Your contributions to our bereavement program go directly toward training our bereavement volunteers, purchasing necessary supplies for support groups, and funding events such as our monthly free-to-attend walking group. Your support ensures that we can continue offering these crucial services to those who need them.
About the Bereavement Department
Our Bereavement Department is dedicated to supporting individuals who are grieving the loss of someone to suicide. Our mission is to create safe spaces where people can connect, feel less alone, and find solace in knowing that their grief is understood and normalized. Losing someone to suicide often comes with feelings of isolation and stigma, and we are here to foster a sense of community and offer professional and peer support to those navigating this challenging path.
We are guided by the principles of connection, support, and learning. Through each of our offerings, we strive to build a community of understanding, where individuals feel supported by both their peers and professionals in mental health. We believe in continuous learning to help normalize grief, dismantle the stigma surrounding suicide loss, and teach the community how to support grievers.
Our Impact
Through our programs, we have helped many individuals who are grieving find a supportive community, feel less isolated, and access the resources they need to navigate the complexities of their loss. We aim to continue providing these vital services while expanding our reach to support even more people as they contend with the immense pain of suicide loss.
How Your Donation Helps
Donations are essential in helping us sustain and expand our programs. Your contributions go directly toward training our volunteers, developing new initiatives, purchasing necessary supplies for support groups, and funding events. Your support ensures that we can continue offering these crucial services to those who need them most.
Our team is here if you seek resources to support yourself, someone you know, or your community. Contact us at bereavement@crisiscentre.bc.ca.
Our Offerings
Our department offers a range of programs designed to meet the diverse needs of individuals grieving after a suicide loss:
- Walking Groups: Participants will have the opportunity to meet and connect with others who have faced similar suicide-related losses. Our monthly walks aim to create a supportive community where participants can share their experiences and find comfort in knowing they are not alone. Walking in the beautiful natural forest allows attendees to invite the grounding and comforting power of nature to be present with their shared grief, fostering unity, strength, and a sense of collective healing.
- Online Supportive Community Meet-up: After a suicide loss, many survivors feel isolated. Finding sameness and belonging are key ingredients needed to help in the journey through grief. In these online sessions, participants will find a safe space to meet other suicide loss survivors to share challenges, resources, feelings, and support.
- Support Groups: These 8-week suicide grief support groups aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide. Led by trained facilitators, the group will offer participants the opportunity to share their experiences, process their grief, and develop healthy coping strategies in a non-judgmental space.
- Volunteer Training Program: This program trains individuals to offer support to those grieving after suicide loss. It is open to anyone in our community, including those who have lost loved ones to suicide who now feel called to give back by supporting others through their journey.
- Webinars: We offer educational webinars for grievers and those supporting them, aimed at normalizing grief, combating stigma, and teaching effective grief support strategies.
