We are pleased to announce that the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement has now been funded to provide assistance to people who have been bereaved through the Victorian bushfires.
 
As you will be aware, we have been providing support and counselling to many people through our existing services, but it is to be expected that as time goes on the number of people needing our specialist services will increase. In the early months the urgent need for most people has been to find somewhere to live, to find clothes and food, to locate schools, doctors, shops, and all the other issues of day-to-day life. But inevitably over time, the impact of the traumatic nature of the grief and bereavement experienced by many people will come into focus.
 
We have been funded for 12 months to provide Bushfire Specialist Bereavement Counsellors in four of the fire-affected regions where there has been a particular request for additional assistance.
 
In addition, funding has been approved for 18 months to provide support groups for adults bereaved through the bushfires. These groups will be located in fire-affected locations and metropolitan areas, in accordance with the requests of people wishing to attend.

ACGB staff will also be providing training to Case Managers working with the Victorian Bushfire Case Management Service over the coming weeks.
 
This is challenging but very worthwhile work, and we will endeavour to ensure that as well as developing these new programs, all of our existing work continues to reflect the strong commitment we have to providing a range of high quality services to the community.

Remember that details on a range of bushfire specific services can be found on our dedicated web page located here.

From July 23rd to August 7th 2009 Dr. John R. Jordan will present a series of workshops throughout Australia.

Places are longer available for either of his two Melbourne workshops, however some seats are still available for his Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide workshops.

Jack Jordan is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Wellesley, MA, and Pawtucket, RI, USA where he specialises in working with loss and bereavement. He is also the founder and until 2007 was the Director of the Family Loss Project, a research and clinical practice providing services for bereaved families. He has specialised in work with survivors of suicide and other losses for more than 30 years. Jack maintains an active practice in grief counselling for individuals and couples. Jack will present two one-day workshops:

Program 1
21st Century Approaches to Grief Counselling and Therapy

Program 2
Traumatic Loss: Bereavement After Sudden, Unexpected and Violent Death

 

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The US based Dougy Center has a significant international reputation as a world leader in the development of services for children, teens, young adults and their families who are grieving a death. The work of the centre is performed through peer support groups, education, and training. We had the pleasure in 2002 of inviting the Executive Director of the Dougy Center, Dr. Donna Schuurman, to present a series of workshops throughout Australia.

The Dougy Center building, located in Portland Oregon, fell victim to a devastating arson fire on Sunday night, June 21st 2009. The Centre, that is so important to the many grieving children and families that the Dougy Centre serves, will be rebuilt. Although The Dougy Center has insurance coverage, it will not cover all the costs associated with continuing their programs and rebuilding.

You can assist the Centre by donating online here or by sending a donation by mail to:

The Dougy Center
PO Box 86852
Portland,  OR  97286  USA

9th International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society and
Association for Death Education and Counseling 33rd Annual Conference

June 21 - 25, 2011

InterContinental Miami, Miami, Florida USA

The five keynote speakers for the 9th International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society have been announced as:

Dr. Solomon Benatar, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Director Bioethics Centre, University of Cape Town

Dr. Paul Boelen, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Dr. Pauline Boss, Emeritus Professor, Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota

Dr. Joan Halifax, Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, author, and social activist; founder of the Upaya Zen Center, a Buddhist study and social action center in Santa Fe, New Mexico and founder of the Project on Being with Dying, which trains heath care professionals in contemplative care of the dying, and

Dr. David Kissane, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Director, and formerly with the Centre for Palliative Care, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

We will being you further details on this important international conference as they become available.

The ACGB is funded by the Department of Human Services to provide a statewide specialist bereavement service for individuals, children and families who need assistance following the death of someone close to them. A range of specialist services and programs are provided across Victoria, and currently we provide services for over 1,000 new people each year.

The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement provides two toll-free telephone services for bereaved Victorians and those who care for them.

Bereavement Information and Referral Service
This service provides information and referral assistance to members of the general public who need information on bereavement services available within Victoria. The service can also provide information on bereavement related issues. The service is unable to provide telephone bereavement counselling to callers. Download a copy of our brochure or call 1300 664 786.

Practitioner Consultancy Service
This service provides information, consultation and support for practitioners who are working with bereaved clients experiencing complex and prolonged bereavements. Download a copy of our brochure or call 1300 858 113.

Both services operate Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Since the inception of the Compassionate Employer Recognition Awards in 2004, 86 Victorian organisations have been recognised for their outstanding support to their employee following the death of a loved one.

The annual recognition program, conducted by The Compassionate Friends Victoria Inc., providing Mutual Support Self Help services to bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents, was initiated to acknowledge and highlight organisations that were going above and beyond standard workplace bereavement practices.

In recognising organisations supportive practices towards bereaved employees, the Awards program brings greater community awareness to grief and loss and the impact on employment and work. The Awards inspire and encourage organisations and workplaces to review their current practices, and provide best practice and practical examples of effective ways of incorporating bereavement support into the workplace.

Further information, including nomination forms can be found here.

So often in our everyday life, especially when we are overwhelmed by painful moments or stumped by the magnitude of events, a pervasive sense of isolation is accompanied by the cry, 'I feel lost for words.' Being mute in this way is never about not feeling anything; nor does it reflect an absence of desire to give expression to our experience.

(Foreword of Words publlshed by St. Luke's Innovative Resources, 2007).
 
ACGB Bereavement Counselling and Support Services and Road Trauma Support Services Victoria joined together to provide a series of workshops. The aim has been to acknowledge that sometimes the spoken word fails to express our grief. The workshop committee consisted of Lynne Irving, Maree Burns and Maria Smart
 
Each workshop incorporated a different creative style that encouraged an expression of emotion. The four workshops offered were art, writing, music and self-care. At the time of writing all but the self-care workshops have taken place:
 
Dabble in the Arts: The participants were able to use a range of materials to represent their thoughts and feelings. The quality and individuality of the works produced was inspiring.
 
Creative Writing: Was powerful for everyone in attendance. The participants explored and shared aspects of their personal journey through the written and spoken word.
 
Feel the Beat. This workshop was a change of pace using music and movement. The participants were invited to engage in an exploration of their internal world through voice, music, rhythm and movement.
 
Most important was the sense of connectedness and sharing experienced by all of those present at each of the workshops. A participant remarked that "to remember and work with our thoughts in a safe, creative and nurturing setting was very motivating and conducive to healing ... It lays a life changing foundation for self healing."
 
Anyone interested in attending the self care workshop on Saturday July 25th is warmly invited to enquire by calling Maria Smart, Claire Ewart or Rae Silverstein on +61 3 9265 2111.

Special Offer

Due to significant interest this special offer has been extended for another month.

Purchase three back issues of Grief Matters: The Australian Journal of Grief and Bereavement for the special price of $30.00 (normally $18.70 per issue, inclusive of GST).

Download a listing of journal themes, articles and an order form here.