Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 28, 2005 – Baptist Memorial Health Care celebrated today the opening of the Baptist Trinity Center for Good Grief, the first comprehensive bereavement center for children, adolescents and adults in the Mid-South.

The center, located at 1038 Oakhaven Road on the campus of Baptist Trinity Home Care & Hospice, provides support for individuals who are grieving the death of a loved one and allows them to share their experience with others as they move through the healing process – all in a therapeutic environment.

“We want to create a safe environment where children and adults of all ages can come and begin to heal after the loss of a loved one,” said Nancy Averwater, CEO and administrator of Baptist Trinity Home Care & Hospice. “Baptist Trinity always has been strongly committed to meeting the bereavement needs of the Mid-South, and the establishment of the Center for Good Grief allows us to expand our programs and fill the need for a permanent service.”

Services provided by the center will include grief support groups, bereavement camps, holiday workshops and crisis counseling. The center also will expand Baptist Trinity’s library for children, teens and adults. This library will serve individuals and will be used in group sessions. The center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with group sessions scheduled at night as needed. Social workers, Baptist Trinity Hospice staff, chaplains and trained community volunteers will staff the center. All services will be offered free of charge, with Baptist Trinity Hospice serving as the entry point for the center.

“Grief touches everyone, and it’s important for people to feel supported during those times,” said Angela Hamblen, bereavement program director at Baptist Trinity Hospice. “Now, with the establishment of the Baptist Trinity Center for Good Grief, there will be a place where people of all ages can come to find hope and support in the midst of their suffering.”

Baptist Trinity Hospice began providing care to the terminally ill and their families in 1993 and has provided care to more than 4,000 bereaved families. The development of Camp Good Grief, Teen Camp Good Grief and Camp Good Grief for Adults has resulted in Baptist Trinity becoming a valuable bereavement resource for area schools, churches, mental health workers and hospitals, according to Hamblen.

For more information about Baptist Trinity Hospice or the new grief center, please call (901) 767-6767 or visit trinity.baptistonline.org.

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