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Media, Downloads and External Resources
2023 Grief Awareness Month Hub
The month of August plays a very important role in NALAG's annual calendar.
Grief Awareness Month is about improving grief education and encouraging the normalisation of grief in our communities. NALAG NSW acknowledges that this can have a tremendous impact on people's experiences of grief and healing.
Supporting Children through Hard Times
Children often hear about what’s going on in the world through news reports, social media, friends, or adults’ conversations. Sometimes the news is cheerful and uplifting, but other times, children may worry about current events like the Ukraine War, Lismore floods, or the recent school shooting in Texas. As adults, we can help them make sense of what’s happening.
Apply for Recognition of Early Pregnancy Loss
Through Service NSW, you can commemorate an early pregnancy loss with a Recognition of Early Pregnancy Loss certificate. This is not a legal document, but can be used to memorialise a loss that occurred before 20 weeks, or if weeks are unknown, a baby that weighed less than 400 grams.
R U OK? – Tips for having the conversation
R U OK? Day is all about having a meaningful conversation with the people you care about to see how they are coping, whether they have experienced recent hardship or not. But often it feels daunting asking someone if they’re really OK, because you may not be sure how to respond if the answer is ‘No’. So, we’ve put together a few tips and resources to help you the next time you ask “R U OK?” Remember, help is always available.
Stillbirth Foundation Australia
Despite medical and scientific advances, the rate of stillborn babies is not declining nor well understood - a situation that urgently needs to be adressed. The Stillbirth Foundation Australia provides an opportunity for the community to support research and education into this devastating condition, while offering stillparents, their families and friends a way to connect with each other.
Managing Grief During the Festive Season
A helpful resource by ReachOut - Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents.
Disaster Talks Podcast
School communities are frequently the hub of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. This 3 part series speaks with educators and young people about their experiences of disasters and captures their reflections on what worked, what they learnt and what they wished they had known before the disaster. Produced by ANU's Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network.
myCompass
myCompass is free online, interactive self-help program developed the Black Dog Institute to address mild to-moderate symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression through personalised treatments delivered entirely online.
'That's the Spirit' Project
A NALAG project prompted by, but not about, drought – borne of a need for an injection of positivity in sometimes overwhelmingly negative times. That's the Spirit is about giving voice to just a small sample of the many positive people doing positive things to keep small communities alive and kicking, as they’ve done and will do for generations. It’s about that indefinable thing we call “the spirit of the bush”.
Birdie's Tree - Natural Disaster Recovery for Young People
A series of online storybooks, games and info by Children's Health Queensland to help support and heal yougn minds during and after natural disasters.
Community Trauma Toolkit
This toolkit, created by Emerging Minds, contains resources to help and support adults and children before, during, and after a disaster or traumatic event. It will help you understand some of the impacts of disaster and how you can help lessen these impacts.
Grandpa's Hat
Grandpa's Hat is the story of Jennywren and all her favourite animals, who help her discover that although her Grandpa is gone, he doesn't have to be forgotten. Written by Jen Cowley with illustrations by Mark Horton, Grandpa's Hat has been developed with the support of the combined Rotary Clubs of Dubbo and Coonabarabran as a resource for NALAG NSW to help parents and carers guide children through the difficult time of loss and grief.
Life & Beyond - Instructions for My Family
Life & Beyond journals all your family needs to know when you die. Covers everything - all in one place. Don't check out and leave your family wondering!
Loss & Grief Video Playlist - YouTube
A collection of informative and insightful videos on loss, grief and trauma, including handy coping skills, personal experiences and comments from leading mental health professionals and grief experts. Clicking the 'Watch Now' button below will take you to the YouTube website, a third-party site unaffiliated with NALAG NSW.
DIY Funeral - A Miindala Resource by Leah Munro
This booklet has been written to encourage people to talk openly about death and to become familiar with procedures around death. We fear what we don’t know, so the more knowledge we have, the more empowered we are to make decisions in a crisis and the more enabled we are to enter the grieving process and begin our healing.
WayAhead - NSW Mental Health Directory
The Mental Health Association of NSW allows you to search for a mental health service in your local area. You can also browse by category or use their interactive map.
Head to Health - Australian Mental Health Services Finder
An up-to-date directory of Australian mental health services and resources funded by the Australian Government.
How are you going? Youth Online Quiz
This online quiz has been designed by RAHMP and Reachout Australia to help youth track exactly how they’re feeling and provide steps to take if additional advice or support is needed.
Spiritual Care for Self and Others
An information booklet for professionals and volunteers working in health care with a focus on aged and palliative care by Anna Bloemhard, BSocSc(Hon), MA Spiritual Care Project Officer, Mid North Coast Division of General Practice.
Mini Scrapbook Album
A handy PDF template for creating your own mini scrapbook album.
