CALGARY – When Susan Terborg lost her teenage son Jeff to suicide, she leaned heavily on the Calgary grief support program.
Terborg started piecing her life back together with the help of the program’s counsellors. And the support group introduced her to other people who could understand her grief: other parents who had lost children.
Now, Terborg is worried about the future of the 23-year-old service, which supports those who have lost loved ones to illness, suicide, homicide and accidents.
The province’s medical superboard confirmed it’s reviewing the regional grief program as it looks to cut costs in the face of a massive deficit of more than $1 billion.
"I know this has saved lives," said Terborg.
"So many people have gone through this program, what would people do without it?" asked Terborg.
Alberta Health Services said it has not yet made any funding decisions about the grief program, but officials said they are considering whether this service as well as others could be "provided more efficiently."
The superboard’s Calgary fundraising arm, the Calgary Health Trust, recently delayed a campaign to raise money for the program until the superboard review is complete.
"We’re working through a process of looking at programs and services and ensuring they are provided in the most efficient way possible," said Lori Anderson, a Calgary vice-president for Alberta Health Services.
"We’re looking at opportunities to address our $1.3-billion deficit."
The regional grief program has a staff of nearly six full-time equivalent employees and costs the superboard $544,000 annually.
Founded in 1986 at Rockyview General Hospital, the program provides individual grief counselling as well as support groups and community education services.
The review of the program comes as Alberta Health Services attempts to tackle its massive deficit.
The superboard has announced several cost-cutting measures in recent months, including hiring restrictions for nurses and other medical staff, as well as the closure of some hospital beds in Edmonton and Calgary.
Opposition parties said the grief program is an essential part of the local health system and argued that any cuts to the service could cost more in the long run.
"This is an integral part of the basic health-care package that we have to preserve for people," said Alberta Liberal Leader Dr. David Swann, who argued any cut could impact the mental health of bereaved family members.
"Show me the evidence this won’t add extra costs to the system."
For Terborg, the program kept her going at the most difficult time of her life.
The support group, she said, was the most valuable resource.
"Family and close friends feel for you, but no one understands except the people who have gone through this," she said.
"You think you are losing your mind and most of the other people are going through the same thing."
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