Hello Pamela,
The on-line group I run has been very poorly attended so I am switching it to a once-monthly format after having also tried the time-limited model. While they were great during the pandemic, I think on-line groups are hit-or-miss because of the demographics of the people who tend to use them.
Regarding our in-person groups, what I've found to be extremely helpful is to recruit a volunteer to attend. When I started our Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon groups last year I asked one of my volunteers to commit to attending four meetings, which he did. This was extremely helpful at the beginning when new attendees were just getting to know each other and getting used to the schedule. The most crucial element to starting a group is, after all, getting enough bodies in the room to have the "group feeling". So at least with my volunteer I knew we would have a "group" (including me the facilitator). Now the Tuesday group averages 5-6 attendees not including the volunteer or facilitator and the Monday group averages about 9-10, also not including any volunteers or facilitators. I believe that group is consistently so large because another volunteer (aren't they just wonderful?) started to assist and she invites them out for lunch afterwards (everyone pays their own way). This has really helped them to connect with one another.
We advertise our groups via our newsletters to our hospice families and a small community mailing for anyone who requests that information. We also send our group schedule to our business liaison department so that they can promote our activities out in the community. And we also have two volunteers who assist with follow up calls for those assessed as low-risk and we get attendees periodically from those calls as well. Plus anyone we have been meeting with 1:1 for more intensive support eventually is encouraged to attend the groups to get the benefit of the group support. Hope this helps! It can be hit-or-miss sometimes. Keep trying!
P.S. it may also be your group setting. For the better part of two years we tried to lead a group based out of the office building of one of our community partners and the space was just not conducive for a group. There was very little privacy, a lot of noise that filtered in from the outside, and it was a long walk from the parking lot. At best we probably had 3 people attend at one time.
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Jennifer Simmons, LCSW
Bereavement Coordinator
St Francis Reflections Life Stage Care
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-08-2023 10:40 AM
From: Pamela Wingard
Subject: Grief Groups
I am reaching out to see if anyone is struggling with attendance for grief support groups. We had transitioned our groups to virtual during the height of the pandemic. With new staff we learned that the on-going support groups were not welcoming to new group members. So, we shifted to the approach of time limited, educational support groups. Offering some virtual and some in person. We have offered book discussions, music therapy, art therapy, specific loss groups, general loss groups and we are getting a very poor turnout. We have had to cancel many with only 1 person or noone signing up. We are using our community connections to get the word out but wondering if times are changing and perhaps support groups are no longer a desired service. Anyone able to share their experience or suggestions in how to reach those grieving a loss.
Pamela Wingard, LMSW
Social Work & Counseling Services Manager
Direct Line: 231.728.6821
Toll Free: 800.497.9559
Fax: 231.722.0708
Harbor Hospice
Harbor Palliative Care
Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence
Harbor Hospice Foundation
Bob & Merle Scolnik Healing Center
www.HarborHospiceMI.org
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