RIVER Peer Grief Support Model
The RIVER model — developed by PSCP to set the standard for delivering Peer Grief Support (PGS) to grieving people — is based on the PSCP owners’ combined six decades of experience and leadership in PGS. It is the foundation for establishing and maintaining PGS as a field of practice in its own right and making it an integral component of how communities help grieving people.
RIVER and two best practices in the helping professions — person-centered care and trauma-informed care — are infused into all PSCP programs and service delivery. This approach to PGS is built around five intentions — Relate, Invite, Validate, Empower, Reassure — that are practices people naturally engage in when they are helping others. PSCP trains bereaved people who are far enough along in their own journey to use RIVER to turn their lived experience into a resource for helping active grievers through the most difficult times.
RIVER supports grieving people, families, workplaces, and communities by emphasizing these five principles:
Grieving people are not alone.
Grieving people’s stories are welcome.
Grieving people’s reactions are understandable.
Grieving people can find their way.
Grieving is a lifelong process.
