Volunteer Grief Support Group Facilitator

Format: Offered In-Person & Virtually (Zoom)

Volunteer Commitment: Minimum one-year commitment | Minimum facilitation once per month

Schedule: Approximately 2 hours per group | Weekday evenings (6:15 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.)

About us

Grief can be one of life's most isolating experiences. At the Centre for Grief & Healing, we believe no one should have to navigate the loss of a loved one alone.

Our peer support groups provide compassionate spaces where individuals can share their experiences, connect with others who understand, and feel supported in their grief journey. As a Volunteer Grief Support Group Facilitator, you'll help create an environment where participants feel safe, heard, and respected.

This is a peer support role, not a counselling or therapy position. Facilitators draw on their lived experience, empathy, and active listening skills to create a space where participants feel safe to share, connect, and support one another.

Role Responsibilities

Working alongside a co-facilitator, you will:

Co-facilitate 90-minute virtual grief support groups in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.
Collaborate with your co-facilitator before and after each group through planning and debriefing.
Guide each session using the Centre's weekly facilitation manual while allowing space for authentic discussion and participant-led conversation.
Foster physical, emotional, social, and cultural safety for all participants.
Listen actively with empathy, curiosity, and without judgment, helping participants feel seen, heard, and supported.
Maintain respectful conversation and meaningful peer connection.
Normalize the many ways grief is experienced while honouring each participant's unique journey.
Recognize when participants may benefit from additional resources.
Practice cultural humility and help foster an inclusive, respectful, and emotionally safe group environment for individuals with diverse lived experiences and relationships to grief.
Maintain open and timely communication with Centre staff regarding participant concerns, scheduling, documentation, and any follow-up or safety considerations.
Complete required documentation following each group session.
Attend facilitator meetings, training opportunities, and ongoing check-ins as required.
Commitment & Availability

Support groups are held on weekday evenings from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. This includes a 90-minute support group, along with facilitator planning and debriefing.

Throughout the year, facilitators may have the opportunity to support a variety of grief groups, including:

Friends & Family Loss
Partner Loss
Parent & Guardian Loss
Child Loss
Traumatic Loss (8-week closed group)
Additional groups and workshops as programs expand
A minimum one-year volunteer commitment is preferred.

Qualifications

Applicants must:

Be 18 years of age or older.
Have lived experience with loss and feel emotionally ready to support others through peer support.
Demonstrate empathy, compassion, authenticity, inclusivity, emotional resilience, and strong interpersonal skills.
Have access to a computer or laptop, reliable internet, and a private, quiet space suitable for facilitating virtual groups.
Applicants residing in the Halton and Peel regions are preferred.
Provide a current Vulnerable Sector Check before facilitating groups or providing one-to-one peer support.
Vulnerable Sector Check: A Vulnerable Sector Check issued within the last six months is required as part of the recruitment process. If you need to obtain one, the Centre will provide a volunteer letter to support your application upon request.

Through our commitment to expanding culturally responsive grief support for BIPOC communities, we particularly encourage applications from BIPOC and Indigenous Peoples, as well as 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. We believe that a volunteer community reflective of the communities we serve strengthens trust, belonging, and the quality of peer support we provide.

Receive Ongoing Training and Support

Complete comprehensive facilitator training grounded in peer support, trauma-informed practice, and grief education.
Receive ongoing mentorship, guidance, and regular debriefing from staff.
Continue learning through facilitator meetings, professional development opportunities, and collaboration with experienced volunteers.
Grief support is meaningful and rewarding work, but it also requires emotional readiness and self-awareness. We encourage applicants to reflect on where they are in their own grief journey and whether they feel prepared to hold space for others with compassion, presence, and care.

Ready to Apply?

If you're passionate about creating compassionate spaces where people feel heard, supported, and seen, we'd love to hear from you!

We thank all applicants for their interest in volunteering with the Centre for Grief & Healing.