Psychosocial support
Le Phare offers parents, siblings, grandparents and relatives the support they need to go through the various stages of life with a seriously ill child as serenely as possible.
Le Phare offers parents, siblings, grandparents and relatives the support they need to go through the various stages of life with a seriously ill child as serenely as possible.
The support provided to children and families at Le Phare comes in many forms. It is adapted depending on what stage of the disease the child and family are at. Support can also be organized on an individual or family basis, or for couples and groups.
Le Phare social workers team and accompanies families to offer support throughout the:
For more information or to make an appointment, please contact one of our social workers: Li-Anne Cyr at 514 787-5086 or lcyr@phare-lighthouse.com, Marion Onno at 514 787-8818 or onno@phare-lighthouse.com or Mélanie Limoges at 514 787-8804 or mlimoges@phare-lighthouse.com.
Living with a seriously ill child at home comes with its share of difficult decisions. These include medical decisions, decisions about your child’s social integration, decisions involving siblings, or decisions concerning your financial or professional situation.
These two-day participatory workshops offer guidance to steer your thought process and help you make informed decisions. The workshops introduce a complex decision support tool designed by Josée Chénard (professor of social work at the Université du Québec en Outaouais) that will help guide your future decisions.
There are many issues associated with having a sibling in palliative care. Meetings on various themes like adaptive sports or arts activities are organized several times a year to allow siblings who share a common reality to get together. These group meetings allow siblings to take part in activities that enable them to break the isolation they may experience, normalize what they are going through, enjoy a moment and a space for themselves, and boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Aware of the significance of respite for families caring for a seriously ill child on a daily basis, Le Phare has responded positively to Aid to Children of the World’s call to offer families receiving our services free stays in the Nicolet area.
This is a simple way for Le Phare to improve the overall support it provides to families, allowing them to rest both physically and mentally and enjoy pleasant moments away from home, while their sick child stays at Maison André-Gratton.
Le Phare provides bereavement follow-up to grieving families following the loss of a sick child who was under the age of 18. This service is available to all grieving families regardless of whether they received services from Le Phare during their child’s illness.
This service is intended for parents, siblings, grandparents and loved ones. Families may be referred to local partners if need be.
In the spring of 2017, Le Phare set up a support group for parents who have lost their critically ill child with the aim of helping them get through the grieving process. More specifically, it provides a safe space for parents to talk about their feelings and their personal experiences. The group offers the opportunity to share with other parents, meet people who have had similar experiences, break the isolation and normalize what each person is going through.
Various themes related to grief are discussed at these meetings, that take place over the course of seven sessions, each lasting two and a half hours every other week.
The meetings are held by a clinical care counsellor and a social worker at Le Phare.
“I attended these meetings and would recommend them to anyone who has unfortunately lost their angel. I wasn’t too sure, but from the first meeting I felt that something positive could come from it. There is comfort in the feeling that you are not being judged and that you are going through something that is normal.”
A grieving mom (2017 group)
“I am forever grateful to have met all these parents, but most importantly, to have been able to talk to them in the space created by Le Phare. In the group, the other moms REALLY helped me through this coping process. II take my grief for what it is, without blame or judgment.”
A grieving mom (2018–2019 group)
“Based on my experience, the group makes you feel good and helps you look at grief differently than with individual support. It pushes you to think and move forward, in the sense that the group has an emulating effect. I feel privileged to have been part of it.”
A grieving mom (2018–2019 group)
The holiday season is an important and emotional time for grieving parents, siblings, grandparents and loved ones. This is why we offer a special family workshop to support them during the Holidays. This workshop includes moments of sharing and creation, moments for both adults and children, and moments of remembrance that help families continue to move forward.
This non-religious ceremony is a time of recollection and includes testimonials and symbols in honour of Lighthouse children who have passed away. It is open to all families who have experienced a loss and have benefited from the Magnus Poirier/Lighthouse partnership.
This is a non-religious ceremony that promotes recollection through testimonials and symbols, while highlighting the memory of all Lighthouse children who have passed away. It is open to all grieving families.
Le Phare is aware of the significant costs of keeping a seriously ill child at home. As such, Le Phare has signed a partnership agreement with Magnus Poirier to provide assistance with funeral costs to Le Phare families whose child has passed away.