Western Regional Seminar and Good Grief Camp

Your TAPS family warmly invites you to find a new sense of purpose and the support of peers at the Western Regional Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp.

TAPS Seminars are created with your needs in mind. Our comprehensive model of care brings together adult and children survivors 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 workshops and programming follow a dynamic curriculum based on the needs of mourning set forth in academia.

There are four categories of seminar workshops that you can choose from to find the support that fits your needs:

Acknowledge and Honor

The workshops in this category help those new to grief to understand the basics of grief and loss. The curriculum focuses on honoring the service of your loved one while gaining grace for the difficult circumstances that have come with loss. Our workshop leaders understand the need to share and hear the stories of others. Opportunities to connect are provided to those who may have carried their grief alone for far longer than they realized. Exploring your loss with others will help you find areas within yourself that may need some extra attention. These courses are also ideal for folks who need more understanding of how to support someone they love who is deeply affected by a loss.

Skill Building

These workshops build on the foundational Acknowledge and Honor courses and are more experiential in nature. The experience can come in the form of sharing or using our hands to create art and tangible objects. The workshops are based on exploring and understanding ways you can learn to cope with the unimaginable. Our faculty is well-versed in the pain and trauma of grief. They will help you gain some useful perspectives by offering a blend of education, sharing and expression.

Adjusting to a New Normal

Our seminar faculty has the skills and experience to meet you at the different stages you encounter while finding your new normal after the death of a loved one. These workshops include hands-on learning through creating, sharing, listening and by simply bearing witness.  

Meaning and Purpose

Meaning and Purpose workshops are dynamic. The workshop facilitators are experts in post-traumatic growth, meaning-making and legacy building. These courses will arm you with tools to embrace the future. We cover topics such as enduring bonds, relationship building, volunteering and being a living legacy.

GOOD GRIEF CAMP FOR TAPS KIDS

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, develop coping skills they can use once they leave Good Grief Camp and learn how America honors our fallen service members.

BECOME A TAPS PEER MENTOR

During the seminar, TAPS will be conducting a Peer Mentor training session on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for adult military survivors who are at least 18 months beyond their own loss and are ready to be there for others 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 Peer Mentor training for adult military survivors, you can register for the in-person training as part of the seminar registration. After you've registered, you'll be contacted by the TAPS Peer Mentor Program staff. Visit our Become a Peer Mentor page or email peermentors@taps.org to learn more.

SCHEDULE

Friday, July 12

3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Family seminar check-in and registration

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Family Dinner

7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Welcome dessert sessions

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. — Good Grief Camp Zone

Saturday, July 13

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. – Outdoor yoga

7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. — Family seminar check-in and registration

6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. — Breakfast

8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Good Grief Camp

9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. — Opening session

10:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. — Your choice of workshops and activities

6:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Family dinner

Sunday, July 14

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. – Outdoor yoga

7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. — Breakfast

8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — TAPS Peer Mentor training

8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. — Good Grief Camp

9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. — Your choice of workshops and activities

12:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Lunch and closing ceremony

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 Pacific Palms Resort 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 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

To attend, complete the Seminar and Camp Registration. You'll receive a confirmation email once you have submitted your registration. Please email support@taps.org if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering.