To learn more about the support groups at the Caring Place, call 1-866-212-4673.

"The Caring Place made me feel like now at least I know people who are actually going through what I'm feeling. Not like at school where all my friends say things like, 'You'll get over it.' I'm just glad I have friends at the Caring Place who understand what I'm going through. It makes me happy."

— William, 14

"The Caring Place is not just a place to come to talk of death and dying, but a place to celebrate life and love."

— Jennifer, 17

How Can I Get Help from the Highmark Caring Place?

The Caring Place program is a family program that focuses on the needs of children. There is no cost to the families for these groups, or for any services provided by the Highmark Caring Place. The Caring Place is a community service, offered to all members of the community, regardless of health insurance.

Children attend the Caring Place with their families. The program is centered on children, but the program is for both the children AND the adults in the family. After all, the whole family is affected by the death, so it is helpful to discuss the loss together so that the family as a whole can readjust.

When a family attends a peer support group at the Caring Place, they come together with approximately 15–20 other families who have also had someone they love die.

"The heart means your heart is broken, and the butterfly means it won't always hurt so much." — Anthony, 7

The meetings, lasting about two hours each, begin with eating dinner, talking and playing games together. Later in the evening, children and teens meet with others their age, while adults meet with other adults. Trained adult volunteers help facilitate the group discussions and activities.

In the groups with their peers, the children participate in activities to help them to get to know each other. Over time they learn that they are not alone in the thoughts and feelings and experiences they have had since the death. Although they may feel completely set apart (or even weird) at school, at the Caring Place, they’re the same as everyone else. Many children (and adults) have expressed their relief at just being able to feel like someone understands.

In each group of children or teens, there are adult volunteers who have been extensively trained. The volunteers are there not to teach the children how to grieve, but to provide structure and support, safety and security to the groups. Within this structure, the children themselves discover what they need.

The Highmark Caring Place is a community resource, open to any grieving child throughout the community, FREE OF CHARGE.

The volunteers create a place where children (and adults) can talk about things that are hard, things they can’t talk about at school, or with friends, or even within the family. They provide a place where kids can feel whatever feelings they have — angry, sad, or happy. Along with their peers within the groups, the volunteers are companions to the children and teens in their grief, simply walking beside them, allowing them to do their necessary grief work, without having to do it alone.

Further Resources

The goal of the Highmark Caring Place is to serve the region by providing direct services to grieving children and families. In addition to peer support groups, the Caring Place provides ongoing telephone support, educational resources and referral services at no cost to grieving children and adults.

Education and consultation services are also provided for schools and other professionals in the community who work with children.

"The Caring Place is a sheltering cove for the kids in the storm that we call grief." — Chris, Caring Place Parent

For additional information, view and download our brochures.