The Heart of Our Groups… Our Peer Grief Support Facilitators
At The Sun Will Rise, our peer grief support groups are built on the simple but powerful idea that no one should have to grieve alone. What makes these groups work isn’t just the space they provide, it’s also the people who facilitate them. Our facilitators aren’t therapists or counselors, they are people who have walked this road themselves. They understand because they’ve lived it.
Peer facilitators create a space where people grieving substance use related deaths can speak freely without judgment or explanation. They hold space for the stories, the hard days and the small victories. Their presence reminds us that while grief changes, it doesn’t have to be carried alone.
We’re excited to welcome three new facilitators and two new groups to expand our reach. A new group in Brighton, MA facilitated by Liz Driscoll, will provide more opportunities for in-person connection. We’re also launching a new parents’ group, facilitated by Kathi Sullivan, meeting in person one week in North Attleboro and via Zoom another week, offering support specifically for parents who have experienced the death of a child. We are also thrilled that Natalie Patricio, who you’ve met as being a member of the events committee, is now going to take over facilitation of the Bridgewater MA group. And this is just the beginning! Next week, we’ll be announcing more new groups and facilitators to help reach even more people who need support.
If you’ve been looking for a space where others understand, we invite you to join us. And if you’re ever interested in volunteering yourself, let’s talk. Just complete this facilitator inquiry form or volunteer inquiry form. The more we show up for each other, the stronger our community becomes.
~ With care
Robyn
Robyn Houston-Bean
Founder, The Sun Will Rise Foundation
Meet Liz Driscoll! Hello! I’m a Boston native currently working in crisis intervention and disability advocacy. I’ve been in the harm reduction space for nearly a decade, introduced to the principles while studying criminology and psychology in college. After experiencing the death of numerous friends, coworkers, and peers to the overdose crisis, I switched the focus of my academic research to the topic of harm-reduction, studying the impacts of safe consumption sites in Europe and Canada.
Intimately aware of the isolation and stigmatization that comes along with this grief, I’m dedicated to creating accessible and safe spaces for us to process and navigate individual grief while finding solace in our connections and shared common ground of other community members. Outside of work, I can be found hunting mushrooms in the woods with my nine year-old dog Scout or at home practicing yoga with my cats. Liz will facilitate the Brighton MA group starting 2/27/25.
Meet Kathi Sullivan! They say a moment in your life can change who you are. On October 17, 2008, Kathi Sullivan had that moment. Kathi's 17-year-old daughter Taylor passed away from underage drinking after attending a homecoming game and a series of underage drinking parties her senior year in high school. After enduring a three-day search, Taylor was found drowned in two feet of water, after getting lost from an outside party in the woods at an abandoned airport in Norfolk, MA.
Two months later, she began to speak about substance use, alcohol awareness, mental health, wellness, and the importance of making good choices. Kathi met Chris Sullivan, whom was only 5 weeks sober, when he attended her first parent night she presented. Two years later, they married and now share about substance use, underage drinking and the importance of mental health awareness & simply making good choices across the country. During Covid, 2020, they opened the doors to a small resource center where people can come and connect and seek guidance in the world of recovery.
As a Mom who’s child has died, Kathi knows the importance of having someone to be able to talk to that has also experienced the death of a child. She started a virtual meeting in 2020 called “Moving Forward Mommas” for Mom’s whose child died by any circumstance. Kathi is a lifelong Plainville, MA resident and shares her home with her husband of 14 years, Chris and their FOUR dogs. Besides being Taylor’s Mom, she is blessed with two sons, Zachary & Logan and is the proud grandmother to Ryan, Audrey, Reese, Finn, Natalia & Emelia. She will facilitate the new Moving Forward Parents Group starting March 2, 2025.
Since Natalie has already introduced herself before, she wanted you to know more about Nelson, her twin brother who died two and a half years ago due to cirrhosis and AUD. From Natalie Patricio: We were born an almost unheard of nearly 50 minutes apart. I was born first and Nelson was second-he was delivered breech with his feet first. He needed emergent care immediately after having been deprived of oxygen during delivery. I liked to joke and say he was a trouble maker literally from birth (he agreed). It was proof he did things his way and he was strong and survived against the odds.
