PAUSE Grief Support Initiatives

This work asks: What would it look like to build a model of grief care that supports patients, families, providers, and communities ~ holistically and sustainably?

Overview

Why this, why now?

PAUSE’s Grief Support Initiatives are a multi-phase effort to better understand, design, and strengthen grief care across healthcare systems, community settings, and the spaces in between.

This work is led by PAUSE, a national organization working at the intersection of grief, end-of-life, and care systems, and is being developed in close collaboration with a broad network of community and cross-sector partners.

❋ Provider burnout

High levels of provider burnout, particularly in emotionally intensive fields such as oncology and palliative care

❋ Opportunities for upstream care

Gaps in support for patients and families navigating anticipatory and post-loss grief

❋ Culturally-responsive care

A growing need for culturally responsive approaches that extend beyond clinical settings

❋ Institutional interest

Increased institutional interest in integrating grief care into existing care models

Why PAUSE?

PAUSE brings experience working across healthcare systems, workplaces, and community settings to build more responsive approaches to grief and end-of-life care. Our work has included:

  • Developing community-based models that integrate cultural, creative, and relational approaches to grief
  • Bridging gaps between formal care systems and informal/community-based support
  • Partnering with institutions to design grief-informed programs and policies
  • Facilitating conversations and trainings with providers and interdisciplinary teams

PAUSE team

Alica Forneret (she/her)
Founder & Executive Director

Alica is an educator, speaker, and consultant dedicated to creating new spaces for people to explore grief and grieving. Alica is currently a guest facilitator with Humane Prison Hospice Project, Claire Bidwell Smith’s “Grief Training Program”, and is an expert Contributor with the nationally-adopted grief support app Help Texts. Alica previously held roles as the Chief Operating Officer of Going with Grace and the Program Lead and Content Strategist for School Crisis Recovery & Renewal’s “Pedagogy of Grief”.

Stevie Luna Ibarra (they/she)
Program Manager

Stevie (they/she) is a self-described “jack-of-all-trades and a Master of Social Work.” With over 12 years of experience, their work spans across program development, direct clinical services, research, and systems-level advocacy.

She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at UC Santa Cruz and her Master’s degree in Social Work at CSU Long Beach.

Shante DeLoach (she/her)
Operations and Events Manager

Shanté is an office professional with 18+ years of administrative experience. Her roles have ranged from managing the office of a car dealership, to working as the Administrative Director of her own multi-media production company.

The product of parents who have dedicated their lives to social welfare, she is deeply committed to being of service to her community.

Initiative partners, funders, and community

Phases and outcomes

This initiative is structured as a multi-phase process that prioritizes thoughtful development, stakeholder engagement, and long-term sustainability.

Phase 1: Listening, Research, and Landscape Mapping

  • Conduct listening sessions with providers, patients, families, and community partners

  • Map existing grief-related resources and programs within institutions and their broader communities

  • Identify gaps, strengths, and opportunities for alignment

Phase 2: Co-design and Pilot Development

  • Translate insights into a set of pilot strategies

  • Co-design approaches with key stakeholders across institutions and community settings

  • Develop implementation plans, success metrics, and evaluation frameworks

Phase 3: Pilot Implementation

  • Launch targeted pilots (beginning with provider-focused supports, followed by broader patient and community-facing efforts)

  • Integrate feedback loops and adaptive learning processes

Phase 4: Evaluation and Sustainability Planning

  • Assess impact across provider experience, patient/family support, and system integration

  • Develop recommendations for long-term implementation and potential scale

Anticipated Outcomes

Through this work, we aim to:

  • Strengthen provider support systems within the end-of-life, grief, and serious illness landscape

  • Enhance patient and family experiences of care

  • Build sustainable partnerships between healthcare institutions and community-based organizations

  • Develop a model for grief-informed care that can be shared more broadly

Guiding Principles

"Move at the speed of trust" ~ Adrienne Maree Brown

This initiative is guided by a set of principles that support both rigor and relational integrity:

Collaborative by Design
This work is built through partnership ~ integrating community knowledge, clinical expertise, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Provider Support as Infrastructure
We recognize that meaningful grief care begins with supporting providers themselves. Early phases prioritize provider wellbeing as foundational to broader system change.

Community-Connected Care
We aim to strengthen pathways between community-based resources and institutions, recognizing that care can extend beyond boundaries when trust is built.

Iterative and Evidence-Informed
We combine qualitative insights, stakeholder feedback, and evaluation frameworks to guide decision-making and refinement over time.

Long-Term Orientation
This initiative is designed not as a one-time program, but as a foundation for sustained integration of grief care within healthcare and beyond.

Get in touch

If you are interested in partnering, discussing, or funding this work ~ please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Email: hello@timetopause.org