Receive the Grief Support That You Deserve
Are you or is someone you know grieving the death of someone close? Caring Connections offers grief support groups that are eight weeks in length and offered quarterly at the University of Utah College of Nursing, various University of Utah Health Centers, and online.
The death of a close friend or family member is a powerful and emotional experience. It can shatter life as one used to know. Three elements that seem to assist in processing grief following the death of a family member or friend are: Gathering relevant information from a knowledgeable professional, talking to others about your loss, and listening to others who have had similar experiences.
Current Groups:
Caring Connections grief support groups are eight weeks long. We offer support groups quarterly at the University of Utah College of Nursing, various University of Utah Health Centers and Online. Our current Grief Groups are focused on:
- Adults grieving the death of a family member or friend
- Adults grieving the death of a child
- Adults grieving the death of a spouse or partner
- Adults grieving the death of a family member or friend to suicide
- Adults grieving the death of a family member or friend to an overdose
Our bereavement support groups are led by health care professionals holding Masters or Doctoral degrees in Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, and Licensed Professional Counseling, or other supervised mental health trainees.
Registration is required.
Space is limited. We are currently experiencing a high number of requests for grief support groups. Some of our groups in the current cycle may be at capacity.
Please call 801-585-9522 if you are interested in registering for a support group, and we will get you registered as soon as a space is available.
Current Schedule:
Spring 2024 Distance Bereavement Support Groups - Online via Zoom
Loss of a Spouse or Partner
Wednesdays, March 27 to May 15 from 10:30 to 12:00 pm (daytime group)
Loss of a Family Member or Friend
Wednesdays April 3 to May 22 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Loss to Suicide
Tuesdays, March 26 to May 14 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Loss to Overdose
Tuesdays, April 2 to May 21 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Spring 2024 Distance Bereavement Support Groups - In Person (College of Nursing)
Loss of a Spouse or Partner
Wednesdays, March 27 to May 15 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Loss of a Family Member or Friend
Tuesdays, April 9 to May 28, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Loss to Suicide
Wednesdays, March 20 to May 8 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Loss of a Child
Tuesdays, April 9 to May 28 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Registration and Fee Information:
Registration is required for all groups. Call 801-585-9522 to register.
There is a $50 fee for participation for Grief Support Groups, which includes participant materials.
We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express credit cards.
Financial Support:
If there is a financial challenge associated with paying fees, please notify Caring Connections at 801-585-9522. Scholarships are available through the generous support of Larkin Mortuary.
Grief Support Group Frequently Asked Questions
Our bereavement support groups are led by health care professionals holding Masters or Doctoral degrees in Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, and Licensed Professional Counseling, or other supervised mental health trainees.
Caring Connections offers quarterly grief support groups that run in 8-week cycles.
The meetings take place once a week (typically in the evening). Weekly attendance is expected for the 8 sessions. We do not allow new participants to join in after the second week.
The groups are small (up to 10 participants online, and up to 12 in-person). You will be with the same participants for most of the 8 weeks of the group. This often helps participants feel more comfortable sharing their own experiences.
In each group cycle, we try to schedule both an in-person option and a virtual option (via Zoom). We will do our best to accommodate your preferred group modality.
You will also be given a copy of our Participant Grief Support Manual for use during the group. This manual will provide written content to supplement the group experience.
Most of our support groups have a one-time $50.00 fee. At this time, we are unfortunately not able to accept health insurance plans or an HSA card to cover this cost.
If this one-time fee poses a financial hardship, we do have scholarships available with generous support from Larkin Mortuary. More information can be provided about scholarships at the time of registration.
Drop-in groups have a rolling admission process and are ongoing. In a drop-in group, every session is the “first” session. In a closed 8-session group, the learning is cumulative and progresses toward goals.
Registration is required for Caring Connections support groups. We close the group after the second week. Because space in our groups is limited, attendance is expected weekly for the 8 sessions.
In the first session, you will meet the facilitator(s) and other participants. You’re never required to speak, but we do encourage participation in the group as you feel comfortable.
Most participants report that the first few weeks are difficult but that they feel more comfortable as the group progresses.
In each session there will be educational content about grief and time to practice suggested self-care exercises, as well as time for participants to share their own experiences.
We generally recommend waiting about 6-7 weeks before joining a group. New grievers typically have many details to address prior to joining a group. If you’re even thinking about it a little bit, that’s a sign that there is some level of readiness. If you’d like to explore that further, then please give us a call.
While it is thoughtful of you to reach out on their behalf, all referrals must be self-initiated.
Our staff can share details about our program, but your family member or friend will need to call us to start the registration process.
We recognize that there can be feelings of immense grief, sadness, worry, or despair accompanying losses that do not involve a death.
While the resources in our program are specific to those who have had a loss to death, there are many other resources available. We recommend calling 211 to see what resources may be available in your area.
If you have just finished an 8-week support group with our program, we will ask that you wait out at least one cycle before enrolling in a second group. You are welcome to reach out to us to join our interest list for a future cycle. Our team will follow up with you when we have our dates and times confirmed.
If you are feeling concerned, or that you need additional bereavement support sooner than that, please give our office a call and ask to speak with one of our clinicians on staff.