Is there someone on your team who is grieving? Do you want to understand more about the grieving process and how you can assist this employee and the rest of your team? This training will empower you in what to do and not do and provide you with strategies in helping both the employee/teammate as well as managing the productivity expectations.

Are you grieving the loss of a pet? Do you have an aging pet and are anticipating the loss? Stuck in fear and heartache? Does it feel like this loss may seem insignificant to others? Although everyone experiences grief, it is a unique process for each individual. Learn more about how to cope and work through your grief. Join this seminar to begin to address these feelings and connect with others who have similar experiences.

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.

Although everyone experiences grief, it is a unique process for each individual. What is grief? How do you manage it? When will it be over? What can I do to start feeling better? I just want my life back, how do I do that?  Looking for answers? Attend this one hour session that is aimed to answer your questions and hopefully provide you with some coping tools to start the healing process.

Are you downsizing? Are you drowning in things?  Are you the executor of a loved one’s estate?  This training is for you.  Based on the popular book by Margareta Magnusson, this training will help guide you on methods of sorting through the possessions and ways to manage this process. 

Many of us are caring for family members who have chronic and/or terminal disease, often while raising a family (“sandwich generation”), working full-time, or lack of family support. At times, caregivers experience exhaustion, stress, trouble concentrating, physical aches and pains, and feel overwhelmed. In this class we will review tips and strategies of necessary self-care, when to ask for help, tackling feelings of isolation, and identifying when you need respite.

Although the holidays are usually regarded as happy celebrations, many of us approach the holiday season with trepidation.  When you have lost people you love, their death(s) can overshadow or outright stifle the joy of the holiday season.  Sentimental reminders abound, with movies, songs, and ads focusing on families and spending time with loved ones. 

Do you struggle with feeling sad or lonely at this time of year?  Are you at a loss as to how to respond to friends and family who wonder why you are not in the holiday spirit?  Would you like to learn more about how to cope over the next few weeks? Please join us for an informative 1-hour session which will cover understanding grief, triggers, coping tools, communication and resources.

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.