Grief & Loss Resources
The following are some great resources provided through "Hospice & Community Care in Lancaster, PA" (https://tinyurl.com/edp4x3hf)
ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY
· What is Grief?
· Hope for Coping
· Care for Your Whole Self
· Being In and Moving through Mourning
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
· Coping with a Coronavirus Death
· Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others During a Pandemic
· Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One During COVID-19
· Support After a Coronavirus Death: Suggestions for Parents and Family Members
· Strategies to Help Grieving Children & Teens Cope with Anxiety During the Pandemic
· Helping Children Cope with a Coronavirus Death
· Helping Children Cope During the Pandemic Crisis
SUGGESTED READING LISTS
· Adults Coping with Serious Illness
· Bereaved Children
· Children Coping with a Loved One’s Serious Illness
· Children Coping with a Serious Illness
· Compassion Fatigue and Wellness
· Death of a Child
· Professionals
· Pet Loss Resources
· Supporting Bereaved Adults
· Supporting Bereaved Children and Teens
· Teens on Illness and Loss
CAREGIVING & SUPPORTING OTHERS
· Anticipatory Grief and Mourning
· Caregiver Resources
· Caregivers’ Self Care
· How to Help a Grieving Friend
· Supporting the Bereaved
· When a Coworker is Grieving
GRIEF AND LOSS: ADULTS
· Bill of Rights for the Bereaved
· Common Grief Responses: Suggestions for Healing
· Complicated Mourning: What is it? How do I Cope?
· Coping with Anxiety While Grieving
· Coping with Special Days
· Extreme Self Care on Your Grief Journey
· Grief and Loss as a Young Adult
· Ritual as an Aid to Coping with Loss
· Understanding Grief – Common Reactions
· Ways to Cope During the Holidays
· Ways to Remember During the Holidays
CHILDREN AND TEENS
· After an Overdose Death Suggestions for Talking with Children and Teens
· Guidelines for Families: Helping Adolescents Cope During a Loved One’s Serious Illness
· Guidelines for Families: Helping Adolescents Cope Following a Loved One’s Death
· Helping Children Cope When a Loved One has a Chronic Illness
· Helping Children Cope with Sudden Death
· Helping Children Cope with Sudden Illness
· Helping Children Understand Suicide
· Helping Children and Teens Cope During a Loved One’s Terminal Illness and After the Death
· Questions Commonly Asked to Help Children Cope
· Strategies to Help Children and Teens Cope with Anxiety After Loss
· Supporting Adolescents Coping with Death
· Supporting Children and Teens Coping with the Death of a Loved One by Suicide
· Supporting Children Coping with Illness and Loss
· Understanding the Developmental Stages of Grieving Children
· Youth & Funerals: Understanding the Important Role Funerals and Memorialization Play in the Lives of Youth
· When There is a Funeral: Helping Children Cope
SPECIFIC TYPES OF LOSS
· Bereaved Individuals with Autism
· Bereaved Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Developmental Delays
· Common Grief Responses in Persons with Serious Illness
· Common LGBT Grief Issues Following the Death of a Partner or Spouse
· Coping with Sudden Death
· Coping with Suicide Loss
· Couples Coping with the Loss of a Child
· Dr. Mitchell Crawford, Overdose Awareness Day 2020
· Grief and Loss as a Young Adult
· Grieving the Death of an Adult Child
· Grieving the Death of a Child
· Grieving the Death of a Spouse or Companion
· Grieving When Cognitively Impaired
· Losing a Loved One to Drug Overdose
· Losing a Loved One to Homicide
· Losses in Later Life
· Pet Loss Resources
· Suicide Resource Options
· Surviving the Loss of a Parent
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
These sites provides useful resources pertaining to end of life, as well as grief and loss.
The following are great resource provided by the American Counseling Association. (https://tinyurl.com/7xav64xd)
For General Information on Grief
· AARP’s Grief and Loss
Offers articles, discussions, resources and tools for coping with grief and the loss of a loved one.
· HOPE for Bereaved, Inc.
Provides hope, support and services for the bereaved.
· OptionB
An online community that collects and shares stories of adversity to help people build resiliency and find joy.
For Death from AIDS
· CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's primary reference, referral and publications distribution service for HIV and AIDS information. The services are aimed primarily at professionals.
For Death of Armed Forces or Law Enforcement Personnel
· COPS—Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc.
Nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing resources to assist in rebuilding the lives of the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, as determined by federal government criteria.
· TAPS—Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc.
National nonprofit organization made up of, and providing services to, all whose loved ones have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
For Death of a Child/Children
· Compassionate Friends
Grief support after the death of a child.
For Homicide Survivors
· National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
NOVA is the oldest national victim-assistance organization of its type in the United States and is the recognized leader in victim advocacy, education and credentialing.
