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GRIEF COUNSELING REFERRAL

The following services are provided to families and friends trying to cope with the death of a loved one and need assistance in dealing with their grief.

Acquainted with Grief: This is a grief support group that offers counselling the second Wednesday of every month at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. One on one counselling is also available to those family members that are having extreme difficulty with their grief. There is no fee. Contact Gaffney Funeral Home, 1002 So. Yakima, Tacoma, WA. 98405 (253)272-5558.

Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy : A non-profit organization with over 30 volunteer chaplains from surrounding communities within Pierce County. They provide their professional training and experience in dealing with emotional crisis situations. They are available to families, schools, etc., that need immediate grief counselling on a individual or group basis. There is no fee.

Bereavement Support Group: Mountain View Funeral Home sponsors groups which are open to the public. There is a general theme on some aspect of grief for discussion for each meeting. Time is also provided for the individual difficulties participants may be experiencing at the present. General Grief Support sessions are held on the first and third Thursday afternoons from 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. SW, Tacoma, WA 98499. Phone# (253)584-0252. There is no fee.

Bereaved Families: This church provides group session and support group for bereaved families. There is no fee for this service. Contact Life Center Church, 1717 S. Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA. 98409. Phone# (253)756-5300 for information or ask for Marita Ross. There is no fee.

Helping Hearts (for widows and widowers only) : Haven of Rest Funeral Home provides this group therapy session with no fee but there is a free-will offering collected. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. the last Thursday of every month. Contact Hattie Douglas, Neighborhood Church, 2802 Bridgeport Way W., Tacoma, WA.98466. Phone# (253)565-2878.

Grief Recovery Support Group: Haven of Rest Funeral Home provides this group that supports any kind of loss with no fee. The sessions are on the fourth Wednesday of month from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon located at the Gig Harbor United Methodist Church, 7400 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor. Contact Mr. Bob Gnegy, Haven of Rest Funeral Home, (253)851-9991.

Widowed Information & Consultation Services: This is a peer support group for widowed adults. Contact Widowed Information & Consultation Services, 223 N. Yakima, Tacoma, WA 98403. Person of contact: Tony Swanson (253)272-8092. There is no fee.

Associated Health Services-Hospice of Tacoma: This is a support group following the death of a loved one or during a terminal illness. The group meets the second and fourth Thursday every month at 1:30 p.m. Contact Carolyn Kaspers, Associated Health Services, 737 S. Fawcett, Tacoma, WA 98402. Phone# (253)552-1818. No fee.

Bereavement Support Group: St. Joseph Hospital has a support group to assist families in the death of a loved one. The group meets the first and third Tuesday of every month at 2:00 p.m. Contact Suzanne Glover, St. Joseph Hospital, Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Conference Room, 1718 S. 'I' St., Tacoma, WA. 98405. Phone# (253)591-6808. There is no fee.

Good Samaritan Hospice-Eight Week Series Group: Good Samaritan Home/Health Hospice has group support following the death of a loved one. Contact Bereavement Counselors, Good Samaritan Home/Health, Conference Room, 407 14th Ave. SE, Puyallup, WA 98371. Phone# (253)848-6661, ext. 2000. There is no fee.

Grief Bereavement Support Group: St. Joseph Hospital has a support group following the death of a loved one. This group meets the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 pm. Contact Barb Simpson, St. Joseph Hospital, Lagerquist Education Center, 2C, 1718 S. 'I' St., Tacoma, WA. 98405. Phone# (253)627-4101, ext. 5179. There is no fee.

Open Support Group: The First Christian Church has a support group following the death of a loved one. The meetings are on the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m., and the third Thursday of every month at 1:00 p.m. The location is the First Christian Church, 623 - 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup, WA. 98371. Phone# (253) 848- 6661, ext. 2000. There is no fee.

Open Support Group: The Pierce County Public Library in Buckley offers a support group for those who have lost a loved one. They meet every second Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Contact The Pierce County Public Library in Buckley, 123 S. River, Buckley, WA. 98321. Phone# (253)848-6661, ext.2000. There is no fee.

