Have you experienced personal or professional loss? Would you like a place to share your thoughts and feelings? All care team members are invited to join this free, six-week bereavement support group, led by a fellow care team member who has been trained as a bereavement facilitator.  The support groups will be offered in-person or online, based on the composition of the participants.

The “Growing Through Grief” bereavement support group is open to any care team member who is processing and/or struggling with personal or professional loss. Participants will be introduced to tools and coping skills to assist them in the grieving process. They will come together with fellow care team members who share their experiences and be reminded that they are not alone in their grief.

*If you sign up for this support group, we ask that you make the commitment for its entirety.

Please fill out this form, scan it and email it to: mhbereavement@mainehealth.org.

Communication is hard under the best of circumstances and sometimes difficult conversations need to happen.  Gain skills  for yourself, or for those important people in your life, to consider end-of-life decisions, completing a living will and more.  This class will cover how to prepare for hard conversations, clarifying your intentions, options, communication and possible resolutions. 

Caring for or loving someone who struggles with addiction can bring a unique and often unspoken kind of grief. It may stem from watching the person change, mourning the future you hoped for, letting go of long‑held dreams, navigating painful conversations, or coping with the constant worry, conflict, and fear of “the call” telling you they’ve been arrested, injured, or worse.

This session creates a supportive space for individuals carrying this quiet, complicated grief. Together, we will explore the emotional impact of loving someone with addiction, offer understanding and validation, and provide practical resources and guidance. Participants will learn they do not have to navigate this experience alone—and that their feelings deserve acknowledgment, care, and community.

Disenfranchised grief happens in situations that society doesn’t always recognize as losses, and therefore you don’t get the support that you need. Common examples include losing a pet, estranged relationships, the end of a friendship, divorce, losing or starting a new job, moving, infertility, menopause, etc. Grief is a typical reaction to some of life’s big changes and losses can accumulate over time. This session will review healthy coping skills to process the grief that occurs with these kinds of losses. 

Different cultures relate, process and understand death and grief in a rich variety of ways. This session studies the role grief plays in different cultures, how they honor those who die, etc. to better prepare the care team to honor the rituals and beliefs of these different cultures.

Losing someone to suicide is a uniquely complex and often traumatic form of grief. Many survivors struggle with unanswered questions, isolation, and emotions that can be difficult to express in everyday life.  This session offers compassionate guidance on the nature of suicide loss, common grief responses, and healthy ways to navigate this difficult journey. Participants will gain insight, validation, resources, and a sense of community as they navigate their healing journey.

Understandably in healthcare, there are lots of events and factors which can have profound impact on the culture and functioning of a team. The MaineHealth Bereavement Program can tailor a presentation with topics related to grief and bereavement, unique to meet the changing needs of your team. 

Grief is typically associated with losing a loved one but really any kind of loss/change can generate grief:

• Losing a colleague due to death or separating from your team        
• Death or adverse outcomes in your patient population        
• Staff/practice experiencing an overwhelming amount of change        
• Staff losing a loved one, how to support them when they return to work        
• Learn ways to manage grief, personally or within your patient population

Scheduling and format will be as flexible as needed by your team/practice. Contact MaineHealth Bereavement mhbereavement@mainehealth.org to learn more.

Are you interested in training to become a volunteer bereavement supporter for your fellow care team members? Our lofty goal is to train more facilitators to offer in-person support groups in multiple settings throughout the MaineHealth system. 

Join experienced bereavement facilitator Gisele Biron in a mentored experience totaling 12 hours.  The training includes (a) one all-day training, in-person at 300 Southborough Drive, South Portland and (b) 3-4 hour-long support group sessions (virtual).  Please consult your leader(s) to discuss the opportunity and seek buy-in.

*One training course will run in January 2026, and additional trainings can occur throughout the year based on interest. Please register for the session titled "To be scheduled in 2026" to put your name on the waitlist for faciliatator training.