· POMC (Parents of Murdered Children)
POMC’s vision is to provide support and assistance to all survivors of homicide victims while working to create a world free of murder.
For Life-Challenging Illness
· American Cancer Society
Information on cancer, including coping with a long-term illness and dealing with grief and loss after death from cancer.
· Candelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
A national nonprofit membership organization with a mission is to educate, support, serve and advocate for families of children with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and the professionals who care for them.
· The Hospice Foundation of America
Nonprofit organization that provides leadership in the development and application of hospice and its philosophy of care.
· Cancer Care
National nonprofit organization providing free professional help to people with all cancers.
· National Cancer Institute
This patient summary on loss, grief and bereavement is adapted from the summary written for health professionals by cancer experts.
· The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
National organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of end-of-life care.
For Youth
· National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise the standard of care and improve the access to services to children, families and communities.
· Coalition to Support Grieving Students
The Coalition to Support Grieving Students is a collaboration of the leading professional organizations that have come together with a common conviction: grieving students need the support and care of the school community.
· The Dougy Center
The Dougy Center provides a safe place for those—children, teens, young adults and their families—who are grieving a death to share their experiences. We do this through peer support groups, education and training.
· National Alliance for Grieving Children
NAGC is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
· Books for elementary school students:
When Someone Very Special Dies by Marge Heegaard
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Larene Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst & Geoff Stevenson
I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas & Leslie Harker
· Books for middle school students:
Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement by Karen Gravelle
ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY
· What is Grief?
· Hope for Coping
· Care for Your Whole Self
· Being In and Moving through Mourning
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
· Coping with a Coronavirus Death
· Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others During a Pandemic
· Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One During COVID-19
· Support After a Coronavirus Death: Suggestions for Parents and Family Members
· Strategies to Help Grieving Children & Teens Cope with Anxiety During the Pandemic
· Helping Children Cope with a Coronavirus Death
· Helping Children Cope During the Pandemic Crisis
SUGGESTED READING LISTS
· Adults Coping with Serious Illness
· Bereaved Children
· Children Coping with a Loved One’s Serious Illness
· Children Coping with a Serious Illness
· Compassion Fatigue and Wellness
· Death of a Child
· Professionals
· Pet Loss Resources
· Supporting Bereaved Adults
· Supporting Bereaved Children and Teens
· Teens on Illness and Loss
CAREGIVING & SUPPORTING OTHERS
· Anticipatory Grief and Mourning
· Caregiver Resources
· Caregivers’ Self Care
· How to Help a Grieving Friend
· Supporting the Bereaved
· When a Coworker is Grieving
GRIEF AND LOSS: ADULTS
· Bill of Rights for the Bereaved
· Common Grief Responses: Suggestions for Healing
· Complicated Mourning: What is it? How do I Cope?
· Coping with Anxiety While Grieving
· Coping with Special Days
· Extreme Self Care on Your Grief Journey
· Grief and Loss as a Young Adult
· Ritual as an Aid to Coping with Loss
· Understanding Grief – Common Reactions
· Ways to Cope During the Holidays
· Ways to Remember During the Holidays
CHILDREN AND TEENS
· After an Overdose Death Suggestions for Talking with Children and Teens
· Guidelines for Families: Helping Adolescents Cope During a Loved One’s Serious Illness
· Guidelines for Families: Helping Adolescents Cope Following a Loved One’s Death
· Helping Children Cope When a Loved One has a Chronic Illness
· Helping Children Cope with Sudden Death
· Helping Children Cope with Sudden Illness
· Helping Children Understand Suicide
· Helping Children and Teens Cope During a Loved One’s Terminal Illness and After the Death
· Questions Commonly Asked to Help Children Cope
· Strategies to Help Children and Teens Cope with Anxiety After Loss
· Supporting Adolescents Coping with Death
· Supporting Children and Teens Coping with the Death of a Loved One by Suicide
· Supporting Children Coping with Illness and Loss
· Understanding the Developmental Stages of Grieving Children
· Youth & Funerals: Understanding the Important Role Funerals and Memorialization Play in the Lives of Youth
· When There is a Funeral: Helping Children Cope
SPECIFIC TYPES OF LOSS
· Bereaved Individuals with Autism
· Bereaved Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities or Developmental Delays
· Common Grief Responses in Persons with Serious Illness
· Common LGBT Grief Issues Following the Death of a Partner or Spouse
· Coping with Sudden Death
· Coping with Suicide Loss
· Couples Coping with the Loss of a Child
· Dr. Mitchell Crawford, Overdose Awareness Day 2020
· Grief and Loss as a Young Adult
· Grieving the Death of an Adult Child
· Grieving the Death of a Child
· Grieving the Death of a Spouse or Companion
· Grieving When Cognitively Impaired
· Losing a Loved One to Drug Overdose
· Losing a Loved One to Homicide
· Losses in Later Life
· Pet Loss Resources
· Suicide Resource Options
· Surviving the Loss of a Parent
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
These sites provides useful resources pertaining to end of life, as well as grief and loss.
