Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley has been providing grief services to St. Lawrence County residents for over 30 years. Below you will find a description of the grief services we provide to the community, free of charge. If you are unsure of whether you would benefit from Grief Education Support, feel free to call for an initial assessment. Hospice staff will complete a questionnaire with you to determine if you may be experiencing “complicated grief”; if you are, you will be connected with a community resource that will be better able to serve your needs.
*Please note the Hospice does not provide therapeutic counseling*
Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley’s Bereavement Services support grieving individuals through:
Grief Education Support– Hospice offers short term (4) sessions of grief education support to St. Lawrence County residents. Criteria for receiving this support:
- Loss must not have occurred more than three (3) years ago
- 18 years or older
- Ready to commit to and work on the grief process
- Ability to make own appointment
- Not currently receiving therapy or other counseling services
To begin these services please call the Bereavement Coordinator at 315-265-3105 for an initial assessment to determine readiness and identify any dominate issues that would require a referral to other counseling services. Grieving individuals will work with the Bereavement Coordinator to establish unique support goals which will guide the 4 sessions. Hospice does not provide therapeutic counseling services.
Navigating the Holidays Series- Hospice will offer a three-part series on how to manage the challenges of moving through Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, and the New Year without loved ones. Participants will also be given ideas for remembering and making their loved one a part of the holidays still. If you are interested in attending one of these series, please contact the Bereavement Coordinator at 315-265-3105 to complete the registration process.
To protect the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, and community members all Grief Support Groups will be held on the Zoom platform, until further notice. In order to attend one of our groups you must:
- Call the Hospice Bereavement Coordinator (315)-265-3105 to complete a pre-screen which will determine group eligibility
- Have a Zoom account (on a device that supports audio and video capabilities) and associated email at which you can receive the private link for the group
- If accepted into the group, you must commit to attending all six (6) sessions and having your camera on for the duration of each session
Additional Services offered to Hospice Families and Community Members:
- Grief Bulletin Series with titles including: What Is Grief; Feelings of Grief; Coping with Grief; Different Bonds, Different Grief; After the First Year; and Coping with the Holidays
- Information on grief and loss including loss issues such as the death of a child, parent or spouse, grieving children and supporting grieving friends and family. Suggested reading lists are also available
- Grief publications and program announcements through the regular mailing OR have information emailed. To receive information by email: contact bereavement@hospiceslv.org and let us know your name and the name of the loved one who died. Additional family members can be added to the email list or to the hospice mailing list by contacting Hospice
- Educational presentations and workshops on grief and bereavement for groups and professionals in the community
- Referrals for family members not living in St. Lawrence County to a Hospice Bereavement program in their area
Support to Grieving Children – Hospice contracts with St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES to provide on-site support to schools when a student or teacher dies. Hospice Bereavement staff work with the school crisis team before, during and after the death. Grief support groups are available to schools with students impacted by the death. Teacher and School Counselor education is provided during the crisis. Hospice also offers an annual training workshop “When Grief Comes to School” for school counselors with a spotlight on a grief related topics and coping tools to assist students.
Additional Services Available to Students:
- A collection of children and teens’ grief books are available in each library in St. Lawrence County. A list of these titles is accessible through the library and will soon be online.
- Six-week support groups for students are offered on an as needed basis
Click Here to find more resources to help support grieving children and teens.
Grief Education Workshops – Hospice offers many education programs from one hour presentations to all day workshops. Topics include:
- Grief in the Workplace
- The Grief of Suicide
- Supporting Grieving staff
- Supporting Grieving Children
- Supporting Grieving Teens
- The Grief Toolbox
- When Friends and Families Grieve
To schedule a grief education presentation or to learn more about bereavement services, contact our Bereavement Coordinator at (315) 265-3105.