The Continuum Hospice Bereavement Center

Overview

An integral part of Continuum Hospice Care is its Bereavement Center. Staffed by highly qualified professionals, the Center provides an array of services to hospice families and the public. During the year following the death of a loved one, a range of emotions can be expected. The Center reaches out with a series of mailings that discuss such issues, offers informative workshops, makes individual counseling and support groups available, and maintains telephone contact with hundreds of people who take comfort in knowing that we are here.

The Center serves people from the various communities and ethnic backgrounds that comprise New York City, and our outreach is sensitive to the emotional and spiritual issues of our divergent population without being faith-specific.

The Center director is the Rev. William Purdy, Vice President of Special Programs, Continuum Hospice Care.

Workshops

We offer a broad and expanding range of workshops that meet unique needs and various approaches to grieving. Our workshops include:

• Coping with Loss on the Anniversary of a Loved One’s Death
• Coping with Loss During the Holidays
• Art Therapy
• Workshops, in Mandarin, Spanish and other languages
• Educational workshops for:
• high school guidance counselors
• attorneys who arrange guardianships
• clergy

One on One Counseling

For those who wish to talk through their feelings of loss and readjustment, individual counseling is available by appointment at no charge for hospice clients. Where in-depth therapy is indicated, referrals are made. Bereavement counseling is available to the public on a limited basis. Fee schedule is available upon request.

Support Groups

In addition to several bereavement groups,we have designed support groups for teenagers, for motherless daughters, for gays and lesbians, for people who speak Spanish and for grieving spouses. Groups meet at various times and locations throughout the city and most are open to the public. Registration is required.

Corporate Services

The Center provides bereavement services to corporations and small businesses. The death of a coworker can have a profound impact on the workplace, and our team is skilled at meeting with employees of firms that have experienced loss. Services are provided on site for the company or at the Continuum Hospice Care's midtown Manhattan or Brooklyn offices. Corporate rate card is available upon request.

Serving our Nation's Veterans

Continuum Hospice Care and the Veterans Administration are blazing a new trail in volunteer service opportunities for the community as VA and Hospice combine resources to help meet the needs of veterans in New York City. Particularly now, with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq keeping us ever mindful of the sacrifices of our United States Armed Forces, the VA and Continuum want to offer the public opportunities to help make a real difference in expanding the services available to veterans.

As this web page explains in further detail, Continuum Hospice, in cooperation with the VA, is offering a customized program to prepare volunteers to be on the teams that provide veterans with palliative care. To find out more about how you can help and to register for a training seminar please call the Veterans Administration at 718.836.6600 or Continuum Hospice Care at 212.844.5744.

For additional information or to schedule an appointment
please call the Bereavement Center at 212-844-5754.