Bereavement support resources

Support groups

Substance-related groups

• Ryan’s Hope Program at Peter’s Place (Radnor, PA): A free 8-session peer support group for parents who have lost their child to substance use or overdose located in Radnor and also available to surrounding counties, including Philadelphia.
• GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing): An online community for support and healing.
• Herren Project: A free, online support groups for those in active recovery and their parents, spouses, family, and siblings. Other grief support groups are available for family members who have lost a loved one due to substance use or overdose. Some groups are available in Spanish.
• Love In The Trenches: A free, online support groups for parents and siblings who have lost loved ones to substance use or whose children are in active use.

General grief groups

• Compassionate Friends: A national organization with local chapters providing support to families who have lost a loved one, usually a child.
• Widowed Village: An online community of peer support and resources for those who have lost a spouse or partner.
• GriefShare: A national organization with local chapters providing peer grief support groups.

Therapy

• Psychology Today: An international search engine to find therapists, filters are available to narrow searches based on insurance, location, language, cost, reason for seeking services, etc.
• Community Behavioral Health (CBH): Philadelphia’s mental health service managed care organization, available to most people covered under Medicaid. To locate a mental health or substance use treatment provider within the CBH network, call Members Services at (888) 545-2600 (available 24/7) or review their online directory of providers.

Substance use treatment

• Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now Hotline | (800) 662-4357: A free, confidential, bilingual (English and Spanish) hotline offering information about substance use treatment resources.
• NET Access Point | (844) 533-8200 or (215) 408-4987: A center providing substance use assessment and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for those interested in recovery, open 24/7.
• CareConnect Warmline | (484) 278-1679: A hotline available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to get connected to virtual, low-barrier substance use treatment, including buprenorphine. No insurance necessary.
• Targeted Case Management Unit | (215) 599-2150: A team providing mental health and addiction services through the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services. Call the number provided to see if you qualify for services.
• Behavioral Health Special Initiative | (215) 546-1200: A program providing referrals to addiction treatment services in and outside of Philadelphia for those with limited or no insurance.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): A list of local chapter meetings of AA, a group-oriented 12-step program for those working towards sobriety or recovery from alcohol.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA): A search engine for local meetings of NA, a community-oriented 12-step program for those working towards sobriety or recovery from narcotics.
• Nar-Anon Family Groups: A search engine for local meetings for Nar-Anon, a 12-step program for the family and friends of people who use substances.

Children’s services

• The Uplift Center for Grieving Children: An organization offering grief support groups for children as well as a resource and referral hotline for grieving children and teens. You can reach the hotline at (833) 745-4673, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On holidays, the hotline is available from noon to 4 p.m.
• Peter’s Place (Radnor, PA): An organization providing grief support to children and teens, located in Radnor and also available to the surrounding counties, including Philadelphia.
• Safe Harbor at Jefferson Health (Abington, PA): A program providing peer support groups for children, teens, young adults, and parents or caregivers who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

Volunteer or donation opportunities

• Never Surrender Hope: A local organization offering outreach and education, resources for those in recovery, and support groups for people whose loved ones are addicted to substances.
• The Pink Elephant Movement: A local organization dedicated to spreading awareness of the opioid epidemic and providing financial and community support to children and families impacted by addiction.
• Prevention Point: A local non-profit providing testing, treatment, and medical clinics as well as a drop-in center, syringe service program, and other supportive services to people in active use.

Additional links

• Philadelphia Crisis Line | 988 or (215) 685-6440: An emergency phone line dedicated to mental health and psychiatric crises that can provide guidance, evaluation, and treatment services. Available 24/7.
• NAMI Warmline | (844) 745-4673: A non-crisis phone line to chat with a counselor when in need of support, available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Bereavement support through the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office
• Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services
• Broken No More: An online forum dedicated to the hope that more enlightened drug policies may help stem the tide of addiction and overdose.

Harm reduction resources

Guidelines for healthcare providers

• The opioid guidelines for clinicians are a resource for doctors and pharmacists prescribing and dispensing opioids, naloxone, and buprenorphine.

Parent and child health

• Philadelphia’s Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Outreach Program provides harm reduction education and referrals to parents of infants diagnosed with NAS and their families.

Mental health

• Healthy Minds Philly offers tools and resources to support and improve the mental health and well-being of all Philadelphians.
• Philadelphia Network of Care is a database of citywide services and resources for those dealing with behavioral health and intellectual disabilities, prison reentry, or military service.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness Philadelphia provides information and free services for individuals suffering from mental illness and their families and friends.

Non-opioid drugs

• Safer drug use strategies, including synthetic cannabinoids (K2), cocaine or crack, methamphetamine (meth), and phencyclidine (PCP).
• Safe(r) Drug Use 101, including safer consumption tips, information about skin and soft tissue infections, and the basics of harm reduction.

Harm reduction organizations

Local

• Prevention Point Philadelphia seeks to promote health, empowerment, and safety for communities affected by drug use and poverty.
• Project SAFE provides women and femme-centered harm reduction services to people involved in the street economies in Kensington.
• Operation in my Backyard advocates for harm reduction and provides outreach to individuals with substance use disorders.
• SOL Collective works to end the overdose crisis and advocates for overdose prevention sites.

National

• Harm Reduction Coalition promotes the health and dignity of individuals and communities affected by drug use.
• Drug Policy Alliance seeks to advance policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition.
• DanceSafe promotes health and safety within nightlife and electronic dance communities.

Substance use support groups and meetings

Other substance use resources

• Shatterproof advocates for better addiction treatment through reform and education.
• Medical Marijuana PA provides information on medical marijuana, its uses, and instructions on how to apply for a medical marijuana card.
• Psychology Today maintains a large database of therapists, which you can filter by location, insurance, therapy type, and more.

Housing and food insecurity resources

• Critical Path Greater Philadelphia Resource Guide is a database of social services in Philadelphia.
• Where to Get Help is a guide from the Office of Homeless Services with information for individuals seeking meals, showers, housing, and other assistance.
• The Sunday Love Project provides meals for the homeless.