Staff Grief Support

Our experience and expertise with peer grief support allows us to develop peer grief support networks in a variety of settings. If you are looking to offer support for your staff, regardless of the field, we can help create grief-informed supportive spaces, as we have done with SADOD’s Direct Service Provider (DSP) Program.

The DSP Program was founded in response to the increase in overdoses and other substance-use-related deaths such as endocarditis and suicide.

Serving one’s community as a Direct Service Provider (DSP) requires extraordinary levels of compassion, integrity, empathy, and emotional resilience. Yet, many who are drawn to this industry – people compelled to help others – can be driven away by the very issues they are working to address. Many DSPs report tenures marked by grief over the loss of coworkers and program participants.

Due to the intensity of the work, DSPs are at an increased risk of burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue. Creating compassionate work environments where DSPs don’t suffer alone is becoming increasingly vital to program success and longevity. This can be accomplished through consistent, comprehensive, peer support for professionals who help others.

We currently provide peer grief support to direct service providers in three major ways:

• Grief and loss peer grief support groups

• Training around grief and loss, building resilience, cultivating community

• Creation, development, and delivery of projects and programs tailored to individual organizations