- AfterTalk
- This is an online grief support site offering inspirational stories, poems, quotes and forums about the grief process after the death of a loved one. Free and nondenominational.
- American Association of Retired Persons
- Extensive list of grief and loss articles, and a list of local and national organizations offering bereavement support.
- Association for Death Education and Counseling
- The Association for Death Education and Counseling is an international, professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence and recognizing diversity in death education, care of the dying, grief counseling and research in thanatology.
- Camp Widow
- Created by widowed people for widowed people, this website provides a wealth of information about weekend gatherings of widowed people from across the country and around the world.
- Center for Loss & Life Transition
- The center is an educational and training center for bereavement caregivers, with resources also for those who are grieving. A bookstore, newsletter and online articles provide helpful information. The Center is directed by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, known worldwide for his compassionate messages of hope and healing in grief.
- Centering Corporation & Grief Digest Magazine
- This site features just a few of the resources available through the Centering Corporation, a family-owned and operated business that is dedicated to serving the needs of those healing from loss.
- The Compassionate Friends
- The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive. The Compassionate Friends is a national nonprofit, self-help support organization that offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees.
- The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families
- The Dougy Center was the first center in the United States to provide peer support groups for grieving children. They share with you what they have learned from more than 13,500 children, teens and families that they’ve served since 1982.
- Family Lives On Foundation
- The Family Lives On Foundation’s mission statement is to bring joy and comfort to grieving children, teens and their families by helping them continue cherished family traditions. Family Lives On supports hundreds of children/teens and their families in continuing cherished traditions, once a year, each year until the child/teen turns 18-years-old.
- Fernside: Supporting Children and Families Through Grief
- This site offers support and advocacy to grieving families who have experienced a death. Although direct services are not offered in this area, the website has a newsletter and other materials for professionals and families to guide and support those grieving or working with grieving individuals.
- Gift From Within
- Gift From Within is a non-profit organization dedicated to those who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), those at risk for PTSD, and those who care for traumatized individuals. It develops and disseminates educational material, including videotapes, articles, books, and other resources through its website and maintains a roster of survivors who are willing to participate in an international network of peer support.
- Granite Recovery Centers
- Granite Recovery Centers strive toward a fulfilling life of purpose where every person has an opportunity to make a contribution that is meaningful. Their centers are all about physical and spiritual rebirth towards a new life. The center has two excellent handouts for individuals grieving an overdose loss – Bereavement and the Psychology of Addiction and How to Grieve After Losing a Loved One to Overdose.
- Grief Healing
- Provides many topic specific articles about grief as well as Grief Healing Discussion Groups. The discussions are facilitated by a professional grief therapist and the website offers a wealth of helpful grief information.
- GriefNet
- Grief Net is an internet community of persons dealing with death, grief or major loss, with close to 50 online support groups.
- GriefShare
- An international organization dedicated to holding local support group meetings for working through grief, with interactions from attending seminars with experts on grief to walking through your grief with others in your community from a non-denominational, biblical perspective.
- The Grief Toolbox
- The Grief Toolbox is an all-encompassing place for grief tools: a singular area where a person can find all the resources they need to help them with that grief that neither time nor money can solve.
- Grief Watch
- This website was created to provide bereavement resources, memorial products and links to help you through your personal loss. It also serves as an education tool for all who travel down the road of grief.
- Hospice Foundation of America
- The Hospice Foundation of America is a nonprofit organization that promotes hospice care and works to educate professionals and families on issues relating to caregiving, terminal illness, loss and bereavement.
- M.I.S.S. Foundation – “When a Child Dies”
- The M.I.S.S. Foundation provides support to grieving families through online support groups and a discussion board for children. The site also has information for bereavement professionals. The site includes articles, a newsletter, MISSing Angels and a downloadable funeral planner.
- Mesothelioma Center “Grief Guide”
- The Mesothelioma Center provides resources for helping families and caregivers cope with the loss of a loved one due to Mesothelioma.
- Mesothelioma Support Groups
- Mesothelioma.com understands how devastating it is to lose a loved one to cancer. Mesothelioma support groups help patients, families and caregivers throughout the cancer journey. Various organizations provide in-person and online forums where individuals can connect and share experiences. By participating in a support group, patients may improve emotional wellbeing and quality of life.
- National HopeLine Network
- The National HopeLine Network provides crisis information for those who are contemplating suicide, and counselors available at all times to listen and offer assistance with obtaining local counseling help. 1-800-442-4673
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- Committed to advancing care at end of life, NHPCO also can assist you in finding bereavement resources and counseling services during the illness of someone close, or following the death. Information also is available in Spanish.
