Bereavement Services

Calvert Hospice is best known for its care and support of the terminally ill of Calvert County and their families. In addition, Calvert Hospice provides support for anyone in Calvert County grieving the death of a loved one, whether that person was a Hospice patient or not. Services are available for adults and children.

All Calvert Hospice Bereavement Services are offered free to residents of Calvert County, Maryland. The entire program is made possible through the generous contributions of individuals, businesses, and community.

We offer Adult Support and Children's Support.

Adult Support Groups

Drop-In Grief Support Groups

Adult support bereavement groups are offered each week for those who want the opportunity to share feelings and obtain support from others who are experiencing a loss. The groups are facilitated by trained staff. Registration is not required. See the calendar for support group schedules. Contact Stacey Newman for more information.

Healing for Survivors of Suicide

Suicide survivors are those who have lost a loved one by suicide. This 12-week holistic approach to healing addresses the cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of grieving by use of expressive activities and coping strategies. All group activity is designed to assist with the often overwhelming feelings that accompany the death of a loved one by suicide. The effectiveness of the group experience comes from members sharing their experiences and feelings and learning how to incorporate the loss into their lives in a way that allows them to transform the loss and adapt to a new life without their loved one, instead of allowing the tragedy to define their lives. Contact Terri Nevins for more information.

A Time to Heal

The Time to Heal groups have been established to help those with specific losses address the unique challenges faced by that loss. Calvert Hospice offers 3 different groups in their Time to Heal Series.

Death of a Parent: Brings adult children together to learn strategies to address the unique challenge of losing one, or both parents. Adult Children often expect their parents will die, but the reality can be much more difficult than expected when it actually occurs. Topics include adult orphans, challenges faced if you were a caretaker before your parents death, grief within the family, and siblings grieving differently.

Death of a Spouse: Brings together adults who have lost their partners due to sudden death or long term illness. The death of a spouse (long term partner) can shatter future dreams, plans for retirement travel, increased anxiety about how to cope with finances, running the house, raising the children. Well meaning family and friends may encourage getting rid of spouses personal possessions, or taking off your wedding ring. Group will address these various concerns.

Death of a Child: This group brings parents together who have lost their child(ren). It doesn't matter if your child was a baby or 60+ years at the time of his/her death. Parents never expect to outlive their child(ren) and facing the death of your child can bring with it profound life altering grief. Most say the death of a child is the worst imaginable pain. This session focuses on the unique qualities associated with grieving a child, addresses the intensity of the pain, connections to others who understand, and ways to deal with those around you who seem to think losing a child is contagious and avoids you and your pain.

Each group meets for seven weeks for 90-minute sessions that offer an opportunity to share experiences, receive support and validation, and learn new strategies for coping. Registration and a commitment to attend all seven sessions is requested. Contact Terri Nevins for more information.

2008 Tentative Sessions

Death of a Spouse - May 6 to June 24
Death of a Parent - August 26 to October 14
Death of a Spouse - October 21 to December 9

Individual Grief Counseling

Calvert Hospice offers short-term individual grief support counseling for anyone experiencing distress because of the death of a significant person in their life. Offered without charge, the eight session program offers one-on-one counseling with a licensed mental health professional. Counselors help clients understand the process of grief and provide support through the pain of loss. If further support is needed, follow-up referrals can be made and resources recommended. For more information, contact Barbara Taylor or Terri Nevins.

Children's Support Groups

Bridges

BRIDGES offers grief support groups for children and teens (3-18), and adult members of their families. The group meets for eight weekly sessions in the Fall, Winter and Spring. BRIDGES provides growth-oriented information on the impact of death within the family. Creative activities assist youngsters with coping and growing through grief. While the youth meet in age-appropriate groups, the adults meet to learn how grief affects children, how they may support their children, and to gain support for themselves. Contact Stacey Newman for more information.

Camp Phoenix

A three-day, day camp for grieving children ages 7 to 15, Camp Phoenix offers every child the opportunity to express his or her feelings of grief and loss in a supportive and understanding environment. In addition to traditional camp activities, including swimming and sports, children participate in group discussions and creative activities led by professional counselors and trained volunteers. Contact Stacey Newman for more information. Click here for a Camp brochure.

2008 Session:

July 9 - 11

Calvert Hospice offers special programs throughout the year that provide the community an opportunity to learn more about the grief process and to share feelings that accompany profound losses. Coping with Holiday Grief provides support to those facing the year-end holiday season with the fragile heart of bereavement. The Memorial Reception, held at the annual Friends of Calvert Hospice Festival of Trees, honors those for whom Calvert Hospice has cared throughout the year.