Bereavement Professional

  • 1.  Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-20-2018 01:15 PM
    Hi- 

    Our bereavement department is in the process of planning to begin ongoing, monthly grief support groups for individuals who have completed our 10 week series. For others who have this program already, how do you structure the ongoing meetings? What type of topics do you cover? Who facilitates these groups?

    Thanks for your feedback!

    --
    Michelle Gibson, MSW
    Blue Mountain Hospital District
    541.620.3043


  • 2.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-20-2018 04:03 PM

    Hi Sylvia,

     

    For groups of ours that have completed our 8 wk curriculum based series we pass around a contact sheet at the end, and if they'd like to share their contact information with one another to stay in touch, they may.  This has often helped to meet their expressed need of maintaining connection to those they have built a special rapport with. If those in your group have completed the group and are looking for more of the social connection, that may be fitting.

     

    In a similar vein, there was also a group that organically formed of "graduates" only, who organize twice a month dinners, weekly lunches, and monthly outings together. Curriculum group facilitators share the contact information of the organizer of that informal group of grads, noting it is not affiliated with our hospice per se, but if they wish to be a part of a social group like that, they are welcome to explore that.

     

    If those in your group are looking for ongoing formal grief support in a group setting, our hospice invites them to try or return to our drop in support group series. Those topics evolve based on the suggestions and requests of those who attend.  There's great momentum and variety in them, and they are well attended by both graduates and those who have not yet or elect to choose not to register and go through the 8 week series. 

     

    Finally, at times we offer special workshops based on feedback and interest of our bereaved.  We love including spaces for those ideas on our evaluation forms and then trying them out. This year we are offering mindfulness, meditation, and yoga for grief workshops. 

     

    I have seen other hospices have a regular rotation of topics which sounds like a successful model for them as well!  Perhaps others like that will share their approach too.

     

    Joelle Osterhaus, MSW, LCSW, LICSW, ACHP-SW (she/her)
    Hospice, Palliative Care and Continuing Care Psychosocial Services Manager

    Kaiser Permanente Northwest
    Continuing Care Services
    2701 NW Vaughn St., Ste. 140
    Portland, OR 97210-5344

    Cell Phone: (503) 312-0819
    Hospice, Palliative Care, and Home Health / Main Office Reception: (503) 499-5200

    Primary Care at Home / Main Office Reception: (503) 499-5608

    Fax: (503) 499-5535

    CCS Sharepoint Site (internal use): https://sites.sp.kp.org/teams/nwreg/NWAmbulatoryCare/CCS/SitePages/Home.aspx

    kp.org/thrive

    image001.jpg@01D48805.21A766E0          1__=<a href=07BB0AF4DFEF22D48f9e8a93df@domino.kp.org">           image001.jpg@01D39F2B.E828E280

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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-24-2018 08:23 AM
    Our program is similar to Joelle's in that we offer monthly drop in groups, led by a master's level counselor. These are loss specific - Loss of a Parent or Sibling, Loss of a Spouse or Loss of a Child. We used to promote specific topics each month but have evolved into simply having a variety of handouts available and instead going with whatever the group seems to need to talk about that particular day or evening. We too have social options - Men's Breakfast, Ladies Lunch and Dinner out for men or women and all 3 of these are facilitated and coordinated by our trained volunteers. Like Joelle, we occasionally offer one time workshops on specific topics such as Sudden Loss, Dating Again, etc. and these too are led by a master's level counselor. I always say it is important to offer a wide range of options for the bereaved because their needs change over time and everyone is different.​

    ------------------------------
    Patti Anewalt, Director
    Pathways Center for Grief & Loss
    Hospice & Community Care
    Mount Joy, PA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-21-2018 02:59 PM

    I am eager to read the responses as well.  To this point, we have only hosted closed groups.

     

    Jan

     

    Jan Cowles

    Bereavement Coordinator

     

    jan

     

    240 Indian River Road

    Orange, CT  06477

     

    203.497.3872 (direct)

    203.497.3888 (main)

    203.497.3856 (fax)

    http://www.constellationhs.com/

    If you would like to learn more about hospice and volunteering, please click on link below:

    http://www.hospicefoundation.org/watch-videos-volunteers

     

    Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ConstellationHealth

    Twitter:  @ConstellationHS

     

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  • 5.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-24-2018 12:55 PM
    ​Hi Michelle,
        While we haven't offered monthly ongoing support groups we do have a weekly group that has been offered for several years now.  Unlike our closed groups, we do not require registration or an intake process so the community can attend and receive support for the hour. 
        Our program is set up with peer support volunteers and interns who are skilled at facilitation and keeping the space safe for anyone to bring up the death they are grieving. We have had as few as 2 and as many as 25 attend which brings some challenges but it all seems to work out.
        there typically is a theme though at times the group seems to want to talk about something specifically and there is room for that. Most topics are around what support is available or not available from family and friends, symptoms of grief ( fear and anxiety being the most prevalent for topics) and handling upcoming anniversaries, holidays, etc.
         We try to hold this as a place for support as needed and the further challenge is keeping it about grief and not a social meeting that at times, people want more than anything.
        I would be interested to hear how your group goes!
    Warmly,
    Cindi


    ------------------------------
    Cindi Gray, LCSW
    Director, Grief Support Programs
    Hospice of Santa Cruz County
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-21-2018 02:59 PM

    I am eager to see what ideas are suggested.  We have only offered closed groups to this point as well.

