Caring Connections

Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program is based in the University of Utah College of Nursing and was founded in 1997 by Beth Cole, PhD.  

The Mission of Caring Connections is to provide excellent evidence-based bereavement care to grieving persons in the intermountain west through clinician facilitated support groups; and, in keeping with the academic mission of the University and the College of Nursing, to provide opportunity for clinical education in grief and loss to students in the health care professions, and to conduct research which promotes greater understanding of loss, grief and bereavement.

As a leading community resource for grief and bereavement support, Caring Connections provides grief care, education for clinicians and students and contributes to the scientific evidence to support best practices. In partnership with the State of Utah Department of Human Services, and with several community organizations, we are working to increase awareness of grief, grief literacy and create compassionate communities that are responsive to the loss and suffering that accompanies bereavement.

Caring Connections offers a variety of services and trainings for professionals/organizations.  These are just a few of the topics available through our trainings:

• Self-care and resiliency for professionals in the pandemic and beyond
• The grief of suicide loss
• The grief of loss to overdose or substance use
• The grief of sudden and unexpected death
• Grief in the workplace