The holidays can be especially challenging for grieving families – their loss may be amplified by a season that is focused on family and friends. Caregivers are coping with the added pressures of providing not only the essentials, but gifts for their child at a time when resources can be tight.
Donating can alleviate some of the stress of the season and bring cheers at a needed time. Visit the Good Grief Program Wish List for a complete list of our clients' preferred items and gifts for this holiday season!
The Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center provides therapeutic support to pediatric patients of BMC who have experienced an important loss such as the death of a significant person, divorce, or separation from a primary caregiver. After a loss, children need the support of caring adults to help them make sense of their loss, to support their grief, and to strengthen their strategies to cope. The Good Grief Program offers a steadying and supportive force for children who are grieving as they respond to their loss or losses.
The program accomplishes this work through a variety of efforts, including:
- Offering consultation appointments to caregivers searching for the best ways to support their grieving children.
- Providing grief therapy.
- Providing grief-sensitive training and consultation to community agencies
- Connecting individuals to grief resources.
Through these services, the Good Grief Program seeks to meet the needs of children who are grieving and promote lifelong resiliency.
Getting Connected to Services
If you are interested in learning more about our program, please call our program line at 617.414.4005. The Good Grief Program provides services to children and youth who:
- Are patients of Boston Medical Center,
- Are between the ages of 0-18,
- Have experienced an important loss, and
- Currently reside in Massachusetts.
When a child or youth is referred to our program for services, our team works closely with the child's caregiver to discuss needs and develop personalized options for support.
Training Opportunities
The Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center offers a variety of training opportunities for professionals interested in learning more about how to best support children and youth who have experienced loss. These trainings and workshops are built on the belief that through supporting, enriching relationships, adults can make a meaningful, resiliency-building impact on a child's life.
The Good Grief Program can work with you to develop a training opportunity to fit your particular needs. For more information on availability, cost, and how to bring a training to your school or agency, please contact us at 617.414.4005 or fill out this form.
Contact Information
Maureen Patterson-Fede, MSW, LICSW
Program Manager
Maureen.Patterson@bmc.org
Maureen Patterson-Fede is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who brings years of working with children and families to her work with the Good Grief Program. The central pillar to Maureen’s work has been supporting children and their caregivers as they heal from trauma and loss. She has worked with families in a variety of settings including domestic violence shelters, Children's Advocacy Centers, clinic-based settings, and home-based work. Across these environments, she has learned that families deeply benefit from kind, empathetic, and attentive care that is led by their needs and illuminates their strengths and resiliency.
In her work with the Good Grief Program, Maureen brings her experience to provide developmentally informed, responsive consultation and support services to caregivers and their children in the wake of an acute loss. Maureen also works collaboratively with school communities to provide training on how to support resiliency and well-being for students who are grieving.
Laura Ochoa, MHA
Program Coordinator
Laura.Ochoa@bmc.org
Laura Ochoa is a bi-lingual (Spanish/English) professional who provides management support to the Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center. Laura holds a B.A in Psychology and a Master in Healthcare Administration from Suffolk University. Previous to Good Grief, Laura spent four years as an Associate Case Manager in the Patient Navigation Program at BMC’s Cancer Center, where she developed a passion for working with vulnerable populations and advancing health equity. In her role, Laura hopes to support families in need of our services, increase awareness and accessibility to our program, and apply her bi-cultural and bi-lingual skills to better serve our patient population.
Julia Torres-Gomez, MA
Mental Health and Intake Clinician
Julia.TorresGomez@bmc.org
Julia Torres-Gomez is a bilingual (Spanish/English) professional who provides intake and therapeutic services to children and families at the Good Grief Program and the Children Witness to Violence Project. Julia is an EMDR trained therapist and holds a B.A. in Psychology as well as a Masters in Clinical Psychology and a Masters in Forensic and Penitentiary Psychology. She has worked with diverse populations suffering from interpersonal trauma, including work in governmental institutions, non-profit organizations, court and justice sites, and clinic and home-based services. Her work within these areas included treatment, advocacy, training, and outreach with a focus on providing tailored assessments and interventions that ensured children’s wellbeing. She is passionate about advocating for vulnerable families and their needs through kindness and safety.
In her current role at Boston Medical Center, Julia hopes to provide sensitive, family-centered care to work collaboratively with children and their caregivers to create a fulfilling therapeutic environment, while supporting them through grief and other stressful life events.
Michelle Zhou, MA
Mental Health Clinician
Michelle.Zhou@bmc.org
Michelle Zhou is a Mental Health Clinician who provides therapeutic services to children and families through the Good Grief Program. Previously, she has worked in school and outpatient settings with children and families. In her work, Michelle has utilized relational-cultural and strengths-based approaches to support children and adolescents through group and individual counseling. Michelle hopes to continue support children and families with these approaches in mind, providing a listening ear and meaning-making frameworks for families who are grieving.
Corina Garcia-Reyes, M.Ed. MHC
Mental Health Clinician
Corina.Garcia@bmc.org
Corina Garcia is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Mental Health Clinician who provides therapeutic services from a culturally sensitive and competent perspective. Corina holds a B.S. in Psychology from San Carlos University of Guatemala and a M.Ed. Mental Health Counseling from Cambridge College. Previously, she worked four years as an In-Home Therapist, where she developed a deep understanding of mental health needs and challenges that children and families face. Corina hopes to support children and families in their most vulnerable times in her work at The Good Grief program, using her bi-cultural and bi-lingual skills to promote healing and to strengthen resiliency.
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Mattapan, MA 02126
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