     

    Jan

     

    Jan Cowles

    Bereavement Coordinator

     

    jan

     

    240 Indian River Road

    Orange, CT  06477

     

    203.497.3872 (direct)

    203.497.3888 (main)

    203.497.3856 (fax)

    http://www.constellationhs.com/

    If you would like to learn more about hospice and volunteering, please click on link below:

    http://www.hospicefoundation.org/watch-videos-volunteers

     

    Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ConstellationHealth

    Twitter:  @ConstellationHS

     

    CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

    This message (including any attachments) contains confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this message and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited.

     


    CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail and any files transmitted are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. This communication may contain material that has protected health information or is legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient or the individual responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this email and then delete this message.   ­­  



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 12-24-2018 08:39 AM
    ​Hi -
    We have many successful monthly groups. Some are loss specific. Some are more general.
    The facilitator is one of the bereavement coordinators and always has a topic or theme ready. But,  monthly groups are client driven.  Topics could be seasonal (coping with holidays, surviving the winter blues, etc) or feelings (anger, guilt, loneliness, etc) or coping or could be more specific.  A spousal loss group wants to talk about dating.  A group of parents  want to talk about managing special occasions.  The topic list is endless. Again, the group will drive this.
    We have monthly groups during the day and in the evening.  Older folks prefer the day either directly before or after lunch.  Working people prefer 6:30-8:00 pm.  We schedule for 90 minutes.  Mondays and Fridays do not seem to be popular. 
    Hope that helps.
    Diane

    ------------------------------
    Diane Snyder Cowan, CHPCA,MA,MT-BC
    Director of Western Reserve Grief Services
    Hospice of the Western Reserve, Inc
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 01-10-2019 10:08 AM
    ​Our Bereavement Team met yesterday to discuss some options for groups. I'll describe our structure and challenges below, but I'm wondering if others can chime in about how many counselors you have and how you staff your groups.

    Like the OP, we offer a series called Meaningful Grieving, though ours is 8 weeks. We kicked around the idea of holding a second time-limited "progressive" series, called The Journey Continues, with the idea that once group members go through both, most will have met their goals. 

    We have not had luck with ongoing support groups. When I started two years ago, we offered two weekly ongoing groups, but they overwhelmingly seemed to attract people with codependency issues and Cluster B personality traits. A number of the core group members had been coming for 3-6 years on a weekly basis and going out to eat with one another after the group; some came for the social component and some were attention-seeking. We noticed that new members did not stay with the group long, if at all. After receiving a number of complaints about it, we dropped the frequency of the group to twice per month and addressed with members the question of knowing when it was time to move on or to seek other services to meet their goals.  It did not go over well, and we lost a lot of our regulars.  The bi-monthly model seems to deter a lot of that (though not all), but now we are struggling with attendance. We have about 3-5 people at each session.

    We are looking into developing a model more like what Diane described - doing monthly, ongoing, loss-specific groups for Perinatal Loss, Loss of Spouse, Loss of Parent, etc, as well as 1-2 general loss groups. That said, I'm concerned about oversaturation and staff burden.  The other large, non-profit hospice in our area uses this model and staffs with part-time counselors, RNs, and chaplains.  With only three full-time bereavement counselors juggling calls, IDG, counseling, and administrative tasks, I worry that we will be duplicating services and overtaxing ourselves.

    ------------------------------
    Megan Kale-Cheever, LSW, CT, GC-C
    Bereavement Counselor
    Mount Carmel Hospice and Palliative Care
    1144 Dublin Rd.
    Columbus, OH 43215
    614-234-0270 (Direct)
    614-234-0200 (Main)
    Megan.Kale-Cheever@mchs.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 01-10-2019 03:07 PM
    Someone wise years ago told me "You can't do everything, so do what you do well" and that has served me well.  You raise an important point - there's no sense in competing with nearby hospices for clients, it's far better to find 'niches' and collaborate instead. Perhaps for example you offer a sudden loss group or series because the other hospices are not offering that​. Or some one time workshops - we have ones like The Nature of Sudden Death or When to Date Again or Pottery Play where they make a clay tile in memory of their loved one. Plus I find people are busy so brief, one time groups or workshop, or a brief 3 week series is an easier commitment than an 8 or 10 week one.

    ------------------------------
    Patti Anewalt, Director
    Pathways Center for Grief & Loss
    Hospice & Community Care
    Mount Joy, PA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Ongoing, monthly grief support group

    Posted 01-11-2019 09:55 AM
    Hi Michelle!

    I have developed an alumni program for the graduates of our 8-week groups, mostly because I found that there was such a discrepancy between the cycles as to if groups were motivated as a whole to continue lunching/checking in, and the volume of grievers who could potentially make connections would increase. Accordingly, we have ​a quarterly Growth Group for alumni led by me, they are eligible for all the workshops that newly bereaved are (for example, my writing workshop often has an alumni contingent), and they have a drop-in peer-led group monthly. I also do a yearly reunion that is more social in nature. This has not only worked well, it has been a gift to me in program development. Recently, I started meeting with a smaller alumni group who are not ready to be "official" volunteers, but who wanted to "give back". There are 12 in this group who meet quarterly to help plan programming, discuss relevance of materials, etc. It has become a source of pride for these folks, too.  


    ------------------------------
    Aubrie G. Hills, MA, LICSW, ACHP-SW, FT
    Social Worker &
    Bereavement Coordinator
    Hospice of the South Shore
    Rockland, MA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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