El Campo Santo is dedicated to their families and feels deeply the loss that has occurred to you and your family. We know there are never the right words to say but El Campo Santo can try to ease your pain by giving you and your family resource information that may help ease the loss.
Support Groups: Everyone grieves in their own personal way below is a list of local and national support groups that have formed.
Agora Crisis Center
Free, confidential help, in person or over the phone daily
Available: 9:00 am to 12 midnight Walkins or by appointment.
Contact: (505) 277-3013
Bereavement Support Group
Death of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth or infancy
Meetings: 7:00 to 8:30 pm., first Thursday of the month
Location: Center for Pre-natal Development, 4010 Montgomery Boulevard NE.
Contact: Christy Koil (505) 883-5657
Bereavement Parent Support Group
Death of child due to pregnancy loss, stillbirth, neonatal death, SIDS or any natural cause.
Contact: NM Grief Services, Office of Medical Investigator (505) 272-3397
Bereavement Services
Ambercare Hospice
Contact: Nanette Sanchez (505) 244-0046
Bereavement Support group: Non-denominational
Meetings: 5:00 pm on Mondays
Location: St Thomas Aquinas Parish, 1502 Sara Road, Rio Rancho
Contact: Mary Davison, (505) 892-1511 or (505) 892-9886
Children’s Grief Center of NM
FREE services for individuals or families: ages 5-25 years old
Contact: Jade Block, (505) 323-0478
The Compassionate Friends
Support to parents who have lost a child of any age.
Meetings: 7:00 pm., first and third Thursdays of the month
Location: Sandia Presbyterian Church, 10704 Paseo Del Norte NE
Contact: (505) 232-4099
Grief Support Group
For parents who have lost a child due to drug/alcohol use.
Contact: Barbara Cloud (505) 881-0667
Homicide Death & Sudden Death Support
Contact: Nancy Mance (505)925-0567
Parents of Murdered Children
One on one meetings for Parents surviving violent death
Contact: Ellie Lee (505) 281-1147
Society of Military Widows Group 45
Provides Benefits information, assistance, and advocacy
Meetings: 1:00 pm Wednesday
Location: Kirtland FB Chapel
Contact: Pat Barberis (505) 366-8298
Suicide Survivors NM, Albuquerque Chapter
Meetings: 6:30 pm first Wednesday of the month
Location: Central United Methodist Church 1615 Copper NE
Contact: info@nmsuicidesurvivors.org (505) 217-4870
Survivors of Homicide
Support for anyone who has experienced a loved ones’ murder
Meetings: Fourth Thursday of the month
Contact: Dawn Woodring (505) 232-4099; Grief Services, Office of the Medical Investigator, (505) 272-5040
Survivors of Suicide Loss
A support group for those who have lost someone they love to suicide.
Meetings: Two meetings each Month- First and Third Mondays, 7:00 -8:30 pm
Location: Shepard of the Valley Presbyterian Church, 1801 Montano NW West Wing
Contact:Al & Linda Vigil (505) 792-7461 al.vigil@comcast.net www.sharinghealing.org
Information provided by Albuquerque Grief & Loss Coalition: griefandlosscoalition@gmail.com
Stages of Grief
Crises are usually accompanied by the loss of someone or something important to a student or group of students. Educators need to understand children who are grieving and be prepared to support them during this challenging time.
The psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, in her look On Death and Dying (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1969), developed a set of five stages commonly seen in the grieving process. The same five stages conceivably characterize students trying to come to grips with a loss (e.g., the death of a friend). Although individuals don’t necessarily manifest the characteristics of each of these stages or progress from one stage to the next in the following sequence, some students’ behaviors might be more understandable seen in this context.
The loss of a parent, relative, or close friend can be a profoundly painful experience for children and adults. Grief, the intense emotion that follows a loss, may be experienced in stages. Realize that these stages serve only as a guide to the behaviors that can emerge and are often dependent on man)* factors, including the age of the person grieving, the available support system, previous experience with loss, and the individual’s ability to understand and communicate emotions.
Stage 1: Shock/Denial
Denial acts as a buffer. It gives the person time to regroup, take stock, and eventually mobilize other defenses. A person in the denial stage of grief finds it hard to believe or accept the death and may:
- Think, “This can’t be happening”
- Seem to have forgotten the death by acting unfeeling or clownlike
- Pretend twat the loss has not occurred or that everything is “fine”
- Have nightmares and report dreaming of the deceased
Stage 2: Anger
Anger allows the full force of emotions to be felt by the bereaved person.
It may be directed (e.g., by railing at the person who died), or
diffused (e.g., by acting belligerent with anyone). A person
experiencing the anger stage of grief may
- Think, “I hate her for doing that,” or “I hate him for dying!”
- Direct anger court card by blaming others or turn the anger ink card blame him/herself.
- Provoke fights and display a hostile attitude.
- Display antisocial behavior, including the destruction of property.
- Break rules and refuse to comply worth a parent or teacher’s wishes.
Adapted from: Judie Smith, School Crisis Manual 2nd Edition and Paramjit T. Joshi, Shulamit M. Lewin, and Deborah A. O’Donnell, The Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions Following Traumatic Events: Violence, Disasters or Terrorism.