A Look inside PSCP’s Equity-Centered Co-Design Work in Indianapolis

PSCP  provides customized peer grief support solutions to groups of all sizes and structures. We recently had the pleasure of traveling to Indianapolis to facilitate a two-day training for individuals interested in implementing peer grief support in  the city’s communities of color. This training was developed from an equity-centered approach, which has rendered compelling results.  

In the Fall of 2023, we were approached by Marion County’s Chief Deputy Coroner (and soon-to-be Coroner), Alfie McGinty, with a request  to assist with the development and implementation of  peer grief support in communities of color in Indianapolis. Given the fact that peer grief support is much more widely available in white communities, it has been a goal of PSCP to expand peer grief support to all  communities throughout the United States. However, there is no one-size-fits-all model for grief support, so we knew that we had a lot of work ahead of us to develop a model that was culturally inclusive and effective. This is where our long-term commitment to approaching program design and development from person-centered, equity-centered, and cultural humility-based approaches would be most helpful.

At the onset, we developed a strategic plan for the project that put local voices, such as McGinty’s, front and center. We provided support with recruitment of prospective trainees, marketing of the project, and of course, the development of the training itself. However, the training that we developed is different from trainings offered by most other organizations, as it prioritized a co-design approach. This co-design allowed us to involve each participant of the project planning team, as well as each participant of the training in identifying and designing solutions to the question “How Might We Bring Peer Grief Support to Black and Brown Communities?”. 

Four key principles of equity-centered design were present throughout the design, development, and delivery of the training:

• Empathy and Co-Creation

• Cultural Sensitivity and Intersectionality 

• Systemic Understanding

• Sustainability and Accountability 

Nearly ten months of dedicated work culminated in two highly-interactive days full of community, shared laughs and cries, dancing, yoga, comedy skits, eating, brainstorming, and so much more. Participants were able to remove their professional layers and tune into their personal experiences, wisdom, and community expertise. Individuals opened up and shared about their own grief and trauma experiences in ways that they had not been able to prior. Group members shared dozens of ideas for creative ways to implement peer grief support in formal and informal manners in their respective communities. A network of community leaders looking to provide impactful opportunities to their fellow bereaved community members that they had not had early on in their grief experiences was formed. 

Rather than having one answer to the “How Might We Bring Peer Grief Support to Black and Brown Communities?” question that drove the training, we have dozens of possible solutions that came out of our two-days in Indianapolis. A variety of solutions is key to ensuring we are not leaving anyone behind. The shared goal was to develop a cohort of individuals who could begin addressing this question in their communities while supporting one another. Thus, while the two-days together had such great impact, they were just the starting point for our continued work together. We will continue to work with this group on program implementation, as well as ongoing recruitment to continue building this network. 

Join us in our mission to transform grief support. Together, we can create a world where every grieving individual finds understanding, compassion, and hope.

For more information, visit peersupportcommunitypartners.com or contact us at support@peersupportcommunitypartners.com (857) 254-8008.