- National Widowers’ Organization
- National Widowers’ Organization was founded by a group of widowers who found solutions in their grief through a men’s support group. The satisfaction from this process led to the creation of this site and a national advocacy for programs that support men in bereavement. The website has sections on what you can expect to encounter, resources, frequently asked questions and information on where to find male support groups.
- New Hope
- A support organization dedicated to encouraging, helping and bringing hope to widows and widowers.
- Online Memorial
- This website provides the opportunity to create a unique, online memorial for your loved one. You can add memories, photos, or videos and invite others to contribute. Memorials are displayed online or you may print it as a poster. Free as well as expanded paid options available.
- Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
- This support organization was created to help women and their families whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth or in the first few months of life.
- Society of Military Widows
- The Society of Military Widows is a nationwide organization whose purpose is to assist widows of members of all branches of U.S. uniformed services.
- Support and Training for Adults Nurturing Grieving Children
- A resource for educators nurturing grieving children in their classrooms.
- Sweet Pea Project
- Created by a mom after the death of her daughter, the Sweet Pea Project offers comfort, support and gentle guidance to families who have experienced the death of a baby.
- TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc.)
- TAPS is a national, nonprofit organization serving the families and friends of those who have died while serving in the armed forces. Services include a military survivor peer support network, grief counseling referral, caseworker assistance and crisis information.
- Webhealing
- This site offers discussion boards for individuals to chat about topics related to a personal loss, or grieving in general. There also are articles of related interest and a page where you can journal in honor of someone you have lost.
- What’s Your Grief
- What’s Your Grief is designed to promote grief education, exploration and expression in both practical and creative ways.
- Widowed Parent
- Resources and support for parents of school age children. Based at the University of North Carolina cancer hospital, they are also researching the experiences of widowed parents to better serve other families.
- WidowNet
- An information and support resource for, and by, widows and widowers. Topics covered include grief, bereavement, recovery and other information helpful to people of all ages, religious backgrounds and sexual orientations who have suffered the death of a spouse or life partner.
- Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-448-4663
- Youth Survival Coalition
- Young Survival Coalition (YSC) strengthens the community, addresses the unique needs, amplifies the voice and improves the quality of life of young adults affected by breast cancer, locally, nationally and internationally.
The following are great resource provided by the American Counseling Association. (https://tinyurl.com/7xav64xd)
For General Information on Grief
· AARP’s Grief and Loss
Offers articles, discussions, resources and tools for coping with grief and the loss of a loved one.
· HOPE for Bereaved, Inc.
Provides hope, support and services for the bereaved.
· OptionB
An online community that collects and shares stories of adversity to help people build resiliency and find joy.
For Death from AIDS
· CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's primary reference, referral and publications distribution service for HIV and AIDS information. The services are aimed primarily at professionals.
For Death of Armed Forces or Law Enforcement Personnel
· COPS—Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc.
Nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing resources to assist in rebuilding the lives of the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, as determined by federal government criteria.
· TAPS—Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc.
National nonprofit organization made up of, and providing services to, all whose loved ones have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
For Death of a Child/Children
· Compassionate Friends
Grief support after the death of a child.
For Homicide Survivors
· National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
NOVA is the oldest national victim-assistance organization of its type in the United States and is the recognized leader in victim advocacy, education and credentialing.
· POMC (Parents of Murdered Children)
POMC’s vision is to provide support and assistance to all survivors of homicide victims while working to create a world free of murder.
For Life-Challenging Illness
· American Cancer Society
Information on cancer, including coping with a long-term illness and dealing with grief and loss after death from cancer.
· Candelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
A national nonprofit membership organization with a mission is to educate, support, serve and advocate for families of children with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and the professionals who care for them.
· The Hospice Foundation of America
Nonprofit organization that provides leadership in the development and application of hospice and its philosophy of care.
· Cancer Care
National nonprofit organization providing free professional help to people with all cancers.
· National Cancer Institute
This patient summary on loss, grief and bereavement is adapted from the summary written for health professionals by cancer experts.
· The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
National organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of end-of-life care.
For Youth
· National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise the standard of care and improve the access to services to children, families and communities.
· Coalition to Support Grieving Students
The Coalition to Support Grieving Students is a collaboration of the leading professional organizations that have come together with a common conviction: grieving students need the support and care of the school community.
· The Dougy Center
The Dougy Center provides a safe place for those—children, teens, young adults and their families—who are grieving a death to share their experiences. We do this through peer support groups, education and training.
· National Alliance for Grieving Children
NAGC is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
· Books for elementary school students:
When Someone Very Special Dies by Marge Heegaard
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Bryan Mellonie & Robert Ingpen
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Larene Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst & Geoff Stevenson
I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas & Leslie Harker
· Books for middle school students:
Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement by Karen Gravelle