Social Work

Family Bereavement Support Programme

Family Bereavement Services

The Family Bereavement Support Programme has for many years supported families who are bereaved.

The programme offers monthly evening parent support groups, quarterly daytime parent support groups, annual sibling bereavement support groups, occasional groups for grandparents who are bereaved and quarterly recently bereaved parents information evenings. Groups are held at the hospital. Evening groups are held in the Front Entry Building, Seminar Room 2 and daytime groups are held in Seminar Room 5, 7th Floor, South East Building.

The programme also offers bereavement counselling, referrals to specialist community support services, education, information and support to hospital staff about bereavement issues and publishes a monthly newsletter.Together with the RCH Chaplaincy an Annual Memorial Service is also conducted.

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Bereavement Services Coordinator

The Bereavement Services Coordinator is responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of policy, guidelines and resources to promote best practice in bereavement care.

This includes: Provision of education and training for staff Consultation with bereaved families, Strengthening links with bereavement support services and Continuous quality improvement activities.

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RCH Foundation Funeral Assistance Fund

The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation has provided funding to assist bereaved families with the cost of their child's funeral. The Funeral Assistance Fund is administered by the Social Work Department, but can be offered to families by After-Hours Coordinators, Associate Unit Managers and Social Workers. The Fund is available to families who experience financial difficulties when their child:

  • dies at RCH
  • dies at home or at Very Special Kids and the family was receiving support from the Victorian Palliative Care Program
  • dies at home, but was a patient of the RCH and a Social Worker has found the family to be experiencing financial difficulty.

Specific exclusions include families who will receive funding through the Children's Cancer Centre (all patients), and families who will receive funding from TAC.

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Brochure

 

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Newsletters

The newsletter is a resource for all parents, especially those who cannot come to the monthly support groups. It provides a way of capturing the presentation and the group discussion. We welcome contributions from parents as a way of sharing your grief experience and connecting with other families also grieving. Stories, poems, information on helpful resources, practical suggestions and book reviews are much appreciated. 

Title:
Month/Year:
Capturing the Memories of the Heart (1 mb)
October 2011
Spirituality & Grief Journeys (450 kb)
September 2011
Trauma & Grief, The most painful places (350 kb)
August 2011
Finding Another Space-Technology & Grieving (450 kb)
July 2011
Not Just Tears'-Styles of Grieving (580 kb)
June 2011

Children and Grief-Kids Grieve Too (429 kb)

May 2011

Remembering and Healing Through Music (494 kb)

April 2011

Supporting Ourselves, Supporting Each Other (634 kb)

March 2011
Reflections of the Past, Looking to the Future (707 kb)
February 2011
Grief and the Holiday Season (pdf 837 kb)
December 2010
Grief and Family (pdf 550 kb)
November 2010

Enduring Love (pdf 572 kb)

September 2010
Sprituality and grief: wisdom borne of pain (pdf 500 kb)
August 2010
Children's Grief: "Whereas adults experience 'waves' of grief, children dip into puddles of grief" (pdf 420kb)
July 2010

'Resilience in bereavement: Exploring our own personal strengths'  (pdf 500kb)

June 2010

The Healing Power of Music  (pdf 0.5MB)

May 2010
Men Expressing Grief Differently  (pdf 500kb)
April 2010
The Two G's: Guilt & Grief  (pdf 300kb)
March 2010
Making Meaning Out of Grief  (pdf 350kb)
February 2010
Remembering Yourself While Remembering Your Child Through the Festive Season  (pdf 400kb)
December 2009
The Importance of Rituals & Remembering (pdf 400kb)
November 2009
The Grief of Grandparents (pdf 500kb)
October 2009
'How I Share My Life With Others: the private and the public me' (pdf 215kb)
September 2009
"My Pathway" Two Parents' Reflections during the RCH Memorial Service  (pdf 388kb)
August 2009
'Trauma and Grief: a journey without maps' (pdf 240kb)
July 2009
'Time, Memories and the Legacy Our Children Leave Us' (pdf 400kb)
June 2009
'Being' A Bereaved Parent (pdf 175kb)
May 2009
"From 'Doona Day' To Coping With Grief; Exploring the experience and developing ways to manage lives changed forever"  (pdf 200kb)
April 2009
Close Connections: the impact of a child's death on relationships (pdf 200kb)
March 2009
As Time Goes By: families and grief, love and loss (pdf 175kb)
February 2009

         

