Grief Support Services
"What is the etiquette of mourning? There isn't one. After all the attempts to comfort, the suggestions shared out of love and helplessness, each mourner says his own good-byes, feels his own feelings, and moves uneasily and unevenly toward healing. In the end, each struggling spirit, alone in the company of a few dear friends, somehow finds a way."
--excerpt from Safe Passage
Hospice of Kitsap County offers a comprehensive program of
grief support services for our community. Most of our bereavement program is provided in support group settings. We assist anyone in Kitsap County who is grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of their affiliation with a hospice patient. We also support the family and friends of terminally ill hospice patients in coming to terms with their grief, and working through this process in their own individual ways. The following is a list of Hospice of Kitsap County's grief support services available to anyone in the community, as well as educational materials that may help you through the process. With the exception of the on-going support group, pre-registration is required. For more information about grief and loss support, please contact the Director of Counseling & Bereavement Services at (360) 698-4611.
Children & Grief Workshop
To better serve grieving children in our community, Hospice of Kitsap County is providing this strategic one-day training workshop designed to equip teachers, school counselors, social workers, spiritual care providers and volunteers to prepare and facilitate children's grief groups in Kitsap County. The workshop facilitators are Heather Neal, LICSW, CT, Supervisor Grief and Loss Services and Darren Wenz, MSW, CT, program coordinator from BRIDGES: A Center for Grieving Children. BRIDGES is affiliated with Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma. It serves families with children ages 4-18 who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. The workshop will be held Wednesday, October 27, at the Olympic Educational Service District 114 Building, 105 National Ave. N., Bremerton from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Learning Units are available. For more information, contact the Director of Bereavement Services at Hospice of Kitsap County at (360) 698-4611. To register, contact Dr. Kristin Schutte, M.Ed., CDP Student Services Center Director at (360) 405-5833. The $30 cost includes handouts, registration fee and lunch.
Hospice of Kitsap County's On-Going Support Group
This group follows a traditional drop-in format. Participants receive support in a confidential peer-group setting. Meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 1:30pm, St. Olaf's Church Education Building, located at 18943 Caldart Street in Poulsbo. NOTE: Effective October 13, this group will meet in Silverdale at 3100 Bucklin Hill Road, #205.
Facing Loss: a 9-Week Grief Support Group - call 698-4611 to pre-register
Hospice of Kitsap County presents Facing Loss: a 9-Week Grief Support Group. This group is designed to provide education and support for adults grieving the death of a loved one.
Participants meet with others who have experienced a similar loss and benefit from exploring ways of coping with life's changes. The group focuses on the general task of grieving, considers ways of providing self-care, and creates an environment for mutual learning as group members share their experiences of loss.
Together, participants learn that change, though difficult, is possible and that grieving occurs in different ways for each individual. The sessions are informal, supportive and informative.
Each session builds on materials from the previous sessions, so attendance to all nine is encouraged. This program is free, but donations to Hospice of Kitsap County are gratefully accepted.
Facing Loss Schedule
September 13, 2010 through November 8, 2010 (Mondays - 7:00pm to 8:30pm)
Poulsbo - Martha & Mary, 19282 Front Street
January 11, 2011 through March 8, 2011 (Tuesdays - 5:30pm to 7:00pm)
Silverdale - 3100 Bucklin Hill Road, #205
April 5, 2011 through May 31, 2011 (Tuesdays - 5:30pm to 7:00pm)
Port Orchard - Stafford Suites, 1761 Pottery Ave.
June 14, 2011 through August 9, 2011 (Tuesdays - 5:30pm to 7:00pm)
Bremerton - Comfort Keepers, 3256 Chico Way
September 13, 2011 through November 8, 2011 (Tuesdays - 5:30pm to 7:00pm)
Poulsbo - Martha & Mary's, 19282 Front Street
Coping with Grief During the Holidays
A special bereavement program led by the Hospice counseling staff to assist individuals coping with the loss of a loved one during the holidays. This program will be offered twice:
Thursday, November 4, 2010 - 3:30-5:00 p.m. - Silverdale - 3100 Bucklin Hill Road, #205
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 5:00-6:30 p.m. - Silverdale - 3100 Bucklin Hill Road, #205
Remembrance Ceremony for Hospice of Kitsap County Families
Join us for this special program of reflection and remembrance of your loved ones who have died during the past year. A memory table is provided if you wish to bring a photo or special memento of your loved one to display. Reception with light refreshments to follow. RSVP's are greatly appreciated but not required.
Thursday, December 9, 2010 - 5:00-6:30 p.m., Island Lake - John Horsely Community Room, 1087 NW Island Lake Road, Poulsbo.
