END-OF-LIFE JUSTICE

With a commitment to intersectional social justice, our team is now trained in new areas to attend to the inequity we’ve observed in the U.S. Health Care system. To address these issues, we’ve prepared workshops to help navigate personal health crises, systems of care, and end-of-life decisions.

Via Zoom & FaceTime for all clients; Some in-person opportunities for clients in Washtenaw County, Michigan

Justice Leaders Collaborative is committed to working for intersectional social justice. A commonly overlooked inequity is in the institution of health care. We know that racism, classism, cis-heterosexism, sizeism, ageism, adultism, ableism, and all systems of oppression create enormous barriers to equitable and just access to the health care all people need and deserve.

Navigating the health care system at the end-of-life is often confusing, limiting, and unobtainable to communities who are marginalized within systems of oppression. Our goal is to provide the education, resources, and services necessary to support ourselves and our loved ones as we prepare for death and dying.

JLC’s co-founder, Autumn Campbell, a certified End-of-Life Doula, has collaborated with numerous end-of-life and grief activists around the country to provide comprehensive services for people who are dying and their loved ones who are navigating deep grief. We invite you to explore our offerings below. If you have specific requests and/or questions, please reach out through email – autumnjoycampbell@gmail.com

SERVICES

Education

We provide education about death, the dying process, the complexities of grief, and how we can support people who are grieving the death of a loved one, colleague, or friend through one-on-one discussions, small and large group presentations, and workshops.

Coaching & Consulting

We provide coaching and consulting services to individuals, and small and large groups including: the dying person, their family, friends, colleagues, social and faith groups.

Mediation/Discussion Facilitation

We provide mediation and discussion facilitation and help people navigate conversations regarding Advanced Care Planning*, post-death arrangements, care-giver roles, restorative justice, and relationship dynamics.

Resources & Referrals

We make referrals to appropriate community resources and care providers.

Grief Support

We provide grief support for the dying and their loved ones.

Legacy Work & Life Review

We provide guidance and assistance for reflection and creating photo albums, memory books, letters to loved ones, obituaries, and memorial eulogies.

WORKSHOPS

Concluding Our Journey: Preparing for Dying

This workshop is for people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and/or are actively transitioning in the dying process. The end-of-life doula will guide participants through the stages of death and dying, provide time for collective and individual questions, and hold space for grief, fear, anger, and the emotions that arise during the virtual gathering.
This workshop is donation only.
90 minutes
Difficult Conversations: Navigating Conversations About Death and Dying with Loved Ones

When someone we love receives a terminal diagnosis or begins the dying process, our emotions, longing for meaning-making, desire for resolution, and family dynamics may intensify. This workshop provides guidance for engaging in difficult conversations centered in integrity, mutual compassion, and shared humanity.
90 minutes
The Dying Process

Understanding the dying process can help empower people who are entering their end-of-life and their loved ones. This workshop provides comprehensive guidance for anyone who is seeking more information about the stages of dying, resources for support, guidance before and during the end-of-life stages.
90 minutes
A Holistic Grief Journey

For too long the general public has been misled to believe that grief has 5-Stages that includes a definitive ending. Unfortunately, grief is not that simple. Grief instead is a life-long journey that affects every realm of our lives. This workshop guides participants through understanding the numerous types of grief, the domains of grief, and somatic exercises that help us metabolize grief.
2 hours
The Dos & Don’ts When Supporting Grievers

Join us in understanding the most helpful ways we can show up to support our loved ones who are experiencing grief.
1 hour
Supporting Children in Their Grief

Children experience and express grief in unique ways. This workshop guides participants through understanding children’s grief journeys and will empower adults with knowledge, skills, and resources in order to care for children and youth in their grief journeys.
1 hour
How Do We Care for Ourselves? A Compassionate Companion for Caregivers

The role of caregiver can be overwhelming, consuming, and confusing. This workshop helps caregivers navigate different ways to manage time, delegate tasks, communicate needs, attend to prolonged exhaustion, and utilize authentic self care beyond bath balms and deep breathing exercises.
1 hour
Preserving Memories

There are many ways we can preserve our cherished memories of friends and family members who have died. Legacy projects help grievers create small and large memorial pieces that range from personal to intergenerational. Join us in exploring the numerous ways legacy projects support us in our grief journey.
1 hour
Grieving our Constant Companions: How to Navigate Pet Loss

The loss of our beloved companions can be absolutely heartbreaking. Feelings of loneliness and deep grief can be compounded by the isolation some people feel when family, friends, and co-workers do not empathize with this profound loss. Join fellow pet grievers in exploring the unique experience of pet grief, rituals and ceremonies that help us memorialize their passing, and learn about creative ways to preserve and honor our memories.
1 hour

“As an End-of-Life Doula, I provide compassionate services for the dying and their family, friends, and loved ones. Death and dying are a natural part of our life process. This process can be scary, stressful, and overwhelming for some. I believe that embracing death as a natural part of life and planning for it in a thoughtful and meaningful way can provide comfort and clarity for the dying and the people who love them. My mission is to provide the knowledge and holistic support people need to navigate the dying process with dignity, integrity, justice, and compassion for self and others.”

-Autumn Campbell

END-OF-LIFE DOULA GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Non-Judgmental Support

Doulas do not impose their values on the client.

Holistic Care

Doulas recognize the bio-psychosocial and spiritual aspects of the whole person and provide services in the context of this understanding.

Team Members

Doulas are team players with a special role.

Family-Centered Approach

The individual and their family form the unit of care. Doulas do not take the place of partners, family members or other care providers.

Empowerment

Doulas promote informed decision-making and foster maximum self-determination for the individual and family.

ADVANCED CARE DIRECTIVE FACILITATION

An ACP Facilitator:

Initiates ACP conversations with an individual at multiple encounters and throughout the lifespan;
Assesses the ACP needs of the individual;
Designs a person-centered approach to planning based on the relevant stage of planning, readiness, fears and concerns, and beliefs (e.g., cultural, spiritual);

Makes referrals to other resources;
Assists in making informed healthcare decisions;
Includes and prepares the individual’s healthcare agent and loved ones so that they understand and honor the choices made;

Assists in the development of a plan that accurately reflects the individuals’ goals, values, and beliefs for future medical care; and

Develops strategies to effectively communicate the plan to others (e.g., healthcare agent, physician).

Advance Care Planning—An ongoing process of person-centered communication that includes understanding, reflection, and discussion about future healthcare decisions. The goals of advance care planning are to:

Provide qualified assistance in making informed healthcare decisions;
Create plans that represent an individual’s goals, values, and preferences;
Prepare a designated healthcare agent to follow these preferences;
Develop strategies to communicate these plans to those who need to know (e.g., healthcare agents, providers, and others); and
Assist healthcare providers to thoughtfully use such plans when needed.

Advance care planning is for all adults. It’s planning ahead in case of a sudden unexpected event (such as a car accident), or sudden illness that leaves a person unable to communicate and make their own healthcare decisions. In that case, a loved one would need to make decisions for the individual - this can be difficult when there has been no discussion. Advance care planning is a conversation between an individual and the person they choose (refer to as a healthcare agent) to make healthcare decisions for the individual if needed. These conversations help people talk to their agent about their goals and values, and how they would want them to make decisions on their behalf.