Healing Through Collaboration

At The Bridge Youth & Family Services, we know that healing rarely happens in isolation. Recovery, grief, mental health, and connection are deeply intertwined; and meaningful support often comes through collaboration. That is why our partnership with the Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA) has become such an impactful part of the care we provide to participants in our Bridgeway programs.

For more than 44 years, COHA has supported individuals and families across the Central Okanagan through hospice palliative care, grief support, and bereavement services. Guided by the belief that no one should have to die or grieve alone, COHA provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support to community members facing some of life’s most difficult moments. Their work is rooted in dignity, compassion, quality care, and connection; values that strongly align with the mission of The Bridge.

Recognizing the Role of Grief in Recovery

The partnership between COHA and The Bridge began approximately three years ago, when discussions started around the experiences many participants carried with them into treatment. Staff at Bridgeway recognized that many individuals entering recovery had endured profound losses, often traumatic, but had never been given the opportunity or space to process their grief.

From those conversations, the idea for a collaborative Healing Circle emerged.

Designed specifically for participants in the Bridgeway Intensive Live-In Treatment Services program, the Healing Circle is a two-session grief support experience offered during “Grief Week,” a dedicated week within the six-week treatment program focused on themes of grief, loss, resilience, and healing. Drawing inspiration from Indigenous and healing circle practices, participants gather in a safe, respectful environment to share stories of loss, grief, resilience, and healing.

The first session takes place at Bridgeway’s Gray Road or Ethel Street location, while the second is hosted at COHA’s August Centre, helping participants not only build connection within the group, but also become familiar with additional grief and bereavement supports available in the community.

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

The collaboration between COHA and The Bridge felt like a natural fit from the beginning. Both organizations are focused on walking alongside individuals during deeply challenging times, providing compassionate care without judgment or barriers.

By combining their unique expertise, recovery support at The Bridge and grief and bereavement care through COHA, the partnership offers a more holistic and responsive pathway of care. It reflects a shared understanding that healing is complex and that no single organization can meet every need alone.

When Grief Is Finally Given a Voice

The Healing Circles have created many meaningful moments over the years, but one in particular stands out.

During a men’s Healing Circle session at the August Centre, an Indigenous participant shared the story of the many losses he had endured throughout his life. After listening to the vulnerability and openness of the other men in the group, he asked if he could sing a song in his native language; a song about love, loss, and courage.

As he stood and sang, his deep and powerful voice carried throughout the building. Though most people listening did not understand the words, they understood the emotion. Participants stood together with their arms around one another, many in tears, sharing a moment of profound connection and understanding.

Elsewhere in the office, COHA staff and volunteers stopped what they were doing simply to listen.

Moments like this reflect the deeper purpose of the Healing Circles: not only helping people process grief but helping them reconnect with one another through shared humanity.

Breaking Down Misconceptions About Grief and Recovery

Both organizations recognize that there are many misconceptions surrounding grief and recovery.

COHA notes that many people mistakenly believe hospice grief services are only available if a loved one dies at Kelowna Hospice House, when in reality their programs are open to anyone in the Central Okanagan experiencing grief or supporting someone who is dying.

There is also a common misconception that grief follows a predictable timeline and eventually “ends.” In reality, grief looks different for everyone and often remains part of a person’s life forever. Through compassionate support and safe spaces for reflection, individuals can learn to live and grow around grief rather than feeling consumed by it.

This understanding is especially important in recovery work, where unresolved grief can often exist beneath addiction, trauma, and isolation.

Growing the Partnership

The impact of the Healing Circles continues to grow. In the first year of the partnership, three Healing Circles were offered. This year, fourteen sessions are scheduled; seven for men’s groups and seven for women’s groups; with the potential to support more than 100 participants.

Looking ahead, both organizations are exploring opportunities to expand the collaboration further, including introducing Healing Circles to the Youth Recovery House. Because COHA also offers grief and bereavement supports for children and youth, the partnership has the potential to reach even more individuals in meaningful and transformative ways.

When asked to describe the partnership in one phrase, COHA’s response was simple but powerful:

“Healing through collaboration.”

Together, The Bridge and the Central Okanagan Hospice Association continue to demonstrate how community partnerships can create safer, more compassionate pathways toward healing, recovery, and hope.