Western Regional Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp
July 26 - 28, 2024
SEMINAR DETAILS
FOR ADULTS: TAPS SEMINAR
FOR YOUTH: GOOD GRIEF CAMP
CHILD CARE
LEGACY/MILITARY MENTOR
PEER MENTOR TRAINING
SCHEDULE and SESSIONS
SEMINAR FEES
LODGING and TRANSPORTATION
REGISTRATION DETAILS
For Adults: TAPS Seminars
TAPS Seminars are created with your needs in mind. Our comprehensive model of care brings together adult survivors of all ages for a weekend of hope and healing. Whether you recently lost your hero, have lived many years without them or are somewhere in between, this TAPS Seminar is designed to meet you where you are in your grief journey.
By bringing together peer professionals, subject matter experts, mental health clinicians and TAPS Peer Mentors and volunteers, we will come alongside you to walk the journey together.
Our TAPS Seminar faculty members are leaders in the field of grief and loss, suicide, traumatic loss and bereavement and will facilitate a rich learning environment to help you gain coping skills and tools to continue your loved one’s legacy. The seminar sessions and programming follow a dynamic curriculum based on the needs of mourning set forth in academia.
For Youth: TAPS Good Grief Camp
The TAPS Good Grief Camp is a program for children who have lost a loved one who served in the Armed Forces (see attendance eligibility criteria). Good Grief Camp provides a safe space for military children to explore grief and embrace healing.
TAPS Good Grief Camp is led by experts in the fields of child development, mental health and education. Programming throughout the weekend mirrors the adult curriculum and provides families with a common language crucial to strengthening family bonds. Children and teens will honor their loved one, connect with their peers, and learn coping skills through games, crafts and other age-appropriate activities in a fun and supportive environment.
Children and teens will find comfort in knowing there are other kids their age who understand their loss and develop coping skills they can use once they leave Good Grief Camp.
CHILD CARE
Childcare is provided for children under the age of five-years old, five-years old but not yet attending kindergarten, and children 10-years and younger who are not eligible for Good Grief Camp. These children will be cared for and loved throughout the seminar by trained professional, licensed and insured caregivers. A designated suite will be available and set up with age-appropriate toys, games, and arts and crafts. Children 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 active duty military members, veterans, and adult survivors who have previously attended Good Grief Camp (Legacy Mentors) to register as a Volunteer Mentor for the Good Grief Camp. Visit the Legacy or Military Mentor Volunteer page for details.
Become a Peer Mentor
During the seminar, TAPS will be conducting a Peer Mentor training session for adult military survivors who are at least 18 months beyond their own loss and are ready to be there for other adult survivors to offer support. As a Peer Mentor, you will have a wide variety of opportunities to choose from to support your peers through activities such as seminars, retreats, TAPS Togethers, hosting a Care Group, supporting the Online Community, and providing one-to-one mentoring. You will learn more about grief and trauma, learn to identify risks and warning signs for suicide, gain basic helping skills, and become part of our nationwide TAPS Peer Mentor Team.
If you're interested in attending the in-person Peer Mentor training at the seminar, you can sign-up as part of the seminar registration.
For more information, email peermentors@taps.org.