CJFHC provides oversight for the development of services and programs that are tailored to the individual needs of the localities, communities, and neighborhoods of the central region. Bereavement services is an example of one of our services provided to the community. These service needs are identified through a variety of data sources, including hospital, agency, state, and national databases; as well as the experiences, feedback, and recommendations from community members, coalition members, outreach staff, and other stakeholders. Based on an extensive review of this information, CJFHC recommends programs and strategies that combine evidence-based methods with the expertise of community members. Such strategies might include implementing new programs or expanding existing programs to target groups such as community members, health care professionals, and agency staff.
Bereavement Care
“There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.” Author Unknown
If you are a grieving parent or family member, please accept our sincere sympathy. The death of a child, whether during pregnancy or infancy can be very difficult and women and families may experience different feelings and emotions over time. Many families do not know where to turn for resources to help them navigate the grief process. Central Jersey Family Health Consortium provides Bereavement services and has created a list of resources for our community to assist families in finding support. Often, in the time after a loss, questions may arise in the weeks or months to come. CJFHC has a nurse on staff that is available to provide information and support specific to your concerns. We would like to invite you to participate in the Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR), a program of the Consortium funded by the NJ Department of Health.
What is Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR)?
FIMR is a program developed by national experts who were concerned about the problems of fetal deaths (stillbirths) and infant deaths (babies up to their 1st birthday). The FIMR program hopes to:
- Describe the problems or issues that may be related to those deaths in your area; and
- Work with our community to make changes that will improve the health of infants and children.
How do you participate?
We want to hear your voice, thoughts and reflections. What you have to say is very important to us and CJFHC can accommodate you by:
- meeting you at your home or a location of your choice;
- You can call CJFHC and speak to one of our nurses and complete a questionnaire; or
- Complete questionnaire and mail it to our office.
Who can participate?
Parents who have experienced the death of their baby (from 20 weeks in pregnancy to 1 year of age), in the past year and a half can participate. Resources and information are available to all families who have experienced the death of their baby.
What do we do with the information?
The information we gather is so important to understanding the lives of woman and families who experience the death of their baby and how they can be assisted. By talking with each family in our region, we learn from their experiences so that we can help other families and promote needed changes in care and services in our region.
We understand this can be a sensitive subject. Be assured that our nurses and social workers are trained in providing care and have extensive experience working with bereaved families and can assist in providing resources/referrals to support programs in our area. Women who have participated in this program have told us that they found it helpful to share their story and hope that the information will help other families in the future.
Is this process confidential?
The information you provide with be kept confidential. Your name, the hospital name, and the name of those who provided you and your baby care will not be shared. The information you provide will be reviewed by a Regional Health Care Team, but your identity will be kept confidential.
We hope you decide to participate in this valuable program. To receive more information or request a meeting with one of our professional staff, please email fimr@cjfhc.org or call 732-937-5437 ext. 186.
