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| Counselor Dee Brandon |
When someone you love dies or a traumatic death happens in your community, your world may start spinning. You don’t have to go through it alone.
Suncoast Hospice’s Center for Loss and Healing offers a broad range of counseling and support groups for those who’ve experienced loss and grief. Services are available to anyone in the community and provided based on an individualized fee scale.
Help with Loss of Loved Ones
Deangelis “Dee” Brandon, MSW is one of the center’s counselors who help people find their grounding and healing. She has served with Suncoast Hospice for 15 years, including working as a children’s counselor with one of our care teams and a counselor with our Stepping Stones children and families program.
In her role with the center, Dee does grief counseling with adults, children and families and works with support groups. Her mission is to help them find understanding and peace.
“I love what I do because I get to help people, which may mean holding their hands, bringing them coffee or listening to their stories. It may be a widow or widower or someone who’s dealing with a loved one’s sudden, unexpected death, such as a heart attack, suicide or accidental overdose. They want somebody to listen to them, help them problem solve and let them know that everything they’re going through is ok. It’s ok if they don’t want to eat or they want to cry,” Dee said.
Support with Traumatic Events
Her work also includes support for people who’ve been newly diagnosed with an illness, as well as crisis intervention, grief–in–the–workplace and other traumatic loss counseling.
“We do a lot of crisis intervention, including counseling when there are shootings in the community. We reach out to police officers, firefighters and other professionals and give them education and support because they’re on our front lines and see a lot,” she said.
She helps others in the community who’ve been shaken by traumatic news stories. “That news may trigger something, so they’ll come in for a few sessions. Some examples include the recent sinkhole event or loss of homes or family members’ loss of homes. Those can be traumatic. We’ll get referred to families and give them support or information they can take to their loved ones.”
Do you think counseling might help you or someone you know?
Please call 727–467–7423 any time for information or visit our events calendar for a listing of our support groups.
Post by Julie Douglass, R.N., director of palliative care and children’s programs
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| Julie Douglass |
“Stepping Stones, this is Sandy. How may I help you?”. The important first step for families who have a seriously–ill child or suffered the loss of a child starts with a phone call to our children and families program, Stepping Stones. They’re reaching out for help and we’re here for them.
Assessing Families’ Needs
Sandy Murray, our team assistant, is often the first voice families hear when they call in seeking a life line of support to help them navigate through the unbelievable – the possible loss or loss of their child. Sandy provides a calm, supportive presence as she gathers the necessary information to determine which of our care programs may best meet the families’ needs.
Do they have a child battling a life–limiting illness? Perhaps our Stepping Stones 4 Kids pediatric hospice care or pediatric home health is the answer. Have they already experienced the loss of a child? Our Stepping Stones grief counseling may be the right choice. Is a couple anticipating or experiencing a perinatal loss? Our Stepping Stones perinatal doulas and counselors can walk alongside them as they navigate this unplanned road.
Coordinating Care & Services
Once we determine which program or programs are a good fit for families our staff jumps to action. Our pediatric registered nurses (RNs) and counselors may collaborate with staff and physicians at All Children’s Hospital to coordinate nursing and counseling services, so families can bring their child home. Our counselors may coordinate individual and group counseling sessions for working through the emotions and stresses of having an ill child or bereavement. Our pediatric medical director may get involved to assist with a child’s pain and symptoms management.
Our care for children and families is provided regardless of their ability to pay. Some of our services are covered by insurance or Medicaid. Individual and group counseling is provided based on an individualized fee scale.
Stepping Up 4 Kids
One opportunity for the community to support our children’s programming is to join our 3rd annual Stepping Up 4 Kids, a 1–mile and 5K walk/run happening this Sunday, March 3 at the Seminole Pow Wow. You can register online or at the race. We hope you’ll come out with your family and friends for this fun event benefiting the kids we serve. Thank you for making a difference for kids.
Does your family need help with care or support? Call our Stepping Stones program, 727–523-2361, to find out how we might help you.
