BFO Toronto - For a Funeral Director

A CHILD OR PARENT HAS DIED ...How Can a Funeral Director Help?

AFTER THE FUNERAL
PLEASE TAKE ONE STEP FURTHER
The funeral is a painful period of confusion and shock for the family. The funeral director plays a crucial role at this time ... guiding the family through all the difficult decisions and ensuring that a meaningful service takes place and responding to all their needs.

It is during this period that the funeral director may provide a much-needed referral. When the service is over, bereaved parents may be in need of even greater support than during funeral. If you sense that a family needs on-going help you can refer them to Bereaved Families.

WHO WE ARE ...
Originally founded in 1978, under the auspices of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Bereaved Families is a self-help organization staffed by bereaved persons. Specialists in the area of grief and bereavement from the professional community serve as a resource both in the development of on-going programs and in the supervision and training of self-help group leaders.

This co-operation between the lay and professionals has enabled Bereaved Families to better respond to the needs of the bereaved and has helped guarantee that the best support is provided.

HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
In your role as a funeral director, you can make people aware of the existence of Bereaved Families during the time of the funeral by telling them about us and by having a supply of our brochures on hand to give to them.
In preparing your stationary package for the family, of the register, flower cards, memorial donation cards, etc. you could include a Bereaved Families pamphlet.
If you are speaking to a community group and would like to take some of our brochures we would be happy to provide them.

OUR PROGRAM
Bereaved Families provides a caring support system designed to help families cope with the painful reality of their loss and return to the mainstream of life.

Educationally, Bereaved Families is committed to increasing both lay and professional knowledge of and sensitivity to the impact of a child's death. Toward this end, a speaker's bureau and an extensive library of books and films are available to interested individuals and organizations.

PARENTS' GROUPS
Co-led by trained bereaved parents, parents' groups meet weekly over a 12 week period. Prior to entering a group, an opportunity is provided to meet with another bereaved parent who is involved with the program. Group members gain insight into their thoughts and feelings thus easing the pain.

YOUNG ADULT GROUPS
Bereaved young adults often perceive themselves as different from their families and friends, compounding emotional pain and isolation. A trained sibling leader and professional meet with and discuss issues of concern with bereaved siblings and young adults whose parent has died.

CHILDREN'S GROUPS
Groups for children 6 to 8 and 9 to 12, and children 3 to 5 with a parent, are led by a professional person assisted by a volunteer facilitator. The use of art expression allows for a significant release of emotion and for an in-depth discussion of their experiences. This group includes children in whose family a parent or brother or sister has died.

INFANT LOSS GROUPS
When an expected baby dies everything changes as joy becomes sorrow. Bereaved Families offer groups for parents who have had a miscarriage, neonatal or stillborn death. Talking with others who have experienced similar tragedy can help families deal with their loss.

ADOLESCENT GROUPS
For 13 to 18-year-olds whose parent or sibling has died. A professional person together with a bereaved sibling provide support and discussion of the adolescent's loss experience in a non-threatening and sharing group.