Supporting Bereaved Children and Families

Bridges believes that every family who has experienced a loss should be able grieve in a compassionate, informed environment. Through age-appropriate support groups led by trained facilitators, we provide a safe place for children and families to heal.

Bridges was established in 1988 to support the special needs of children in our community struggling to reconcile the serious illness or death of a family member. Lack of support and feelings of isolation can result in unresolved grief, which adversely affects children’s health and emotional well-being. It’s our aim that no child grieves alone.

Part of the continuum of care offered by Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network, Bridges offer one of the only bereavement programs in the Pacific Northwest. Since opening their doors, they have served more than 7,000 children from more than 4,200 families.

What Is Bridges?
Bridges is a family-based grief support program where families with children, ages 4-18 who have experienced the death of someone close to them, or who know someone with a serious illness, come together to heal. We offer support groups for children as well as concurrent groups for adults.

Who Can Attend Bridges?
The Bridges grief support center is available to everyone— regardless of race, religion, or economic status. Bridges’ services are designed to serve families with children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling or who are living with someone with a serious diagnosis. Parents and caregivers attend a group meeting at the same time their children meet with their peer group.

For more information and resources visit the Bridges Website 

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is an event in which survivors of suicide loss come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. This year, International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is Saturday, November 20, 2021. You can find a current list of registrations here. If you have questions please contact your local AFSP chapter or email survivorday@afsp.org.

In 1999, Senator Harry Reid, who lost his father to suicide, introduced a resolution to the United States Senate, leading to the creation of International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. Also known as Survivor Day, the day was designated by the United States Congress as a day on which those affected by suicide can join together for healing and support. It was determined that Survivor Day would always fall on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving, as the holidays are often a difficult time for suicide loss survivors.

Washington Statewide Virtual Event

On October 19th, 2021 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and Children’s Hospitals Association (CHA) jointly declared a national emergency in children’s mental health, noting alarming increases in depression, anxiety and suicidality experienced by children since the onset of the Covid pandemic. This emergency is of no surprise to Kids Mental Health Pierce County, a collaborative of over 60 agencies pulling together to serve the mental health needs of Pierce County youth.

Within Pierce county, we have experienced concerning increases in emergency room and hospital admissions of youth in crisis, wait times for children in need of inpatient psychiatric support, and outreach of families, educators, counselors, and pediatricians expressing united concern and distress regarding the overwhelming mental health needs of our youth during this incredibly challenging time. This is occurring within a severe work force shortage during which many agencies struggle to fill open behavioral health positions to adequately meet demand. Continue Reading