Baptist Memorial Health Care - Camp Good Grief

What is it?

Camp Good Grief, Teen Camp Good Grief, and Camp Good Grief for Adults are three programs offered free to residents of the Memphis community to help them recover from the death of a loved one. The children’s bereavement camp started first in 1999, providing an enjoyable, accepting, and supportive environment where the children can fully express their feelings. Under the guidance of professional bereavement staff, campers meet other children who have experienced similar losses; they explore their grief through art, music, recreation, and support groups. The teen and adult camps build on the success of the children’s camp, focusing on the special needs of adolescent and adult mourners. All three camps encourage participants to express and explore the grief they feel in the company of others who have also lost significant people in their lives.

Who is it for?

Camp Good Grief bereavement day camp is for children ages 6 to 12, and Teen Camp Good Grief is for adolescents ages 13 to 16; both are for young people who have lost a loved one. The adult camp is for any grieving adult.

Why do they do it?

Children, teens, and adults in mourning have unique needs. The children’s day camp and the teen overnight camp were designed around the particular needs of young mourners, who often grieve very differently from their elders. As a result, their needs can be overlooked.

Impact

The camps help young people develop healthy coping skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Adult mourners’ special needs are addressed through support groups, art activities, trust-building work, and a memorial service.  All of these activities are conducted in a safe space where adults who have experienced a devastating loss can stop acting strong for the family and instead find a way to express their feelings and get the support they need to recover.

Contact: Angela Hamblen
Program Director
Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief (part of Baptist Trinity Hospice)
Telephone: 901-767-6767
E-mail: angela.hamblen@bmhcc.org