Mountain Regional Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp

This event is open to all military survivor adults and youth. If you are unable to attend in-person, we encourage you to join us virtually for our live sessions. Please double check that you select the correct button above (in-person or virtual) when you register for the event. 

COVID-19 Information - For those attending in-person we will adhere to the CDC and WHO standard event safety protocols. These include but are not limited to, face masks to be worn at all times and social distancing guidelines in place. We look forward to being together again and encourage anyone who is unable to adhere to the in-person safety protocols please register for our virtual seminar sessions. The sessions will be live and we look forward to making them interactive with our speakers!    

CHILD CARE

Children under the age of five-years old will be cared for and loved throughout the seminar by trained professional, licensed and insured caregivers. A designated suite will be assigned and set up with age-appropriate toys, games and arts and crafts. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers will have lunch on Saturday inside their room, along with healthy snacks all weekend. Individual schedules will be honored for each child, including nursing infants. 

If you need further information, please email childcare@taps.org.

VOLUNTEER AS A LEGACY OR MILITARY MENTOR

TAPS invites those active duty military, veterans, and military survivors who have graduated from Good Grief Camp (Legacy mentors) to register as a volunteer mentor for the Good Grief Camp. Visit the Legacy or Military Mentor Volunteer at the Mountain Regional Military Good Grief Camp page for details.

Getting Connected to the Seminar

The TAPS Events app puts the program right in the palm of your hand. Leading up to the seminar weekend, you can connect with fellow survivors and TAPS staff, review the scheduled program, read about featured speakers, and access additional content that will support you wherever you are in your grief journey.

For those attending virtually, you will access the Zoom sessions by logging into the TAPS Events app on either your desktop computer or mobile device.

• Desktop Zoom Access
• App on iTunes
• App on Google Play

SCHEDULE AND SESSIONS

Times listed below are in the Mountain time zone.

• 7:00 p.m. — Pre-event What to Expect, Your Seminar Questions Answered
  Attending in person? Please join us for a pre-event Zoom meeting to talk about what to expect at a regional seminar. We will also review safety and health standards that will be in place for our Mountain Regional Seminar. We will discuss hotel check-in, registration, meals, mask requirements and many other details that have been taken care of for us to gather safely in-person. Access to the Zoom meeting will be through the TAPS App.

• 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Family seminar check-in and registration

• 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. - Family Dinner

• 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Childcare

• 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

  Dessert Sharing Sessions for the following groups: Suicide or Homicide Loss Survivors, Accident Loss Survivors, Combat Loss Survivors, and Illness Loss Survivors

  Share groups offer an opportunity to share your own story, experiences, and feelings while listening to others who have a similar story and relationship with their service member. They're structured by relationship, circumstance, or sometimes both. TAPS offers a wide range of groups with something for every survivor.

  Please review: Share Group Guidelines for Participants

• 8:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

  Gatherings for the following groups: Peer Mentors and Young Adults

• 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Family Breakfast

• 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. - Family check-in

• 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Good Grief Camp

• 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. - Opening Session with Bonnie Carroll and Dr. Frank Campbell

• 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Managing Stress while Grieving  – Renee Monczynski
  What is unmentionable, becomes unmanageable. So, let's talk about the stress that comes with grief. We will discuss the different triggers of stress after loss, how we appraise stress, and introduce constructive coping skills to help guide you on this journey. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Grief Can Do THAT?  – Dr. Frank Campbell
  This workshop is designed to describe many of the confusing ways grief will impact individuals and families. Our time together will also include opportunities to ask questions or present concerns from those attending. Descriptions of how Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are impacted and how vital self-care is for management of traumatic grief. This session will not be live streamed.

  Managing Anger and Other Difficult Emotions  – Audri Beugelsdijk
  Grief brings out a whole host of emotions. Sometimes they almost seem to be coming simultaneously, while other times they can feel so cyclical that it leaves us feeling exhausted. One of the most difficult emotions to cope with is anger. This session will be a safe space to explore the experience of anger in our grief while developing some specific tools we can use to reframe and manage this and other difficult emotions. This session will be offered virtually*.

• 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

  Lunch and Sharing Sessions for the following groups: Surviving Spouses, Ex-Spouses, Fiances and Significant Others; Surviving Parents and Grandparents; Surviving Siblings and Adult Children; and Surviving Friends, Battle Buddies and Extended Family

  Share groups offer an opportunity to share your own story, experiences, and feelings while listening to others who have a similar story and relationship with their service member. They're structured by relationship, circumstance, or sometimes both. TAPS offers a wide range of groups with something for every survivor.

  Please review: Share Group Guidelines for Participants

• 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Men's Grief for Men Only  – Dr. Frank Campbell
  In this interactive workshop, we will discuss the ways men may reveal their grief and share our experiences. Our goal will be understanding and insight, not changing the way others grieve. This is an ideal workshop for men in attendance who may be dating a survivor, as well as for men who are actively grieving the loss of a loved one. This session will not be live streamed.

