Leesburg, VA, February 18—Blue Ridge Hospice is pleased to announce the selection of seven partner sites to participate in the groundbreaking Adventures Through Grief program. The Blue Ridge Hospice program will be held at Leesburg Presbyterian Church. This initiative, made possible by a generous $340,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation, aims to explore and enhance grief support for teens and young adults through a unique therapeutic tabletop role-playing game.
The selected partner sites, which include a diverse array of grief support organizations from across the nation, are:
- Avow Hospice (Naples, Florida)
- Children’s Bereavement Center Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen, Texas)
- Connections Plus (Lexington, VA)
- EverHeart Hospice (Greenville, Ohio)
- Hospice of the Chesapeake-Chesapeake Life Center (Severna Park, Maryland)
- The Elizabeth Hospice (Escondido, California)
- The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado (Durango, Colorado)
These sites will play a pivotal role in implementing the Adventures Through Grief program, which uses a custom tabletop role-playing module that will be developed in collaboration with the partner sites and our training partners to provide therapeutic support to bereaved adolescents and young adults. The program aims to foster emotional healing through creative, low-risk social interactions guided by professional grief counselors.
Each partner site will receive $15,000 to support program implementation and continuous consultation, along with 20 hours of facilitator training for up to 24 grief professionals. The 10-week program will be a crucial part of the research efforts led by licensed clinical psychologists Elizabeth Kilmer, PhD, and Jared Kilmer, PhD, who will assess the program’s impact on grief, social isolation, and loneliness.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with these organizations,” said Jason Parsons, President & CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice. “Their participation is integral to our mission of expanding innovative grief support and ensuring that every young person navigating grief has access to compassionate, creative, and effective help.”
Tina Thomas, LCSW, MS, Children and Families Grief Support Coordinator at Blue Ridge Hospice, expressed her enthusiasm. “By working with these partner sites, we extend the reach of our Adventures Through Grief program, creating a supportive network where teens and young adults can find solace and healing through our tailored role play game approach.”
Susana Calley, LCSW, Director of Blue Ridge Hospice Center for Hope & Healing, added “Together, we are creating pathways of hope and resilience for grieving youth. This program represents a powerful convergence of creativity and therapeutic support, and we are honored to have these seven organizations join us on this journey.”
To learn more about Adventures through Grief or to apply, please call 540-313-9275 or email griefsupport@blueridgehospice.org.
About Blue Ridge Hospice
Blue Ridge Hospice is a community-based, not-for-profit serious illness and end-of-life care provider that has been serving friends and neighbors across the northern Shenandoah Valley and northwestern Virginia since 1981. With a mission of “brightening life’s journey with quality and compassionate care for all whom we are privileged to serve,” Blue Ridge Hospice serves Winchester City and the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, and Warren. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Blue Ridge Hospice consistently exceeds the national averages for quality as reported on Medicare’s Hospice Compare website. To learn more about Blue Ridge Hospice visit brhospice.org, or call 540-313-9200.
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