Grief and Screen Addiction
An insightful blog post from Dianne McKissock OAM of The National Centre for Childhood Grief (NCCG) on preventing screen addiction in grieving young people and minimising harm from current use. ​​
How to Talk About Spirituality, Grief and Death
An information booklet for professionals and volunteers working in health care, with a focus on aged and palliative care.
Author: Anna Bloemhard, BSocSc(Hon), MA Spiritual Care Project Officer, Mid North Coast Division of General Practice.
Useful Websites
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Grief and Bereavement:
Australian Centre for Grief & Bereavement
The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (ACGB) is an independent, not for profit organisation, providing support for bereaved and grieving Australians for over 22 years.
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Good Grief
Good Grief develops and supports a range of evidence-based loss and grief education programs that help children, young people and adults to understand their experience and attend well to their grief following major loss experiences.
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Bereavement Care Centre
The Bereavement C.A.R.E. Centre was established in 1981, providing comprehensive and accessible counselling and support services for the terminally ill and their families, and for those recently bereaved (i.e. approximately the first two years after the death of someone with whom they have a significant relationship).
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GriefLink
GriefLink provides information for people who are dealing with the grief caused by the death of someone close to them, and for those who are supporting them.
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National Network of Adult and Adolescent Children who have a Mentally Ill Parent (NNAAMI)
NNAAMI is a group of people who have experienced life with a mentally ill parent, established to provide assistance for one another, via self - help support, discussion groups and counselling.
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Time to Share
Time to Share is shining a light on what it’s really like to care for a loved one who’s dying. It’s a place where carers tell us the highs and lows of their experience as well as exchange information and advice.
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Pregnancy & Infant Loss:
Bears of Hope
Bears Of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support provides leading support and exceptional care for families who experience the loss of their baby.
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Pregnancy, Birth & Baby
Supporting parents on the journey from pregnancy to preschool. Speak to a maternal child health nurse for personal advice and guidance and discover all about pregnancy, birth, being a parent and raising a child.
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Sands
Sands provides support, information and education to anyone affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.
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Provides resources for parents and families impacted by stillbirth.
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Trauma:
Trauma Centre Australia
Trauma Centre Australia offers a wide range of counselling services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including: Critical incident Response, trauma and grief counselling, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), dispute resolution and mediation, and drink driver education programs, assessments, and interlock removal reports.
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Australian Psychological Society
APS is the leading association for psychologists in Australia, representing more than 24,000 members. APS advocates for the profession of psychology, supports high standards, promotes community wellbeing, and are dedicated to providing benefits to support members.
Victims Services
Victims Services is a NSW government agency, providing support to victims of crime, and families and friends of missing people (our clients), ensuring compliance with the NSW Charter of Victims Rights and improving the Justice response and experience for our clients.
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Depression & Mental Health:​
Blue Healers Depression Program
Blue Healers is a two-day program which provides coping skills and management strategies for people experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress. This is a group program developed and presented by the NALAG's trained facilitators, giving participants direct access to handy tools and resources.
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Beyond Blue
Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.
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Mental Health Co-ordinating Council
The Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) is the peak body for community managed mental health organisations in New South Wales. Their website contains a number of useful mental health resources and information on training opportunities.
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Depression Advice - link for medical practitioners [Pfizer]
DepressionAdvice.com.au provides information and resources on depression, alcohol and drug abuse mental health issues, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder, aimed at doctors, patients and the general public.
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Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP)
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Suicide:
Suicide Prevention Australia
Suicide Prevention Australia has a team of dedicated professionals working to achieve their vision of a world without suicide.
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American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology promotes the understanding and prevention of suicide and support those who have been affected by it.
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Young People:
Seasons for Growth
Seasons for Growth offers children and young people a safe space to come together, and share their experiences of change and loss.
Kids Helpline (1800 551 800)
The Kids Helpline is a free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young Australians aged 5 to 25.
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Reachout
ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents, offering practical support, tools and tips help young people get through anything from everyday issues to tough times.
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National Centre for Childhood Grief
The National Centre for Childhood Grief (NCCG) provides loving support in a safe place, where children grieving a death can share their experience, as they learn to live with its impact on their lives.
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Red Nose Australia
Saving the lives of babies and children, and supporting people impacted by the death of a child.
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Emergency Services:
Volunteer Rescue Association Inc. (VRA)
The NSW Volunteer Rescue Association is made up of specialist rescue operators working for their communities in over 58 locations across New South Wales. They are primary responders for Road Crash Rescue, General Land Rescue, Vertical Rescue and just about any type of specialist rescue encountered by Emergency Service personnel.
Citizens Radio Emergency Service Teams (CREST) NSW
CREST is a voluntary emergency organisation which monitors the emergency frequencies on the Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS) and provides many forms of specialist communications support for other emergency service and community organisations.
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Other:
NSW Department of Communities and Justice
New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and protecting them from risk of harm, abuse and neglect.
Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com)
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com gives you the latest mesothelioma information, support and free access to top specialists for better care and peace of mind.