FAQ

Some commonly asked questions (and answers) about Good Grief.

What is Good Grief?

Good Grief of Northwest Ohio is a non-profit organization providing age-appropriate peer support groups for children and teens who are grieving the death of someone important to them.

Good Grief’s open-ended, age-appropriate peer grief support sessions, led by trained facilitators, provide a mix of opportunities for children and teens to share their experiences with grief and loss. Whether it’s talking about the death with other participants, using art to explore and express their feelings, or choosing their own activity from a variety of options, children and teens are encouraged to discover what works best for them. We offer these programs at no cost to the participants or their families.

Who comes to Good Grief?

Good Grief is for children ages 4-18 and their caregivers; and young adults ages 19-24 and is open and welcoming to all members of the community, regardless of race, religion, family structure, or economic status. Participants come from all over NW Ohio.

Is this counseling or therapy?

Good Grief provides peer support groups - not professional therapy, counseling, or psychiatric evaluations. Groups are led by volunteer facilitators who have been trained by Good Grief staff.  

Is there support available for adult caregivers?

Separate groups for adult caregivers are offered at the same time as the children’s groups.

Attendance in an adult group is optional, but a responsible adult must remain on the premises inside our program space during all meetings.

How long do families attend meetings at Good Grief?

Families make their own decisions about beginning and ending - attending as long as they find the group to be helpful.  Good Grief does not place a timetable on grief.

When is the best time to start attending peer support meetings at Good Grief?

Grief is different for everyone and each family approaches it in their own way.  Some families start attending meetings immediately after the death, others may start months or years later. 

Where are the meetings?

Good Grief meets in our office/program space – 440 S. Reynolds Road, Suite D, Toledo, OH  43615.  

What day and time are meetings?

Meetings are on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, alternating every other week.  

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings start with families gathering at 6:00 pm for pizza and to socialize and re-connected with other group members.  Support groups beginning at 6:30 p.m. and lasting until approximately 7:45. 

Our program season roughly mirrors the public schools’ calendar with a break from mid-June to early August.

Is there a cost to attend Good Grief support groups?

Thanks to our many generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers, Good Grief can offer services at no cost.  We are grateful to the organizations, families, and individuals who contribute financial resources, supplies, time, and talent to make this possible.

How do we get started?

Call us at 419/360-4939

In the first phone conversation, we’ll explain the program in more detail and answer your questions.  Then, we'll invite you and the kids to visit Good Grief for a tour of our program space.

It is important for the children to come with the adults to this first visit because it helps to relieve any fears or doubts children have if they can see the space and ask any questions they have about Good Grief. 

Once you’ve visited and decided you’d like to start attending peer support groups, we will ask you to complete a small amount of paperwork.  Then we will help you decide which of our program nights is the best fit for you and your family.

Please note - While we welcome calls from concerned friends, family members, or others, Good Grief staff will not contact a grieving family unless we hear from the family themselves.  Because we know that people grieve in their own way and time, we recognize unexpected calls may not be welcomed.

We appreciate your faith in and support of our mission and services. If you know of a family in need of grief support, please mention Good Grief of NW Ohio and let them know we are here whenever they are ready.