We had been inseparable our entire lives-even as adults we had been neighbors, living directly across the street from each other. Nelson was unforgettable with intense blue eyes and a mischievous grin. He was magnetic, charming, and fearless. He was great with his hands-could draw, paint, repair, or build just about anything. He made everything fun, even wearing a Big Bad Wolf costume on Halloween just a few years ago to match me when I was Little Red Riding Hood.
Natalie says that telling our stories to others who will really listen is so powerful. Hearing others is equally as important-we relate, we learn, we hold space for them. Having a safe space to honor, remember, and any other feelings we want to share has been my life-line and I hope it will be for others. Natalie starts facilitating the Bridgewater MA group on 2/25/25.
Clay Therapy Workshop Monday February 17, 2025 2:00-4:00pm Norwell MA
One ticket remains. Register here. Wait list also available. Questions? Please contact Judy Kelly: 781-264-0557 judyannkelly@gmail.com
SADOD’s Supporting Grieving Grands Virtual Workshop Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET
Substance use related deaths leave behind grieving families, including grandparents and other relatives who often take on the role of caregiver. This workshop, led by TSWR Senior Facilitator & SADOD's Peer Grief Support Specialist focusing on grieving grand), Kerry Bickford, Nancy Frumer Styron (Clinical Director of The Children’s Room), and Deb Tobin (Bereaved Mother Raising a Grandchild), will focus on supporting grieving grands and those who care for them. It’s open to grieving grands, those looking to help them, and anyone interested in this topic. Register at bit.ly/grieving-grands-workshop. Please note this workshop has a $10 fee for individuals outside of Massachusetts. Massachusetts residents may attend this workshop for free due to funding from MA-BSAS by using promo code MASS at the time of registration. If cost is an issue, please contact Laura@sadod.org
HALO INITIATIVES: FAMILY OVERDOSE SUPPORT FUND
Boston Residents! If you are a BOSTON resident who has experienced the death of a family member to overdose within the last 2 years, you may be eligible for up to $5,000 in financial support. Apply here.
Meeting notes: Hanson MA & LGBTQ on pause. Young People Sunday group moved to 3/2/25 new time.
Monday GRIEVING GRANDPARENTS ZOOM 2/17/25 12:00-1:00 pm ET.
Kerry Bickford facilitating.
For grandparents that have experienced the death or estrangement of a grandchild due to substance use (theirs or their parents.) The focus of this Monday group will be on the grandparents.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2334755647
Meeting ID: 233 475 5647 or
One tap mobile 16465588656
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Tuesday - IN-PERSON, QUINCY, MA 2/18/25 6:30-8:00 pm ET.
Robyn Houston-Bean facilitating.
New Way Recovery, 85 Quincy Avenue, Quincy, MA
For anyone 18 and over who has experienced the death of someone they care about due to substance use.
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Wednesday - IN-PERSON, BRAVEHEARTS FALMOUTH MA 2/19/25 1:30-3:00 pm ET.
Kerry Bickford facilitating.
Learn to Cope Office 24 Spring Bars Road, Suite 1A, Falmouth MA.
For anyone 18 and over who has experienced the death of someone they care about due to substance use.
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Wednesday - IN-PERSON, CHARLESTOWN, MA 2/19/25 6:00-7:00 pm ET.
Shannon Lundin & Michael Cain facilitating.
St. John’s Church 27 Devens St 2nd Floor Charlestown MA
For anyone 18 and over who has experienced the death of someone they care about due to substance use.
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Wednesday - ZOOM 2/19/25 6:00-7:30 pm ET.
Karen Walsh and Rachel Solomon facilitating.
For anyone 18 and over who has experienced the death of someone they care about due to substance use.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86470429283
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Wednesday - SIBLING ZOOM 2/19/25 6:00-7:30 pm ET.
Miriah Corso facilitating.
For anyone 18 and over who has experienced the death of a sibling due to substance use.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92909305605?pwd=IacFroINAxOZi94CLJRXZeTvbaL2lK.1
Meeting ID: 929 0930 5605
Passcode: 131849 or
One tap mobile 13126266799
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