This program has been essential in the Collier County Community when it comes to Sudden Death Notification and aftercare counseling. We are the Grief Advocates for the Medical Examiner’s office and we work with local law enforcement as well as anyone in the community needing a grief program.
- Project HELP works as the Grief Advocates for the Naples Police Department to provide immediate death notification response to the next of kin whose loved one has died. We take on the roll to deliver news that will traumatically change their lives.
- The response team is made up of two Sudden Death Response Advocates (SDRA) and Law Enforcement (LE)
- We work with dignity and take great care to handle the situation with delicacy. Our SDRA are trained and follow standard protocols on how to conduct a timely Sudden Death Notification. Arriving with compassion the responders are prepared to sit and listen, make phone calls to family and friends, share knowledge and referrals for information that will be needed. Referrals include funeral homes and burial options, and a list of other agencies that they may need to contact like Social Security or Veteran Affairs. Once the notification is complete, we let the next of kin and family know that Project HELP offers free and confidential grief counseling.
- We leave information on follow up services as well as check-in with them going forward regardless of whether they become clients at that point in time.
- Project HELP provides free and confidential counseling to children and adults who have been affected by loss as a result of a sudden death due to a crime such as homicide, vehicular homicide, DUI, Hit and Run etc.
- We are the Grief Advocates for the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office and we receive referrals from them so that we can contact the next of kin to extend our counseling and grief services to them and their families.
- We work with clients through the different waves of grief and emotion. We help them identify their strengths and coping skills to use throughout healing journey.
- The length of time for counseling for Grief Survivors typically last for 10-12 sessions dependent on the nature of immediate crisis counseling. Survivors are also more likely to need more sessions near holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays which are all trigger days for bringing back emotions. We always welcome clients back.
- Support groups are geared to survivors of sudden death where they can meet others and work together to continue the healing process, learn that they are not alone, and share with others their experiences and healing journey.
- Click here for the support group flyer page
