Winchester, VA., July 2, 2024—Blue Ridge Hospice has been awarded a two-year, $340,000 research grant from the New York Life Foundation to study the effectiveness of its innovative Adventures Through Grief program, utilizing a custom tabletop role-playing game (RPG) similar to Dungeons and Dragons tailored for bereaved adolescents and young adults.
The Adventures Through Grief program utilizes a therapeutic method originally developed by Game to Grow, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the use of table-top games for therapeutic, educational, and community growth. The method was modified by Blue Ridge Hospice to specifically address grief, as made possible by a previous $30,000 Grief Reach grant award from the New York Life Foundation in 2022.
Throughout the program, participants will use creative social skills to tackle imaginary dangerous obstacles and tasks. Exploring these challenges in the low-risk environment of a game and guided by trained and certified staff of grief counselors, the Game to Grow model creates opportunities to learn new coping skills and allows participants to express their grief in indirect and non-threatening ways.
“We aspire to innovatively support socially isolated young adults navigating grief, particularly those hesitant to engage in traditional counseling,” expressed Tina Thomas, LCSW, MS, Children and Families Grief Support Coordinator at Blue Ridge Hospice. “Through our unique therapeutically applied tabletop RPG module developed especially for this program and the purpose of providing grief counseling, we foster a nurturing environment where creativity and social interaction converge, cultivating fertile ground for profound healing journeys.”
Blue Ridge Hospice has enlisted licensed clinical psychologists Elizabeth Kilmer, PhD., and Jared Kilmer, PhD., to lead research efforts aimed at publishing a comprehensive paper on the efficacy of tabletop role-playing games as grief interventions for teenagers and young adults, addressing a critical gap in existing research by evaluating its applicability and impact on targeted populations through standardized assessments of grief, social isolation, and loneliness.
“In this journey of healing, we extend our gratitude for the philanthropic support provided by the New York Life Foundation. Their partnership and commitment empower us to expand the horizons of grief support, ensuring no young adult walks alone. Together, we will pave pathways of hope and resilience,” expressed Jason Parsons, President & CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice.
Blue Ridge Hospice will select up to eight partner grief centers and organizations nationwide, offering 20 hours of facilitator training for up to 24 grief professionals and implementing a 10-week program. Partner sites will receive $15,000 each for program implementation and continuous consultation, with an obligation to collect and submit data for research purposes. The application window for partner sites is now open via BlueRidgeHospice.org/ATG-Apply, closing on July 31, 2024, and a Q&A session will be hosted on July 29, at 3 p.m. EST.
“Our mission is grounded in compassion and driven by the belief that together we are stronger in times of grief. As teens and young adults embark on this transformative quest, they will be empowered to navigate their emotions with courage and resilience,” added Susana Calley, LCSW, Director, Grief Support Services at Blue Ridge Hospice.
About Blue Ridge Hospice
Blue Ridge Hospice is a nonprofit 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 the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Fauquier, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah, Warren, and Winchester City. 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 call 540-313-9200.
