Our Mission

Whether the deaths are from overdose, suicide, mass casualty events, homicide, accidents, war, stillbirth, or medical conditions, bereaved individuals, families, and communities often have access to few resources. Bereavement is largely undocumented and thus a “hidden” (or invisible) problem in the United States and throughout the world. In addition to the immense personal tragedy people experience, it’s a problem with vast health, economic, and social consequences. We need more than thoughts and prayers.

We are accelerating societal transformation by harnessing the power of the most common human experience to reshape our values, cultural beliefs, and our emerging future. We believe in harnessing the will of the people, rooting the movement in their lived experiences, and aligning policies and systems for regenerative and distributive economies.

To achieve this mission, we work across health, social, and economic issues that are central in preserving the rights, dignity, and solvency of all bereaved individuals. This means we stand up to power — political or financial — when it seeks to marginalize, diminish, or take advantage of bereft people, particularly during life’s toughest moments. We stand firm in this mission, even when it requires us to take an inconvenient or unpopular point of view.   

Our nation can do better. We are working every day to bring more and better resources to people and the professionals who serve them. Bereavement care in America is broken. We hope you will join us in making the world a more livable place for bereaved
people.

Bereavement care is the rule, not the exception

Regardless of age, race, religion, geography or income, access to consistent, high-quality bereavement care should be available in every neighborhood of America. Resources and programs should meet the individual needs of the populations they serve.

Bereaved individuals are not getting the support they need

Research suggests that adverse physical and behavioral health outcomes would be mitigated by systems that are prepared to provide longitudinal support to bereaved people. Many bereaved persons cited pressure to be “over it” several years after the event, and have expressed negative feelings are exacerbated by lingering grief.

Populations with a greater need for bereavement care are less likely to access it

Study after study notes that findings may not be generalizable because bereavement study participants are more likely to be white and affluent. Authors generally attribute this to a combination of comfort with seeking bereavement support and the means to participate in sessions (transportation, availability during working hours, etc.).

All deaths are different

The circumstances surrounding each death are influenced by myriad factors. Categorization of death by disease process or mechanical cause has utility in data collection, but it says nothing of the family’s experience of the event. Bereaved individuals have described a range of emotions following notification of death or diagnosis of life-limiting illness – extreme emotional shock, numbness, dissociation, blame, and fault to name a few – and their reaction to those emotions is unpredictable.

The bereaved may not “heal” and that’s okay

A growing body of evidence shows that some bereaved individuals experience serious longitudinal behavioral and physical health effects following the death of a loved one. While many supporters may want the bereaved to “heal” or feel that they are “still mourning,” it is important to recognize that coping with a devastating loss takes time and that’s okay.