Southern Regional Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp

Health Guidelines for the Seminar: In accordance with the most current information available, as of May 1, 2022, TAPS lifted the requirement to provide proof of full vaccination to attend in-person events. We will continue to monitor COVID variants and we may adjust protocols to ensure safe and healthy gatherings. These adjustments could once again include requiring proof of full vaccination and/or a negative COVID test.

CHILD CARE

Children under the age of five-years old will be cared for and loved throughout the seminar by trained professional, licensed and insured caregivers. A designated suite will be assigned and set up with age-appropriate toys, games and arts and crafts. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers will have lunch on Saturday inside their room, along with healthy snacks all weekend. Individual schedules will be honored for each child, including nursing infants. 

If you need further information, please email childcare@taps.org.

VOLUNTEER AS A LEGACY OR MILITARY MENTOR

TAPS invites those active duty military, veterans, and military survivors who have graduated from Good Grief Camp (Legacy mentors) to register as a volunteer mentor for the Good Grief Camp. Visit the Legacy or Military Mentor Volunteer at the Southern Regional Military Good Grief Camp page for details.

Getting Connected to the Seminar

The TAPS Events app puts the program right in the palm of your hand. Leading up to the seminar weekend, you can connect with fellow survivors and TAPS staff, review the scheduled program, read about featured speakers, and access additional content that will support you wherever you are in your grief journey.

For those attending virtually, you will access the Zoom sessions by logging into the TAPS Events app on either your desktop computer or mobile device.

• Mobile App Login

SCHEDULE AND SESSIONS

All times listed below are in Central Daylight Savings time zone.

• 7:00 p.m. — Pre-event What to Expect, Your Seminar Questions Answered
  Attending in person? Please join us for a pre-event Zoom meeting to talk about what to expect at a regional seminar. We will also review safety and health standards that will be in place for our Regional Seminar. We will discuss hotel check-in, registration, meals, mask requirements and many other details that have been taken care of for us to gather safely in-person. Access to the Zoom meeting will be through the TAPS Mobile App.

• 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. - Peer Mentor Training

• 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Family and Mentor Check-In

• 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. - Family Dinner

• 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp Zone (Ages 5-18)

• 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - First Time Attendee Gathering with Bonnie Carroll

• 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Peer Mentor Gathering

• 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

  Dessert Sharing Sessions for the following groups: Accident Loss Survivors, Combat Loss Survivors, Homicide Loss Survivors, Illness Loss Survivors, and Suicide Loss Survivors.

  Share groups offer an opportunity to share your own story, experiences, and feelings while listening to others who have a similar story and relationship with their service member. They're structured by relationship, circumstance, or sometimes both. TAPS offers a wide range of groups with something for every survivor.

  Please review: Sharing Group Guidelines for Participants

• 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Legacy and Military Mentor Orientation

• 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. - Family Breakfast

• 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. - Family Check-In

• 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. - Opening Session with Bonnie Carroll and Dr. Frank Campbell

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Is My Loss Traumatic  – Dr. Frank Campbell
  Traumatic grief has characteristics different from the more traditional grief associated with death. Dr. Frank Campbell will describe elements that stand out when experiencing traumatic grief that compromise the activities of daily living and impact sleep, physical health and overall well-being. When assumed to be characteristics of "normal" grief many find processing their loss overwhelming resulting in a more difficult grief journey. Participants attending are encouraged to ask questions or share personal experiences they are coping with to gain insights and practical solutions that have helped others cope more effectively. This session will not be live streamed.

  Managing Difficult Emotions after Loss  – Andy McNiel
  It is common for many of us to struggle with many difficult emotions after a person in our life dies, including, but not limited to anger, guilt, and regret. We may feel a sense of responsibility for the circumstances leading up to a person's death. We might regret missed opportunities as we think back on our relationship with our person. We may have intense anger associated with aspects of their death or issues related to our relationship with them. Whatever it is that might influence these feelings, difficult emotions can be challenging to navigate. This interactive session will take a closer look at some of these emotions and offer ideas for managing the impact they have on our lives after loss. This session will not be live streamed.

  Navigating Grief With Nature’s Help – Blake Holbrook
  Blake Holbrook, an Army combat veteran, will share how his own struggle with grief, beginning with his mother's and grandmother's deaths when he was 15, led him to discover the healing qualities of nature and to found the non-profit VetRec Outdoors. During the second half of this interactive session, Blake will be joined by co-facilitators from Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF), which began in 2005 by serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHWFF has established its highly successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. Blake and PHWFF volunteers will lead a hands-on activity for workshop attendees, who will learn to tie a fly for fly-fishing or as a memory of the seminar weekend and a reminder of the potential that nature holds. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

• 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

  Lunch and Sharing Sessions for the following groups: Surviving Spouses and Significant Others; Surviving Parents and Grandparents; Surviving Siblings and Adult Children; and Surviving Friends, Battle Buddies and Extended Family

  Sharing Groups are small conversation gatherings that provide an opportunity to connect with others who have experienced a similar loss of a loved one. Participants will be able to share their experiences and emotions in this mutually supportive environment, growing relationships with others who are part of their extended support network.

  Please review: Sharing Group Guidelines for Participants

• 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  How to Grieve Like a Man (Men Only) - Dr. Frank Campbell
  In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the ways men may reveal their grief and share our experiences. Our goal will be understanding and insight, not changing the way others grieve. This is an ideal workshop for men in attendance who may be dating a survivor, as well as for men who are actively grieving the loss of a loved one. This session will not be live streamed.

