Coastal Hospice Announces Survivor Outreach Bereavement Services (SOBS) Program

Salisbury, MD – November 1, 2023 – Coastal Hospice now offers grief support to family and friends of loved ones who have lost their lives due to a substance related death. This is a FREE program, focused on providing grief support and resources to the four counties we serve, whether or not you were supported by Coastal Hospice directly.

Alvin Harmon, SOBS Program Coordinator explained, “With this program, families from the four counties we serve will be able to receive specialized grief support for the loss of a loved one due to a substance related death. Alvin adds, “When a death of this nature happens in a family, it is often sudden, traumatic, and can be surrounded by stigma for survivors. Our goal is to provide them with a safe space to process these losses and offer them resources to help them develop coping skills to deal with grief.”

Coastal Hospice Bereavement Counselors are available to provide:

• Up to 3-sessions of private grief counseling
• Grief support groups
• Information about ongoing support and resources
• Referrals to treatment, recovery, and/or harm reduction resources
• Referrals to long-term peer-based, local grief support
• Follow up with the family to coordinate support and resources
• Compassion fatigue and sensitivity training
• Mental health provider education

This program is made possible by The Maryland Opioid Operational Command Center in partnership with Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties’ Health Departments.

To learn more about SOBS, please visit www.coastalhospice.org or contact, Alvin Harmon, Director of Spiritual, Bereavement, and Supportive Services by email, aharmon@coastalhospice.org or by phone, 410-742-8732 ext. 440.

Founded in 1980, Coastal Hospice is a non-profit health care organization that cares for individuals facing life-limiting conditions who want to remain active and engaged during the final chapter of their lives. Coastal Hospice cares for patients in their own homes, as well as in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and at Coastal Hospice at the Lake and Macky & Pam Stansell House. The organization also provides palliative care to treat symptoms and relieve the pain of a terminal illness or injury. Named a 2021 “Hospice Honors” recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst.

To learn more about Coastal Hospice, which serves Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties, visit www.coastalhospice.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.