The mission of the Grief Center of Southwest Louisiana is to provide a safe place for grieving children, teens, and their families as they share their experiences and more through the healing process; to extend education and support services into the community.

History:

Research indicates that children are the most underserved bereaved population. Recognizing this, a multi-disciplinary steering committee was formed locally in 1990 to study how we could serve the needs of this group. The result was the establishment of The Grief Center of Southwest Louisiana. The Center's inaugural board of directors held its first meeting in October 1995, and the Center was subsequently incorporated as a nonprofit agency. The first groups for children and teens began in the fall of 1997.

Purpose:

The purpose of The Grief Center of Southwest Louisiana is three-fold:

• To provide a safe place for children in Southwest Louisiana to cope with loss and to share with others.
• To provide networking opportunities for area professionals working with grieving persons.
• To create an awareness of grief issues and to provide education on those issues.