and kids are just going through unimaginable things that they’re dealing with, and we’re just starting to support and help,” said Erin Pourciau-Bradford, who leads the iCARE team.

Supporting students through multiple challenges

The iCARE team is a group of over a dozen specialists helping East Baton Rouge Parish school students with issues including grief, substance abuse, and violence prevention. According to a CDC study, in 2021, nearly one in four high school students voiced that they have recurring feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

Bradford has directed the program for over five years and said it is essential to the community seeking help.

“We are there not just to provide resources but there for students. And I think it’s important to build rapport with the students, to build a rapport with the schools, and understand where students need us the most and connect with those students,” Bradford said.

Competing influences create challenges

Bradford said one of the toughest challenges when dealing with students facing problems is the advice they sometimes compete with.

“They have family members who are telling them this is the way to go, these are the things to do. And then you have us saying you don’t have to do that, you don’t have to go that route. But they’re just trying to survive,” Bradford said.

“And so, you’re battling with that, and those are the students we find the most difficult. Because they’re in an environment with their family, the people they’re loyal to are telling them one thing, and it’s not always the best thing,” she said.

The iCARE team has a goal to enhance the futures of students’ lives through love, support, and care.

“I want those opportunities for them. I want them to be viable citizens in our community, and for them to do that, we need to support them. We all have a responsibility to support, love on them, and give them the best opportunity to be the best that they can be,” Bradford said.

“We are trying to reach as many of them as we can and hopefully change lives one at a time,” she said.

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