  Coping with the (Unintentionally) Harmful Things People Say to Grievers  – Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham
  While people generally mean well, sometimes the words they meant to be kind or supportive don't feel that way in our grief. Join Rev. Dr. Cheatham to talk about how to manage these moments. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

  Navigating Grief With Nature’s Help – Blake Holbrook
  Blake Holbrook, an Army combat veteran, will share how his own struggle with grief, beginning with his mother's and grandmother's deaths when he was 15, led him to discover the healing qualities of nature and to found the non-profit VetRec Outdoors. During the second half of this interactive session, Blake will be joined by co-facilitators from Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF), which began in 2005 by serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHWFF has established its highly successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. Blake and PHWFF volunteers will lead a hands-on activity for workshop attendees, who will learn to tie a fly for fly-fishing or as a memory of the seminar weekend and a reminder of the potential that nature holds. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

• 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Metaphors for Healing – Dr. Frank Campbell
  This workshop will focus on the benefits of developing accurate metaphors to describe your feelings of loss. This approach to communication when grieving has proven helpful for getting support that is helpful from those who want to be able to provide support and have not had a loss comparable to your loss. This approach allows a different response to "how are you?" than the assumed a "I am fine" phrase many see as an expectation by society. This session will not be live streamed.

  Resilience in Practical Terms: How Hope is Built  – Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham
  Grieving is a stressful and exhausting journey, and sometimes it can be hard to see how it will get better. Join Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham to explore some practical information and self-care techniques to help you feel less alone and give you a breath of hope and reassurance. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

  Coping When Memories Hurt  - Audri Beugelsdijk
  We don't ever want to forget our loved ones and memories can bring both joy and pain. Sometimes we push memories away because we can't experience them without an upwelling of emotion that is difficult to cope with. We will explore coping techniques, including how linking positive memories with negative experiences can help us navigate our grief and remember even when it hurts. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

• 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Family Dinner

• 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Young Adults and Legacy Mentors Care Group (Adult Child and Siblings ages 18-30)

• 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. - Family Breakfast
  Please join us for our family breakfast to start your day. For our men only, please look for tables in our breakfast room reserved just for you to join other men in a time of fellowship.

• 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Grief Can Do THAT? – Dr. Frank Campbell
  This workshop is designed to describe many of the confusing ways grief will impact individuals and families. Our time together will also include opportunities to ask questions or present concerns from those attending. Descriptions of how Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are impacted and how vital self-care is for management of grief. This session will not be live streamed.

  God Winks – Bonnie Carroll
  This workshop will focus on the benefits of developing accurate metaphors to describe your feelings of loss. This approach to communication when grieving has proven helpful for getting support that is helpful from those who want to be able to provide support and have not had a loss comparable to your loss. This approach allows a different response to "how are you?" than the assumed "I am fine" phrase many see as an expectation by society. This session will not be live streamed.

  Spirituality & Grief: A Conversation about Faith and Belief after Loss – Andy McNiel
  Faith, belief, and spirituality play a vital role in the lives of many of us after someone in our life dies. Many of us find strength through our faith as we journey through grief. While others of us may find faith to be difficult in the aftermath of loss. Spirituality can have complicated ebbs and flows as we navigate the many challenges that grief brings to our lives. Join us for this interactive session on spirituality and grief. We will discuss how our faith has brought us strength, how our faith may have been challenged by loss, and ways our grief may have impacted deeply held beliefs. This session will not be live streamed.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Creating Meaning From Loss - Audri Beugelsdijk
  Dr. Bob Neimeyer says that loss "requires us to reconstruct a world that again 'makes sense,' that restores a semblance of meaning, direction, and interpretability to a life that is forever transformed." We will discuss what it means to flourish in spite of and through our grief. Participants will have opportunities to share personal observations about how meaning making has played a role in their grief journey. **This session will be live streamed via the Mobile App.**

  God Winks – Bonnie Carroll
  Some people call them "God Winks," some call them signs, messages or after-death communication. No matter what we call them, signs from our loved ones can be very present in our lives. Stories and experiences of the presence of our loved ones will be discussed in this open-minded and intimate sharing session. This session will not be live streamed.

  Growing Through Loss: Honoring the Challenges and Milestones of Your Grief Journey – Andy McNiel
  Grief can be a long hard road to walk. It is a journey with many ebbs and flows where challenges are met along the way and milestones achieved. Each of us has a unique story of what that journey has been for us, how we have been changed, and who we are now because of our grief. This session will explore the many challenges and milestones we experience in our grief. We will discuss some of the ways we have grown through grief and pain and consider milestones that mark the path we have walked. Sometimes it is helpful to look back on where we have been, what we have learned, how we have grown, and how this offers insight and hope for our future and where life will take us from here. This session will not be live streamed.

• 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Closing Session with Bonnie Carroll and Dr. Frank Campbell

• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Family Lunch

SEMINAR FEES

There are no registration fees for our regional seminars. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, TAPS provides lodging, all meals, materials, activities and T-shirts at no cost to you.

LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION

Lodging is provided at the Hyatt Regency for those traveling more than 30 minutes to the event. Please request your lodging in your registration form and specify how many nights you’ll be staying. TAPS covers the cost of the lodging for Friday and Saturday nights and will book your hotel room for you.

You'll need to cover the cost of your transportation to and from the seminar. 

If you have questions about lodging, please email lodging@taps.org or call 800-959-TAPS (8277).

REGISTRATION DETAILS

In-Person and Virtual Registrations are open until August 27, 2022 (look for the blue button at the top of the page). You'll receive a confirmation email once you have submitted your registration. Please email seminarregistrations@taps.org if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering.