Cornerstone bereavement services are available to anyone in the community experiencing grief, even if a relative or friend was not on our Hospice program. Most often in the Community Bereavement Program, the death was sudden, accidental, and traumatic. We offer the same support and counseling in our Community Program as we offer in Hospice Patient and Family Grief Support. 

After the death of a loved one, our bereavement services provide a variety of programs.  All of our Bereavement Counselors are full-time and are specifically trained in grief counseling.  Since everyone is unique in the way he/she grieves, we provide a variety of programs to meet a variety of needs.  Support groups are a gentle and healing way to share grief with others who also have lost loved ones.  All of our support groups are facilitated by our Bereavement Counselors.  If a support group is not for you, we also offer private one-on-one counseling.  After several private sessions, a person may decide to try a support group.  Keep in mind that the person experiencing grief has the option to drop out of a support group at any time, but can also rejoin one at any time.  No one needs to grieve alone. 

We accept referrals from local police, the judiciary, schools and churches. One may also do a self-referral.  Anywhere there is a bereavement need, Cornerstone Hospice stands ready to offer its services.

Children’s Grief Program

Cornerstone Hospice is one of the few hospices in the state of Florida to offer a Children’s Play Therapy Program to help younger children understand and work through their grief. Children do not grieve in the same way as adults, and as part of our commitment to total Spiritual Care and Bereavement Services program, we offer this unique means of support and healing for children three years and up.  

• Sand Tray and Play Therapy provides yet another forum for children to address their grief issues. Children meet one-on-one with a therapist. Additionally, Sand Tray Therapy has been exceptionally beneficial when working with adults who have just been overwhelmed by a lifetime accumulation of transitional events.
  

• Camp Bridges is an overnight camping experience open to any child under the age of 13 who has lost a loved one in the past two years. It is the longest running component of our Children’s Program and has been enhanced significantly over the years. While intended as a counseling and growing experience, Camp Bridges can also be an enjoyable experience for children. Although the focus is on their grief, there are other planned activities that are fun.

• Camp Adventure is perhaps the most unique program offered by our Children’s Program. Teens who have experienced a loss within the past two years may participate in a three-day/two-night group “adventure.” Removed from daily peer pressure, teens begin to lower their guard and bond with the group. Our Children’s Counselor then weaves grief and loss themes into the basic survival activities. No other program offers a similar camp experience.

Please call our Bereavement Department at (352) 742-6812 or (352) 742-6898, or fax to (352) 343-2618. You may also email inquiries to bereavement@cornerstonehospice.org.  All referrals are confidential.