McInnis & Holloway Support Services
For many families and loved ones, getting through a funeral
or memorial service is just the beginning.
Sometimes, the period following the service can be equally
as painful because others are getting on with their lives.
Often that leaves a person in grief wondering where to turn
for support.
McInnis & Holloway knows that grieving can take months
- and even years - to work through. That's why we've developed
Olive Branch, a grief support and educational service for
the community.
Olive Branch Support Services includes:
Donna Devlin, a Mental Health Nurse Consultant with years
of experience in grief, loss, trauma and mental wellness,
coordinates Olive Branch Support Services.
To view feedback on our Olive Branch program, click
here.
To view the news release and background on Olive Branch,
click here.
For information on Olive Branch, call us at (403) 276-2296,
or e-mail us at olivebranch@mcinnisandholloway.com
Family Follow-up
Staff at McInnis & Holloway believe that caring for
families goes beyond services provided at a time of need.
Grieving is a process that takes time. There are tremendous
resources available, and we are in a unique position to
help link families with those resources.
Every family served by McInnis & Holloway will be offered
a home visit by our Family Support Provider. McInnis &
Holloway families will be provided with a package specially
tailored to the unique family loss, and will include information
on grief and support services available. This is all available
free of charge.
Whether our families turn to us before the need arises
to make advanced plannings, or after a service through Olive
Branch, it's just one of the many things we can do to help.
For information on family follow-up, call us at (403) 276-2296
and ask for an Olive Branch Grief Consultant. Or, e-mail
us at olivebranch@mcinnisandholloway.com
Support and Referral Service
McInnis & Holloway Grief Consultants are available
to families served by McInnis & Holloway on a limited
basis for individual bereavement support and grief counselling.
Referrals may be given to direct the grieving individual
or family to one of many excellent grief support services
in their area.
For support and referral service, call us at (403) 276-2296
and ask for an Olive Branch Grief Consultant. Or, e-mail
us at olivebranch@mcinnisandholloway.com
Education Services For Groups
McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes have been serving
families since 1903, and our staff are happy to share the
knowledge they have gained during this time.
Now, in addition to booklet information, "Cultural
Customs and Traditions in Times of Death and Bereavement",
our Grief Consultants offer seminars and support programs
for community groups, schools, churches, hospitals, palliative
care organizations, civic groups and long-term care facilities.
Here are some of the seminar topics we cover through the
Olive Branch program:
E-mail us at olivebranch@mcinnisandholloway.com
to book a presentation, or call us at (403) 276-2296 and
ask for an Olive Branch Grief Consultant.
Donna Devlin Biography
Donna Devlin, R.P.N., B.G.S.
A mental health nurse consultant with years of experience
in grief, loss trauma and mental wellness, coordinates Olive
Branch Support Services”
McInnis & Holloway is proud to bring a high caliber
of care to our Olive Branch Support Services through the
compassionate expertise of Donna Devlin.
A Registered Psychiatric Nurse with a Bachelor's degree
from the University of Calgary, Donna has several years'
experience in grief, loss, trauma and mental wellness. For
years she was a Mental Health Therapist and Mental Health
Promotion and Education Coordinator for Alberta Mental Health
Services.
Through her work, Donna saw that people often felt isolated
and alone in their grief after a significant loss. She is
delighted to work with McInnis & Holloway's Olive Branch
Support Services to help address this need through education,
support and referral services.
Donna now specializes in providing seminars and workshops
to families and community groups to help them with grief
management. She is especially noted for her warmth, compassion
and sense of humor.
"People need to have the opportunity for further support.
There are so many misconceptions associated with grieving.
It is very beneficial to dispel these by offering families
and individuals hope and a healthy way to look at their
grief."- Donna Devlin
