From Mourning to Meaning: How to become a grief companion for donor families

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From Mourning to Meaning How to become a grief
companion for donor families

• Michelle A. Post, MA, LMFT
• Clinical Aftercare Specialist

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What Inspires You?

• What inspired you to chose this break out
  session?

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Adopted Philosophies with Families

• Dr. Alan Wolfelts idea of companioning a
  bereaved family
• We are not the experts on grief we will take
  cues from the family to understand what we can do
  to support them
• We will not lead the family in any direction, but
  be with them through their journey

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What is Grief?

• Grief is the word that describes these internal
  reactions to the death of someone close
• Physical
• Emotional
• Behavioral
• Cognitive
• Spiritual
• Social
• (see handout)

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What is Mourning?

• Mourning is the outward expression of Grief. For
  example
• Crying
• Praying
• Isolating
• Memorializing/Sharing memories
• Sleep/appetite disturbance

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Whats the Difference?

• Everybody grieves.
• Not everybody mourns.
• Lack of mourning is what can prevent people from
  healthy adjustment.

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What do we do about this?

• OneLegacy would like to help donor families gain
  access to support.
• This support
• Move from internal grieving
• To external mourning

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Our Partners

• Gary A Garcia Foundation in Echo Park volunteer
  grief group leaders (kids adults)
  www.garyagarcia.org

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Our Partners

• Comfort Zone Camp camp buddies for grieving
  kids www.ComfortZoneCamp.org

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OneLegacy Grief Support Groups

• First time offered
• Groups co-lead (prefer 1 staff
• 1 ambassador)
• 3 day training in downtown office includes role
  play to test for mutual fit (Current dates Sept
  3rd, 4th, 8th)

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OneLegacy Grief Support Groups Structure

• Support education, not therapy

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OneLegacy Grief Support Groups Structure

• Short term, 1 x week for 9 10 weeks (Each
  meeting 1.5 hours long)

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OneLegacy Grief Support Groups Structure

• Peer support with co-leader before and after
  sessions

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OneLegacy Grief Support Groups Structure

• Group Leader Supervision once a week

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Who Are We Looking For?

• Potential co-leaders who are
• Good listeners
• Compassionate
• Reliable
• Empathetic
• Flexible (new pilot program)
• Preferably, more than 1 year since the death of
  someone close

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Who Are We Looking For?

• Potential co-leaders who are
• Able to adopt the companion model of grief
  support
• Able to understand the grief process

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Who Are We Looking For?

• Potential co-leaders who are
• Able to give and receive constructive feedback
• Able to attend all the trainings, supervisions
  and group meetings on time

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Who Are We Looking For?

• Potential co-leaders who are
• Able to refrain from sharing too much of their
  own personal story
• Able to maintain good boundaries with group
  members (understanding group members need to talk)

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Who Are We Looking For?

• Potential co-leaders who are
• Able to access their own support system
• Able to maintain a good self-care plan
• Able to maintain an internal sense of hope even
  if inappropriate to share directly with the group
  members

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How do you help?

• Help Donor families move from mourning to
  meaning become a grief companion for donor
  families!!!

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How do you help?

• 1) Contact our partners to work with them
• Or
• 2) Become a OneLegacy Co-Leader of Grief Support
  Groups. Send your resume and letter of interest
  to
• OneLegacys Family Services
• 221 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 500
• Los Angeles, CA 90012 familyservices_at_onelegacy.or
  g