Hospice of Palm Beach County - Licensed Since 1981

Camp SeaStar

"Adventure Counseling helps children with team building and self-esteem. The children choose their goals for the weekend and work as a team to overcome a variety of challenges to meet those goals. Many kids make long-lasting friendships and keep in touch with each other after camp is over."
- Christina Dekkar, LCSW

Every year, the John J. Brogan Bereavement Center, a program of Hospice of Palm Beach County, prepares an open invitation to any child who had a loved one in our services or who is currently undergoing counseling through the center. In addition, camp is free to any child attending SeaStar, our group support program provided to children at any Palm Beach County school.

The focus of Camp SeaStar is to act as a support system for children and teens. The objectives of the camp are to aid these kids in:

Identifying ways to cope with change
Improving self-esteem
Learning to recognize and validate their feelings
Identifying safe ways of grief expression
Recognizing that having fun and celebrating are still a part of life

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"We look at camp as a continuation of the counseling they have already had," said Christina Dekkar, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for Hospice of Palm Beach County. "We do activities that honor their loved ones. We also do Adventure Counseling. It helps children with team building and self-esteem. Children pick goals for the weekend and work as a team to overcome a variety of challenges to meet those goals." In addition to counseling, Dekkar is also the coordinator for the SeaStar program associated with the Palm Beach County school system.

The camp is held at Everglades Youth Camp and it is for two nights. The children have time to play games, canoe, and swim and there is a cabin decorating contest. The goal is to produce a camp that is safe and fun in an environment that encourages kids to share their stories. To end the camp everyone is involved in a drumming circle. "It is so heartwarming to see how much these kids grow over the weekend," said Christina. "Many kids make long-lasting friendships and keep in touch with each other after the camp is over."

Children and teens can attend the camp up to two times. If you have any questions regarding Camp Seastar or the other programs at the John J. Brogan Bereavement Center, call (561) 227-5175 or Christina Dekkar at (561) 227-5258.