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Heartlinks helps me cope and feel better.

~Brianna

Services

Counseling

Heartlinks offers individual and family counseling before, during and after a loss due to death. Specialized trauma counseling services are available, as required. Our counselors are here to help support individuals of all ages deal with the social, emotional, and life changes associated with grief. Day and limited evening appointments are available.

If you are a new client, please click the link below to complete our new client forms electronically.

Heartlinks is currently experiencing a high volume of requests for counseling services.  Because we are a very small non-profit organization, we anticipate a short wait for new counseling clients.

Alternatively, you can print the following forms and mail or drop them off to our office at 5110 W. Main St., Belleville, IL 62226.

Required new client forms:

If needed, additional new client forms:

Please share this form with people who might need Heartlinks’ services. Each person who comes to see us needs to fill this form out for themselves or for their children – then email it to our intake staff at mnicewaner@myheartlinks.com.

 


Monthly Group Night

Heartlinks Grief Center offers ongoing, monthly grief support for kids, teens, and families. Meetings are held at 6:30 PM the first Monday of the month at Heartlinks Grief Center. All groups occur concurrently. Parents/sponsors need to accompany their child and may participate in another group or wait for their child until groups are completed. A group intake meeting with a counselor is required for all new attendees (for children's groups and Parenting Alone). Registration is required. Please call (618) 277-1800 to see about getting started with our support groups!

• Little Bears: Activity-based group for preschoolers

• Shooting Stars: Activity-based group for elementary school students

• Rhapsody Group: Active talking group for preteens

• Brat Pack Group: Talking group for teens

• Aching Arms: For anyone who has lost a child (for more info, see Compassionate Friends)

• Parenting Alone: For anyone who has had a parenting partner die (spouse, partner, ex-spouse)

 


Community Adult Support Groups

We offer further support groups in our office and in the community in addition to the Monthly Group Night listed above.

Please call 618-277-1800 for more information about how to get connected to each of the groups.

• Friends Who Get It: Virtual support program for young adults, 18 to 30.

• Partner Loss Plus: Adults who have lost a partner in mid-life or early retirement years.

• Facing the Future: Older adults who have lost a loved one. Day time group.

• Addiction Loss: Adults who are grieving an addiction-related death.

• Washington County: Adults in Washington County who have lost a loved one.

• Red Bud Regional: Adults in Randolph or Monroe County who have lost a loved one.

• Bridges to Healing: Adults who have lost someone to suicide.  Two Locations. Beginning in October 2023

 

Support Group Resources

What to Expect on Group Night: Click here to learn more about what to expect on group night.

Support Group List: Click here to download our General Flyer with a comprehensive listing of our programs for yourself or to share with others.


School Programs

We collaborate with schools – elementary, junior high and high schools – to provide on-site grief support for grieving students.

• Teens and Grief (TAG)

Peer support groups are available at some or all of the following schools: Belleville East, Belleville West, Collinsville, Dupo, Cahokia, Millstadt, Highland, and others can be arranged through the student’s high-school counselor, teacher or social worker, or by calling Heartlinks at (618) 277-1800. TAG meets twice monthly during class times with trained counselors from the Heartlinks Grief Center

• Bursting Bubbles Mobile Grief Program

This is a flexible, school-based program for elementary and middle school children to help increase their knowledge about grief and coping with loss. This program is offered on site at the schools either during the school day, after school, or on the weekend. Professional consultations are available as requested. Professional trainings on grief, loss, change and other topics are available as requested. All services based upon available funding or prearranged fees. Call to see if we serve a school in your area!

By providing training to the adults caring for children in afterschool, mentoring, and summer camp programs, by providing educational resources to home caregivers ,and by providing innovative direct care programs, Heartlinks bring grief care to children who cannot get to Heartlinks Grief Center. In addition, Heartlinks offers periodic trainings and community presentations on such topics as Children and Grief, Grieving Families, Team-Building Games, Leading Support Groups, and Trauma. To learn more, call (618)277-1800.

Phone Consultations

Heartlinks staff consults with helping professionals, parents/guardians and other community members who have grief-related questions or concerns. We provide resources to support grieving individuals and others supporting them. Call us and let us share resources and referral information with you.

Community Education / Professional Training

Heartlinks provides presentations on a variety of topics related to grief and coping. We can speak for audiences of any age, as well as for a lay or professional audience. Our staff will also come and share information about Heartlinks history and services. Topics include Children and Grief, Grieving Families, Holiday Grief, Self-Care, Team-Building Games, Leading Support Groups, and Traumatic Grief.

Literature & Materials

Heartlinks has designed and developed materials for grieving people and helping professionals. See the information section for some of our downloadable documents or call us for specific needs. We have interactive coloring books for children and their caregivers to assist with discussing grief, loss and change. Call us to see how Heartlinks can help.

 


Outreach Program

We offer an active learning program for youth 5-15 on grief and coping in partnership with areas camps, mentoring and after-school programs, and other community groups. This program is flexible to meet the needs of the community or agency with whom we partner. Programs are tailored to meet the setting and the youth involved.

Community outreach and education are a vital component of Heartlinks mission. We spend time during the school year and in the summers providing services to those who would not otherwise receive them. Through the generosity of organizations like A Little Hope Foundation, The New York Life Foundation, and most recently, Mid-America Transplant, Boeing, and the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC), we are able to reach hundreds of at-risk, impoverished children and their caregivers living in surrounding communities.

 

     

 

 


 

Make a Referral

We are so grateful to our community organizations that trust Heartlinks with their clients.  We do not accept direct referrals from organizations, however we ask that you provide your patients with our information and encourage them to contact us or fill out their forms online.