6-Week Kids Grief Group - call 698-4611 to pre-register
Hospice of Kitsap County hosts a special 6-week group for kids ages 4-12 who have lost someone they love.
Kids learn to express their feelings in a nurturing environment through art, puppets, peer support, and story sharing. These counselor-led activities are designed to help kids cope with the death of their loved one. A support group for parents and guardians is held simultaneously. This group meets at Country Meadows Retirement Center (Redbarn Clubhouse - lower level), located at 12169 Country Meadows Lane, Silverdale. The next Kids Grief Group is scheduled for February and March, 2011; exact dates will be announced soon.
In-School Bereavement Program
This is a collaborative effort between Hospice and all five Kitsap County school districts to provide grief and loss counseling to students who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. Today there are a growing number of kids dealing with grief issues, especially as a result of violent deaths and suicides (particularly suicides by their peers).
When kids face the death of someone close to them, often they are relatively unsupported as they cope with the crisis. For most, their surviving parent or guardian is grieving the same loss, therefore leaving little or no effective adult support within their lives. Furthermore, it is difficult for an adult to truly judge how difficult the death of a loved one is for children. Adults generally suffer "a loss", but with children the loss leads to a whole domino effect. Families change, there are moves and remarriages, there are new roles within the family system for the child, and yet children are expected to maintain normalcy at school, achieve good grades and "get over it". School counselors, their most accessible source of guidance, have neither the time nor the specialized training for bereavement work.
It is vital that these students be empowered with the necessary skills to deal with their grief issues. Too often students are left to cope with loss individually. The inability to resolve their bereavement issues will lead some kids to excessive withdrawal, running away, alcohol, drugs, violence, suicide, or other destructive forces. All will suffer to some degree from a sense of isolation, “differentness,” and confusion.
Therefore, the goals of the In-School Grief Group is to reduce the student's sense of isolation, to provide healthful alternatives for expressions of grief, to help them increase communication about their grief within their own circle of support, and to provide assurance that they can eventually reach a place of resolution and adjustment to loss.
In the words of one girl – whose mother was murdered weeks before she started the group – the program helped her begin to “release my feelings and accept the way things are.”
These classes meet at schools around Kitsap County and are available by request. Call Hospice at (360) 698-4611 for further information or to make a request for your school.
Kids Grief Retreat
Helping Kids Heal
Childhood should be a time filled with laughter, discovery and love. But when children experience the death of a loved one, their lives can be filled with challenges that make enjoyment, happiness, and understanding difficult to achieve. In response to these challenges, Hospice of Kitsap County has developed the Kids Grief Retreat, a special day for grieving children.
The retreat is free for kids ages 4 to 12 who have experienced the death of a loved one and includes a simultaneous support group for parents and guardians. The day offers a special combination of fun activities and supportive discussions to help build trust, self-esteem and coping skills. All of the activities are led by Hospice of Kitsap County bereavement counselors and trained volunteers, and are designed to impart three core messages to the children.
First, grieving children learn that they are not alone. Being a grieving child is a lonely experience. Often he or she is the only one in class who has lost a mom or dad, a brother or sister. At a time in a child's life when it is very important to feel that they fit in, grief can make a child feel different or isolated. The retreat provides an opportunity for them to meet peers who have had similar feelings and experiences.
Next, grieving children learn that their feelings are perfectly normal. The feelings that accompany grief can be intense and overwhelming. Sometimes they even worry that they are "going crazy" with grief. The retreat shows children that what they are experiencing, although painful, is normal.
Lastly, grieving children have an opportunity to address their feelings and memorialize their loved ones. Through a variety of means, including ritual, arts and crafts, and physical activities, children have the opportunity to "get their feelings out" while honoring and remembering the person they held dear.
The Kids Grief Retreat is free and lunch is included, but registration is required. The date of the next retreat is Saturday June 18, 2011 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Silverwood Elementary School, 14000 Central Valley Road NW, Poulsbo. If you have any questions please call (360) 698-4611.
Grief in the Workplace
Specialized programs led by Hospice counselors customized to meet the needs of groups and businesses whose members are experiencing grief and loss are available upon request by calling the Hospice of Kitsap County office at (360) 698-4611.
Waking Up Alone: Grief & Healing
 Julie K. Cicero, M.S.W., former Hospice of Kitsap County grief counselor, has written a book entitled: Waking Up Alone: Grief & Healing.
Following the death of her husband, Julie obtained a Master's in Social Work and began her career as a hospice grief counselor. Her current work includes daily interaction with people who are in the process of losing their loved ones and with those who are surviving the death of a loved one.
Julie's book can be purchased for $15 by calling Hospice of Kitsap County at (360) 698-4611. All book sale proceeds benefit the Hospice of Kitsap County Care Center.
HOME
|