Bereaved Parents Care Group: This group focuses on parents who have experienced the death of a child. They meet every second Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Contact Cal or Kathy Powers, First Assembly of God Church, 601 - 9th Ave. SE, Puyallup, WA. 98371. Phone# (253)845-7538. There is no fee.

Compassionate Friends : This is a support group following the death of a child. They meet every third Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Contact the Christian Reformed Church, 2419 E. 72nd, Tacoma, WA. 98404. Phone# (253)845-3353. There is no fee.

Parent's Grief Support: This is a support group following the death of a loved one. They meet the last Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Contact Weeks-Whitmore Funeral Home, 451 Cemetery Rd., Buckley, WA. 98321. Phone# (253)829-1171. There is no fee.

PS Support Group: This is a support group that is for parent(s) who have experienced a miscarriage, fetal demise, and stillbirth or neonatal death of a child. They meet every third Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Contact Paula Kublman at (253)591-6735, or Libby at (206)941-4035. There is no fee.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Mary Bridge Children's Health Center has a support group following the death of a child to SIDS. They meet every third Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Contact Mary Bridge Children's Health Center, Boardroom, 311 S 'L' St., Tacoma, WA. 98405. Phone# 1-(800)533-0376. There is no fee.

Survivors of Suicide : The Bible Baptist Church has a support group following the death of a loved one that has committed suicide. They meet the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Contact the Bible Baptist Church, 1320 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA. 98002. Phone# Lifeline Institute, 1(800)422-2552. No fee.

Survivors of Violent Crime Victims Support Group: This group supports families and friends of violent crime victims after the death of a loved one. They meet the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Contact Lew Cox, Group Health Tacoma SPEC Center, Conference Rooms 1 & 2, 209 S 'K' St., Tacoma, WA 98405. Phone# 1(800)346-7555 or (253)927-1205. There is no fee.

Pierce County AIDS Foundation Bereavement Support Group: This group supports anyone whose loved one has died from AIDS. They meet the first and third Monday of every month at 1:00 p.m. Contact Suzanne Frazier, Pierce County AIDS Foundation, 625 Commerce, Ste 370, Tacoma, WA 98402. Phone# (253)383-2565. There is no fee.

Bridges: A Center for Grieving Children: This group has a variety of grief services: Grandparent Support; Kite Flyer Preschool for the toddlers; Parent Loss; Sibling Loss; Their focus is support for bereaved children and their families. The dates and times vary so call for information. The location is the Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N. 'K' St., Tacoma, WA 98403. Contact Lynn Riegel, (253)272-8266. There is no fee.

Kid Talk, Teen Talk, and Parent Talk: This is a support group for bereaved kids, teens, and parent(s). The times and dates varies so call for information. The location is Good Samaritan Home/Health Hospice, Conference Room, 407 14th Ave.SE, Puyallup, WA. 98371. Phone# Bereavement Counselors, (253)848-6661, ext.2000. There is no fee.

Counselling regarding manner/cause of death
This service is available to family members that are having a difficult time understanding the cause of their loved one's death and may have questions on the manner of death and circumstances surrounding the death. There is no fee.
Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, 3619 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA. 98408. Phone # (253)798-6494.

Forensic Services

Clarification of medical terminology on autopsy reports and death certificates within or outside of Pierce County on the manner and cause of death.. Information regarding testing for HIV exposure, paternal testing, DNA testing. Death certificate information. Funeral home information. Referral of cleaning services following a traumatic death. Private autopsy referral. Death investigation course training referral. There is no fee.
Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, 3619 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA. 98408. Phone# (253)798-6494.

Death Notification

Provides notification to family members of a loved one that has died in Pierce County. Also, notification of a death which has occurred outside Pierce County but the family member lives in Pierce County. There is no fee.
Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, 3619 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA. 98408, (253)798-6494. Tacoma-Pierce County Chaplaincy, 3619 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA., 98408. Phone # (253)798-5999.

Forensic Consultations

Interpretation of wounds on living patients within Pierce County and outside counties and states. Interpretation of wounds on deceased persons outside Pierce County and the state. Consultation of the possible affect of certain drugs and their affect on behavior. Estimation of the time of death. Consultation on unattended fetal deaths. Correlations and interpretations of instruments relating to injuries. The fee varies.
Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, 3619 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA. 98408. Phone # (253)798-6494.


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