Newsroom

Important update about the Living with Loss by Substance Use Group

We are connecting today with an important update about the Living with Loss by Substance Use group. We will be transitioning the group away from a monthly open group to a closed 8-week program beginning in the fall (dates to be determined).

The April 16 group will be the last in the program’s current format.

Our team has spent a lot of time over the last year reviewing and assessing this program to ensure the support provided continues to be beneficial for participants and sustainable for BFO to continue as an organization.

The decision to shift to this format was made for a number of reasons:

• Death by substance use can be complex for a drop-in format where participants may feel like they have to share their experience over and over again with new people joining each month. We recognize this may be activating and retraumatizing for participants and facilitators alike.

• The eight-week format provides an opportunity to establish connection and build trust among a consistent group of participants leading up to the sharing of stories. This helps create safety in the group space and allows the BFO model of group development to unfold.

• It is challenging to find sufficient volunteer facilitators who are comfortable in their own experience of grieving a death by substance use to lead monthly groups. This impacts the ongoing sustainability of the program. The new format allows us to decrease the number of volunteers necessary to provide support and ensure we can offer the program in a consistent way.

We’ve compiled some questions we anticipate you may have about this change and included them below:

Q: I am a past/current participant in the Living with Loss by Substance Use group. Can I participate in the eight-week program?
A: Yes. You are welcome to register for this group. You will be asked to schedule a Welcome Meeting with our staff to gather information and find out more about your experience prior.

Q: What support is available until the fall?
A: Our mixed-loss group Living with Loss is offered on the first Tuesday of the month (Kitchener and virtual) and the third Wednesday of the month (Waterloo). We are also working on launching a one-on-one support program (more details to follow).

Q: Is this only for people who have experienced the death of a child by substance?
No. Anyone who is grieving a death by substance use (drugs or alcohol) is welcome to register for the group, no matter the relationship to the person who died. Read more about what family means at BFO here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s important that you understand we are not removing a support option, but shifting to a model we feel will be more beneficial for your grief experience and growth.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@bfomidwest.org or 226-780-7236. It’s important that you understand we are not removing a support option, but shifting to a model that we hope is more beneficial for your grief experience and growth.