General Grief Support Groups

Centre Crossings Hospice Support Group 

  • Call 814-237-7400 for information.

  • This group is open to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one. Meetings are held the third Thursday of every month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Mount Nittany Medical Center, Conference Room #3, 1800 East Park Avenue, State College, PA 16801.

  • Please join the supportive, non-judgmental and confidential atmosphere to help you reduce fear and isolation while expressing your thoughts and feelings about loss.

Family Hospice Support Group 

  • Contact Judy Lankes or Carol Palmer at 800-445-6262.

  • Support Group Currently On Hold: Facilitated by hospice social worker Judy Lankes, this support group is open to all members of the community grieving the loss of a loved one. Grief can be very painful and difficult at times, so those grieving are invited to come and share their thoughts, express their feelings and discuss how to work through the grieving process. Meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of every month from 2-3:30 p.m. at the UPMC Home Health Office (formally Home Nursing Agency) on 450 Windmere Drive, Suite 100, in State College, PA 16801. The group will be ongoing with the exception of holidays and inclement weather, following the State College School District for delays and cancellations. 

Life After Loss: A Group for the Bereaved

  • This is a faith based six-week program designed for individuals grieving any loss. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and at least 3 months past their immediate loss/bereavement. Programs are held at different churches throughout the year. This program is held at the following churches:

    • Howard United Methodist Church – Contact Craig Rose at CraigQR@yahoo.com or (814) 933-7333.

    • St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation – Contact Renae Schunk at 814-237-2163, ext

Grieving in God’s Embrace

  • This is a six-week, faith-based program created to provide a safe and supportive place for individuals to focus on and process some of their grief due to loss

  • Using Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.’s Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart as a guide, participants are encouraged to remember that God is with them as they journey through their grief

  • This program will be facilitated by Jackie Naginey Hook and Zack Maser and will be held at the State College Presbyterian Church

  • For more information, please contact Allison Maus at allisonscpc@gmail.com

Stories of Loss: A Grief Education and Support Group

  • Contact Jackie Hook at 814-404-0546 or Jackie@JackieHook.com.

  • This group is facilitated by Jackie Hook, MA

  • When you lose a loved one, having support helps you on your healing journey. In this Grief Education and Support Group, you will learn about grief and mourning, have opportunities to share your stories and be among others who have experienced a loss. All adults are welcome.

Tides

  • For more information about Tides, visit www.tidesprogram.org or please call Holly at 814-692-2233.  

  • Tides is a grief and loss peer support group for children, teens and adults after experiencing the loss of someone significant in their lives. We provide a non-judgmental, nurturing, and healing atmosphere where families learn they are not alone in their grief and can express their thoughts, feelings and experiences in a safe environment. Our primary goal is to provide grief support services to an increasing number of children, teens and families in Centre and surrounding counties.

  • Meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of each month (Sept-May) from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Mount Nittany Middle School. Tides is free to families but registration is required.  

General Support Organizations

AseraCare Hospice 

  • Contact: Call (814) 941-2900 or toll free 1-800-598-1704 or visit www.aseracare.com for more information 

  • AseraCare Hospice is one of the nation’s premier providers of hospice and palliative care services. The family-centered approach works to ensure that the needs and wishes of both patients and their family members are met throughout the hospice experience. AseraCare provides a wide range of hospice care services that include physician, nursing, therapy, social work, counseling, personal and spiritual care.

Centre County Can Help

  • Contact: Call Toll free 1-800-643-5432. 

  • Centre County Can Help is the licensed provider of Telephone/Mobile/Walk-In Crisis Intervention Services in Centre County. Services are accessible 24/7 and Crisis Counselors are available to meet individuals in their own environment. Can Help Counselors assess for potential risk of suicide/homicide, provide support counseling, crisis de-escalation, problem solving techniques and make appropriate referrals for treatment. Counselors are available to provide brief grief support, post trauma supportive counseling and debriefing.

Centre Crossings Hospice 

  • Contact: Call 814-237-7400 for more information.

  • Centre Crossings Hospice provides quality, compassionate end-of-life care to individuals of all ages, including children. Hospice is available for individuals with a variety of illnesses including cancer, heart and lung disease, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease and other end stage diseases. Our goal is to provide care that enables patients to be comfortable, secure and close to their families. Care includes emotional, social and spiritual support for patients and their families. Centre Crossings Hospice understands that you always want the best for your loved ones….and so do we.

Family Hospice Agency 

  • Contact: Call Toll Free 1-800-445-6262 or visit www.homenursingagency.com/ for more information 

  • As Pennsylvania’s first home health agency to become a Medicare-certified hospice, UPMC Home Health & Family Hospice (formally Home Nursing Agency) has been integrated in the community since 1968 to meet the needs of patients coping with a life-limiting disease and their families. UPMC Home Health & Family Hospice considers the entire family, not just the patient, to provide the highest quality of hospice, palliative care and bereavement services. Counseling and grief services are provided to family members of hospice patients for 13 months after their loved one’s passing. Hospice care and bereavement services are offered throughout the Agency’s 19-county service area.

CHOICES

  • Contact: Call (814) 237-0567 or visit www.individualandfamilychoices.com/ for more information  

  • The Individual and Family CHOICES Program is an innovative group of practitioners providing services located in central Pennsylvania, aimed at the comprehensive treatment and healing for individuals and families who have been affected by trauma, depression, conflict, grief and loss and many other issues.