In Wake of Local Tragedy, Organizations Lend Support, Resources

September 21, 2026
• As the Needham community navigates loss, local support organizations offer guidance and services for students and families.

In a message to the school community last Tuesday, Superintendent Dan Gutekanst announced the passing of Needham High School junior Elijah Chen, who died suddenly on Monday. As high school staff lend support for students in Chen’s classes, the district will also “offer guidance and other counseling services as necessary.”

“News like this is difficult to share, especially when it involves a young person,” Gutekanst wrote. “I encourage parents and families to consider these resources as a way to talk about this news with your child should they be curious or concerned.”

Gutekanst directed families to a list of counseling resources, including Needham Youth and Family Services, Riverside Trauma Center and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Needham Youth and Family Services provides free mental health support and refers patients to other organizations. Over the last week, many local families have sought out the department for guidance in the wake of the tragedy, Director Sara Shine said.

Grief takes different forms, Shine said, and can be particularly complicated for children. She advised parents to expect “a wide range of emotion, from anger to sadness to confusion to anxiety.”

“Any way that a child is grieving isn’t wrong, and it’s not necessarily concerning,” Shine said. “You want to be able to support your child in validating their feelings and making sure that you’re allowing them to express themselves in a safe way, in whatever way that means.”

Returning to routine can help in the healing process, she said, but parents should be mindful about permitting time off from school and other obligations during hard moments. For those who don’t seem able to function outside their grief, professional guidance may help, she added.

Parents also feel the impact of this loss and should also allow themselves to process it, Shine said.

“This is a community tragedy, and parents need the space to be able to grieve, and it might have impacted them as well,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing for your kids to be able to see you grieving… It’s not a negative. It’s something that everyone goes through, and if you can do it in a healthy way of grieving, and your child can see that, I think that it can help them find strength.”

The Needham Police Department deployed its two emotional support dogs into schools last week, along with community resource dogs from a number of other area police departments.

NPD also partners with Clinician Emily Turnbull at Riverside Trauma Center, who is embedded within the department and responds to mental health-related calls and on crisis intervention. Riverside, located in Dedham, provides mental health and substance use support across various programs. It also has 24/7 mobile crisis intervention available for all ages, children included: 781-769-8670.

Grief can come in waves, “affecting people at different moments and for different reasons,” Turnbull wrote in an email.

“There is no single way to grieve,” Turnbull wrote. “It’s important to recognize these feelings and signs of grief and to reach out to those around you when you are struggling.”

Walker Community Counseling, a separate division of the Walker School, offers community-based behavioral health support for Needham and the wider community. That looks like outpatient therapy and psychiatric services at Walker’s Needham clinic or via telehealth or people aged 3 and up.

Following Chen’s passing, the organization reached out to school leadership to lend support, said Elise Naventi Reid, vice president of behavior health at Walker Therapeutic and Educational Programs. Walker is open as a resource to those who need it, she wrote in an email.

Reid noted Walker is not responding on behalf of NHS or the school district, nor is Walker working with them or representing them.

While navigating loss, “it is important to show compassion toward yourself and others,” Reid wrote. For young people specifically, maintaining connections with their peers and supportive adults is beneficial, she added, as is keeping up with familiar activities when able.

“Maintaining routines, prioritizing sleep, hydration, and nutrition, staying connected with trusted friends and family members, and seeking support when needed can help people navigate periods of grief and loss,” Reid wrote.

Caregivers are encouraged to have open lines of communication with their kids and follow their lead.

“Some young people process their feelings openly, while others may need more time. Listening without judgment, validating their feelings, and reminding them that their reactions are normal can be incredibly helpful,” she wrote. “Parents should also monitor for significant changes in mood, sleep, appetite, behavior, academic performance, substance use, or social engagement, and seek additional support if concerns arise.”

Peer group therapy can offer students options to engage with those who share similar experiences, Shine said. Jeff’s Place, a grief support organization based in Framingham, does just that. Shine noted that parents should keep an eye on when it’s helpful for kids to grieve alongside friends and peers and when it’s time to do so by themselves or with loved ones.

Shine also recommended The Children’s Room in Arlington, which provides grief support services for youth and families.

While speaking about loss can be hard, turning toward your community can provide relief, understanding and healing, Turnbull added. People, she said, “do not have to navigate their grief alone.”