The Professional Grief Caregivers’ Network (PGCN) is a network for professionals who work with mourners. PGCN’s aim is to educate, support and connect professionals working in the field of bereavement.

PGCN was started in 2003 as a collaboration between the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center and the NextSteps Outreach Program of Sinai Memorial Chapel. The Network’s goal is to support all persons⁠—professionals and lay volunteers⁠—who work in any way with issues of loss and grief.

Upcoming Meetings:

  • Please check back on this page for updates

The following guidelines support this program:

  • Meetings focus on support, networking, and education
  • Meetings are held quarterly
  • Guest attendees who work with or study issues of loss and grief are warmly welcomed
  • Membership is free of charge and open to anyone who attends at least two meetings per year

PGCN support, networking, and educational programs:

  • Support through informal discussion amongst individual members at, and between, meetings. More formal support comes from the meeting check-in when members make programmatic and/or more personal announcements, and at meetings during the year specifically dedicated to peer support and facilitated discussion.
  • Networking opportunities for attendees to gain familiarity with one another’s work and/or the work of their respective organizations. Attendees are encouraged to bring resource materials to display and to hand out.
  • Educational programs pertinent to grief care work are presented, most commonly by PGCN members. Topics are drawn from areas of expertise and interest among the membership, and presentation opportunities are offered for members to showcase their own areas of involvement and expertise for the broader membership of grief caregivers.

CEU’s, PGCN online forum and directory:

  • Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) may be available as requested and appropriate
  • Regular e-mails sent to the membership providing information about upcoming events and programs. Members’ listings of upcoming events may be sent to the BAJHC for distribution.
  • Listing in and access to the Membership Resource Directory (MRD), on-line and, if requested, in print. The MRD includes listings of grief professionals who are members of PGCN, with information about their work offerings and scheduled grief care programs. The MRD is updated annually in January. This service is available to members only.

Please contact Rabbi Jon Sommer for additional information. Call (415)750-4198 or email jsommer@bajhc.org.