Snowflakes in the Desert: the unexpected journey of grieving through the festive season and into another year (PDF 1.2 MB)
December 2008
I'm Diffierent Now: my changed identity since my child died (PDF 500 KB)
November 2008
She Cries, He Sighs: gender, relationships and grief
October 2008
Will I Ever Laugh Again? the healing potential of laughter and humour in grief (PDF 500 KB)
September 2008
The Music of Love, Loss and Healing (PDF 1 MB)
August 2008
A Time Together: sharing words,remembrances & eperiences (PDF 650 KB)
July 2008
When's Samuel coming back?: A sister's journey of grief from childhood to adolescence (PDF 785 KB)
June 2008
A Change in Priorities: reflections on expectations and a changed life when a child dies (PDF 365kb)
May 2008
Something I've Never Felt Before: father's and their grief (PDF 450kb)
April 2008
Capturing the Memories of the Heart (PDF 590kb) 
March 2008
From Now On: families living with loss, love and hope (PDF 812kb)
February 2008

     

Out of Season - families and grief admidst a time of celebration (PDF 913 KB)
December 2007
A Bit Further Down The Track: reflections on grief from over the years (PDF 1 MB)
November 2007
Another Child In Our Family: Exploring the Question
October 2007
With Our Family Always:remembering, loving and relating to your child. (PDF 1.9 MB)
September 2007
‘One Man's Journey' a father grieves. (PDF 700 KB)
August 2007
"Just Because I'm Laughing Doesn't Mean I'm Not Sad": Supporting your children. (PDF 1.3 MB)
July 2007
The Children in Our Families: sharing experiences that seem far apart (PDF 1 MB)
June 2007
Without Warning: the shock and turmoil that follow a child's death (PDF 900 KB)
May 2007
Not Only My Heart: caring for the self in grief  (PDF 271KB)
April 2007
Some Times Together, Some Times Apart: Relationships and Responses when a Family Grieves (PDF 1.6MB)
March 2007
On a Changed Path: Parents Living with Grief  (PDF 511KB)
February 2007

 

Looking forward, looking back: Grief and the holiday season (PDF 950KB)
Decmeber 2006
The ripples fo grief: the impact of grief on parents and their relationships (PDF 1.1MB)
November 2006
A small respite from grief: Connecting with inner resources to find ways to nurture the grieving self (PDF 470KB)
October 2006
Who am I now?: The impact of grief on identity (PDF 1.8MB)
September 2006
From Thoughts and Words into Music and Song  (PDF 316KB)
August 2006
Through Young Eyes - The experience of children and young people living with grief  (PDF 456KB)
July 2006
The Wisdom of Parents: Shaped By Love, Loss And Courage  (PDF 1.2MB)
June 2006
Bereavement- A Family Journey (PDF 1.3MB)
May 2006
Going On: Not Getting Over - Grief, Trauma and Memory  (PDF 411 KB)
April 2006
Finding Real Friends: Social Support In Grief  (PDF 1.7MB)
March 2006
Now, Then and Always The evolving story of C.J's family (PDF 1.1MB)
February 2006

 

 
Caring for Self: Finding a Balance in the Chaos of Grief (PDF 900 KB)
November 2005
‘Remembering the Past, Living the Present, Shaping the Future: Finding Meaning in Loss'.  (PDF 700 KB)
October 2005
‘Something to Hold On To: Ways of Capturing Memories' (PDF 1MB)
September 2005
Moving Into Their Comfort Zone : support for fathers following the death of a young child. (PDF 1MB)
August 2005
My GriefOur Way: Influence of Family, Community and Culture on How Parents Grieve (PDF 600 KB)
July 2005
Our Children in Our Words: What Bereaved Parents are Talking and Thinking About (PDF 410 KB)
June 2005
"Memories are Made of This" - The remembering that is held in the hearts, minds and bodies of bereaved parents. (PDF)
May 2005
Not available online as yet
April 2005
"Putting One Foot in Front of the Other: Surviving the Unthinkable"  (PDF 680KB)
March 2005
Being Together Exploring the Impact  (PDF 460KB) 
February 2005

 

 
Painting the Journey  (PDF 1MB)
December 2004
Children and Adolescents Living with Grief  (PDF 91KB)
November 2004
From Our Winter To Our Spring: Reflections on New Beginnings in Bereavement  (PDF 1MB)
October 2004
A Culture of Grieving? How Family adn Community Beliefs and Practices can Influence the Expression of Grief  (PDF 325KB)
September 2004
Bereaved Parents Surviving and Finding Support and Hope  (PDF 645KB)
August 2004

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