SLAP’D’s framework is best broken down into the four P’s: Peer, Professional, Personal, and Public.

Peer

At SLAP’D, we believe that connecting grieving teens to their peers is one of the most valuable parts of the healing process. We work to nurture a sense of community among our users by encouraging teens to find connection through shared experience with their peers in order to remind them that they are not alone. This peer support takes the form of the content contributed to SLAP’D by teens themselves, as well as a forum that allows teens to seek advice and support directly from one another.

Professional

While SLAP’D aims to bridge the gap for teens who may not have access to professional bereavement services, we also know that professional support can be critical, and are committed to make professional resources more accessible to grieving teens. We are proud to partner with professional grief and bereavement centers nation-wide in an effort to make bereavement resources accessible to those who need us most. We also offer an Ask-An-Expert column written by professional clinicians, as well as connections to community grief and bereavement resources.

Learn more about our professional partners here.

Personal

Finding meaning in in personal experiences is a significant part of the bereavement process, and SLAP’D works to help make that possible for teens who have lost a parent. By offering teens a chance to memorialize their loved ones through a Tribute page, SLAP’D hopes to give teens a space to reflect and process their personal experiences.

Public

SLAP’D is a platform primarily by teens and for teens, but we are committed to serving members of the community who want to help teens through the bereavement process as well. We aim to be a resource for bereavement professionals, parents, teachers, friends, and counselors, to give them the necessary insights to help and support their grieving teen. In addition, we hope to bring awareness to the startling number of teens who have lost a parent in an effort to erase the stigma surrounding grief and to bring conversations about grief and loss to the forefront of public consciousness.