Bereavement Center

Grief Resources

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The following web sites are recommended by The Robertson Bereavement Center for grief resources:

Bereaved Parents

Bereaved Parents USA - a national non-profit self-help group that offers support, understanding, compassion, and hope especially to the newly bereaved, be they bereaved parents, grandparents, or siblings struggling to rebuild their lives after the death of their children, grandchildren, or siblings.
http://www.bereavedparentsusa.org
First Candle - dealing with the sudden, unexpected death of a baby to any cause is devastating – but in the case of a death for which no specific cause can be found, the lack of answers about why your baby has died can be overwhelming.
http://www.sidsalliance.org/whenababy/whenababy.html
Parents of Murdered Children - provides the on-going emotional support needed to help parents and other survivors facilitate the reconstruction of a "new life" and to promote a healthy resolution. Not only does POMC help survivors deal with their acute grief but also helps with the criminal justice system.
http://www.pomc.com/
The Compassionate Friends - 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, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents, and siblings. There is no religious affiliation and there are no membership dues or fees. The secret of TCF's success is simple: As seasoned grievers reach out to the newly bereaved, energy that has been directed inward begins to flow outward and both are helped to heal. The vision of The Compassionate Friends is that everyone who needs us will find us and everyone who finds us will be helped.
http://www.compassionatefriends.org/
Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc. - to serve those whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or in the first few months of life.
http://www.nationalshareoffice.com/

Grief

Grief Net - an Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss.
http://www.griefnet.org/
Counseling for Loss and Life Changes - this website was designed for those who are grieving. The articles, services, contacts, links and workshop information segments are placed with great care and respect. All items included on this site are here for your education and support.
http://www.counselingforloss.com/
Journey of Hearts - this site combines elements of medicine, psychiatry, poetry, prose, and images to provide resources and support to those who have experienced loss, be it acute or long-standing. By bringing together these different disciplines and combining various aspects with images and color, they have developed a new style of website, one that can be "experienced" as much as accessed for medical information.
http://www.journeyofhearts.org/
Kindred Spirits Singles - an active non-denominational, non-profit singles social group in Northeast Ohio for those over the age of 40 who are unmarried
http://www.kindredspiritssingles.com/
Motherless Daughters - a site to chat for daughters without mothers
http://www.motherlessdaughters.org
American Association of Retired People (AARP) - the grief and loss section of this web site includes community resources, financial advice, and help with funeral planning
http://www.aarp.org/families/grief_loss/
WidowNet - information and self-help 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.
http://www.widownet.org/

Children/Teens

Kids Aid - is a safe place for kids to help each other deal with grief and loss. It's a place to deal with feelings in an email support group, to share and view art work and stories, and for parents and kids to ask questions and find answers.
http://kidsaid.com
The Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families - through this National Center, local, national, and international support training is provided to individuals and organizations seeking to assist children in grief.
http://www.dougy.org/

Suicide

American Association of Suicidology - an education and resource organization dedicated to the understanding and prevention of suicide
http://www.suicidology.org
Sibling Survivors - a web site dedicated to support for people who have lost a sibling to suicide.
http://siblingsurvivors.com/
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.
http://www.afsp.org/
SPEA Suicide Prevention Education Alliance (SPEA) - to prevent suicide and promote recognition of adolescent depression through education and alliances with community partners.
http://www.helppreventsuicide.org/
National Center for Victims of Crime (homicide/suicide)
http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/Main.aspx
National Organization for Victim Assistance - organization of victim and witness assistance programs and practitioners, criminal justice agencies and professionals, mental health professionals, researchers, former victims and survivors, and others committed to the recognition and implementation of victim rights and services.
http://www.trynova.org/

Pet Loss

Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement - professionally trained volunteers in pet bereavement counseling, and are here for you. Our beloved animal friends have brought us together, and in honor of them we are now all here for each other, as well.
http://www.aplb.org/
Pet Loss Grief Support - website for pet lovers who are grieving over the death of a pet or an ill pet. Here you will find personal support, thoughtful advice, The Monday Pet Loss Candle Ceremony, Tribute Pages, healing poetry like Rainbow Bridge & much more.
http://www.petloss.com
Pet Loss Support - tips on coping with pet loss
http://www.pet-loss.net/

Professional Resources

Association for Death Education and Counseling. A thanatologist is a professional with specialized education and/or certification in dying, death and bereavement whose professional responsibilities include working with the dying and/or bereaved. ADEC members are primarily counselors and death educators. ADEC is one of the oldest interdisciplinary organizations in the field of dying, death and bereavement. Its nearly 2,000 members include a wide array of mental and medical health personnel, educators, clergy, funeral directors and volunteers.
http://www.adec.org/
American Academy of Bereavement. CMI Education Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to providing high-quality education and training for health care professionals, counseling professionals and the general public on topics related to palliative care, mental health, grief and bereavement, serious illness, loss and/or other subjects of interest to healthcare and mental health professionals, and all persons working with those who are grieving and/or suffering from physical or mental illness. The American Academy of Bereavement (AAB), a non-profit organization founded in 1993, is a national association devoted to the education, preparation and advancement of bereavement specialists. AAB serves as a stepping-stone for professional and personal growth in the field of bereavement. As an AAB member you will have the opportunity to establish relationships with colleagues across the country. Through seminars, a yearly conference and networking, members are able to discuss the challenges and the gifts of this unique work.
http://www.cmieducation.org/content/pages/home.php
Medina County Family First Council. Our mission is to support and strengthen families by providing or facilitating family- centered, coordinated, community-based, preventive, and comprehensive services that identify and respond to the health, human, and social service needs of Medina County families.
http://www.co.medina.oh.us/about_fam_first.htm
American Psychological Assoc. a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. With 148,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide.
http://www.apa.org/
National Institute of Mental Health is the largest scientific organization in the world dedicated to research focused on the understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - a membership based organization, composed of over 7,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists and other interested physicians. Its members actively research, evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychiatric disorders and pride themselves on giving direction to and responding quickly to new developments in addressing the health care needs of children and their families.
http://www.aacap.org/index
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization - a national organization that is dedicated to advancing the care at the end of life.
http://www.nhpco.org/
Northern Ohio Bereavement Council The mission of the Northeast Ohio Bereavement Council is to empower bereavement professionals in their roles of facilitating healthy grieving in the greater community through educational and networking opportunities, as well as providing information through the comprehensive resource directory.
http://www.bereavementcouncil.org/
Hospice Foundation of America (sponsors the yearly Teleconference) exists to help those who cope personally and professionally with terminal illness, death and the process of grief and bereavement
http://www.hospicefoundation.org/
United Way of Medina County
http://www.unitedwaymedina.org