To help South Jersey families who have lost a family member, Samaritan is unveiling a new in-person support group this June. Because loss is experienced both individually and as a family, Samaritan will offer Healing Hearts – A Space for Grieving Children and Families for children and their parent(s) or guardian(s).
Each 90-minute gathering will be led by professional bereavement specialists dedicated to providing space for children and their parents or loved ones to jointly process grief and heal together.
“Understanding loss can be difficult as a child,” says Joan Ordille, DSW, LCSW, Bereavement Program Supervisor. “Samaritan’s new Healing Hearts grief support group is designed to support children between the ages of 4 and 17, as well as their parents or guardians. Children will be grouped by age, and adults will join together in a group that offers mutual support and information on how to support grieving children.”
The support groups will be held in-person at Samaritan’s Mount Laurel Office, located at 3906 Church Road, on Monday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (June 5 through July 17, no group on July 3). A family “pizza gathering” will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., then children and adults will break into age-appropriate groups to obtain mutual support, information on coping, and engage in music and/or art related activities to process grief in a safe and supportive environment. All groups are professionally facilitated.
Registration is required by Tuesday, May 30, and space is limited. To register, call the Samaritan Center for Grief Support at (856) 596-8550 or email [email protected].
For an updated schedule and additional information on support groups being offered by Samaritan in 2023, visit: https://samaritannj.org/resources/grief-support-groups-south-nj/.
