Bereavement support can be provided by your Paediatric Palliative Care Team toward the end of a child’s life as well as after he or she has died and is offered to parents, siblings, grandparents and any other significant members of the child’s family or support network. Bereavement support can include the following:
- Telephone calls
- Videoconferencing if you have a computer or phone with an internet connection
- Home visiting
- Counselling (or referral to local counselling services)
- Support groups
Bereavement support and/or information is also available from the organisations listed below:
Lifeline
Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support
Lifeline has a Toolkit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People – Coping with Sorrow, Loss and Grief available free from their website.
Website: www.lifeline.org.au
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
Telephone counselling available, fees apply to NSW Residents.
Has a range of free publications and factsheets on grief which can be downloaded from the website, also has a free APP with information for people who are bereaved and those supporting them.
My Grief is the name of the APP
Website: https://www.grief.org.au/
Griefline
Griefline provides a dedicated grief helpline service with trained volunteers providing counselling support services free of charge.
Website: https://griefline.org.au/
National Association for Grief and Loss (NALAG)
Free Loss and Grief support by trained volunteers, including telephone counselling.
Website: https://www.nalag.org.au/
The National Centre for Childhood Grief
'A Friend's Place' (Denistone East, Sydney, Australia) offers free bereavement counselling for children aged 3-18 who have had a loved one die. Counselling also provided for bereaved adults, parents and caregivers (fee involved for this service). They have a good booklet, Grieving Children – Guidelines for Adults who Care, cost $1.
Website: www.childhoodgrief.org.au
Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia is a leading provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities. We aim to support all people in Australia to achieve positive and respectful relationships.
Website: https://relationships.org.au/
Penthos
Free specialist couple therapy for grieving parents.
Will accept self-referrals & can offer telephone/video counselling to couples in rural settings.
Website: www.penthos.org.au