Spotlight on Jessica Elder: A Beacon of Support for Bereaved Families
Meet Jessica Elder
Jessica Elder, a dedicated member of the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF) team, has served as the Bereavement Program Manager since 2009. With a remarkable 20-year career as a clinical social worker, Jessica has been instrumental in shaping the support offered to bereaved families. Her extensive background includes roles as a therapist, program developer, manager, and oncology social worker. Initially, Jessica began her career in pediatric oncology at a prominent NYC hospital. During this time, she gained a deep understanding of the critical need for sustained support for families facing the loss of a child. This realization inspired her to join CBTF and expand the bereavement support program to address the ongoing needs of grieving families more comprehensively.
Jessica shares, “After graduate school, I began my career working in the pediatric oncology division of an NYC hospital. When I started working at CBTF in 2009, I had an understanding of how much ongoing support and community is needed for bereaved parents and decided to expand CBTF’s bereavement support program.”
A Journey of Commitment
Jessica’s career took off in pediatric oncology at an NYC hospital, where she quickly recognized the pressing need for ongoing support for families grieving the loss of a child. She states, “Some of the most significant challenges faced by bereaved families include the intense pain and longing, isolation, and the experience of managing all of the challenges and secondary losses that result from grief.” Consequently, she felt compelled to expand CBTF’s bereavement program to offer comprehensive support during families’ most challenging times, thus making a significant impact.
Understanding Bereavement Challenges
Families coping with grief often encounter intense pain and feelings of isolation. To address these issues effectively, Jessica and her team have developed a virtual support community. This platform allows parents to connect, share their experiences, and find understanding. Jessica explains, “Our program tries to support families with these challenges through a virtual support community that can be accessed by families in all areas. Our community aims to help parents feel less isolated, while offering validation and understanding. While our programs and groups can’t take away pain and longing, they can provide an outlet for parents to express and process their grief with the support of other parents.”
Comprehensive Support Services
CBTF’s Bereavement Program offers a variety of valuable resources. These include:
- Private Facebook Community: This space provides connection and support for families.
- Support Groups: These groups create opportunities for parents to discuss their experiences and find solace.
- Educational Groups: Informational sessions offer valuable insights into navigating grief.
- Specialized Groups: Such as the grief book club and writing group, which cater to specific needs.
- Monthly Support Groups: Conducted in collaboration with the Marc Jr Foundation, these groups offer additional support.
- Mentor Program: Designed to connect bereaved parents for personalized guidance and support.
- Individual Assistance: Tailored help is available based on families’ specific needs.
Jessica highlights the importance of these services, noting, “Our main services include a private Facebook community, general support groups where parents can share their stories and challenges, informational and educational groups, and groups that help families to understand and process their grief experiences (including our grief book club and grief writing group).”
The Importance of Community
Community and peer support play crucial roles in the healing process. Jessica observes, “Community and peer support are some of the most important components of a support program. Because of the unique, intense, and isolating experiences bereaved parents face, there is a strong need to feel heard, understood, validated, and supported.” For instance, our monthly online support group brings together parents at various stages of their bereavement journey. This mutual support helps them navigate grief and provides hope through shared experiences. Moreover, the connections made in these groups offer unique comfort and understanding.
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, Jessica plans to further expand the program’s reach and resources. She aims to introduce additional support tools and groups, including those for bereaved siblings. Jessica notes, “In the future, one of our goals is to expand our reach so that more bereaved parents find our community. We would like to continue adding groups and programs that offer parents tools to manage the difficult challenges and experiences of grief.” Over the past 12 years, the program has experienced significant growth, evolving from assisting 30 families to nearly 600. This expansion highlights the ongoing need for compassionate support and emphasizes the program’s impact.
Get In Touch
For further information or to connect with our community, please contact Jessica at jessica@cbtf.org. Together, we can build a supportive network for families across the country, regardless of where they are in their grief journey. To learn more about our bereavement program and how you can get involved, visit cbtf.org.