  REAL: Resetting Expectations After Loss  – Renee Monczynski
  In grief, many things change including what we thought we could expect of others and ourselves. In this interactive session, we will learn how to reset expectations after loss. We will build new skills that allow for healthy expectations of ourselves and of others during our grief journey. This session will be offered virtually*.

  All You Ever Wanted to Know about TAPS Programs and Services – Audri Beugelsdijk | Dr. Chantel Dooley
  TAPS has a broad variety of programs and services available for you. This session will offer a deeper dive on how you can engage and get the most out of your experience with TAPS. We will have a robust opportunity for Q&A and look forward to sharing with you all the ways we are here to support military survivor families. This session will be offered virtually*.

• 3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  What to Say: Sharing Your Story  - Dr. Frank Campbell
  For many who are on a grief journey, finding their voice and discussing their loss is a major hurdle. This workshop is designed for you to ask questions. This time is set aside to offer a safe place to discuss the challenges in the way you are grieving and the struggles that arise such as when others suggest how you should grieve. We can discuss specifics and give support to each other as we learn how to find our voice. This session will not be live streamed.

  Coping when Memories Hurt -  Audri Beugelsdijk
  We don't ever want to forget our loved ones and memories can bring both joy and pain. Sometimes we push memories away because we can't experience them without an upwelling of emotion that is difficult to cope with. We will explore new coping techniques, including how linking positive memories with negative experiences can help us navigate our grief and remember even when it hurts. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Managing Guilt and Regret after Loss - Andy McNiel
  It is common for many of us to struggle with feelings of guilt and regret after a person in our life dies. We may feel a sense of responsibility for circumstances leading up to a person’s death. We might regret missed opportunities as we think back on our relationship with our person. Whatever it is that might influence these feelings, both guilt and regret can be difficult emotions to navigate. This interactive session will take a closer look at guilt and regret and offer ideas for managing the impact they have on our lives after loss. This session will be offered virtually*.

• 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Family Dinner with live entertainment by Wildfire

• 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Family Breakfast

• 7:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. - Peer Mentor Training

• 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Good Grief Camp and TAPS Teens

• 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  Metaphors for Healing – Dr. Frank Campbell
  This workshop will focus on the benefits of developing accurate metaphors to describe your feelings of loss. This approach to communication when grieving has proven valuable for getting support that is helpful from those who want to be able to provide support and have not had a loss comparable to your loss. This approach allows a different response to "how are you?" than the assumed "I am fine" phrase many see as an expectation by society. This session will not be live streamed.

  Making Meaning from Our Loss: Our Grief Journey  – Dr. Chantel Dooley
  "Becoming part of the TAPS family means we all share something in common. We are all left behind to find meaning in our grief and grow with the love that was left behind. What does it mean to make meaning from your loss? How can you move in that direction without feeling like you're leaving your loved one behind? How can TAPS support you as you explore what is next for you in your grief journey? Come share how you are making meaning and learn how TAPS can support this part of your grief journey.  This session will be offered virtually*.

  Spirituality and Grief: A Conversation about Faith and Belief after Loss – Andy McNiel
  Faith, belief, and spirituality play a vital role in the lives of many of us after someone in our life dies. Many of us find strength through our faith as we journey through grief. While others of us may find faith to be difficult in the aftermath of loss. Spirituality can have complicated ebbs and flows as we navigate the many challenges that grief brings to our lives. Join us for this interactive session on spirituality and grief. We will discuss how our faith has brought us strength, how our faith may have been challenged by loss, and ways our grief may have impacted deeply held beliefs. This session will be offered virtually*.

• 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. - Workshops and Sessions

  God Winks  – Bonnie Carroll
  Some people call them “God Winks,” some call them signs, messages or after-death communication. No matter what we call them, signs from our loved ones can be very present in our lives. Stories and experiences of the presence of our loved ones will be discussed in this open-minded and intimate sharing session. This session will not be live streamed.

  Connecting and Communicating with Your Grieving Child or Teenager – Renee Monczynski
  Knowing how to connect and communicate with your children or teenagers about their grief can be challenging, particularly when everyone in the family is grieving in their own way. This session will provide ideas for engaging with your children or teenagers even in the midst of grief. We will offer the opportunity to share ideas with one another and offer some practical ideas for meaningful connections to strengthen family bonds. This session will be offered virtually*.

  Growing through Loss: Honoring the Challenges and Milestones of Your Grief Journey  – Andy McNiel
  Grief can be a long hard road to walk. It is a journey with many ebbs and flows where challenges are met along the way and milestones achieved. Each of us have a story unique story of what that journey has been for us, how we have been changed, and who we are now because of our grief. This session will explore the many challenges and milestones we experience in our grief. We will discuss some of the ways we have grown through our grief and pain and consider milestones that mark the path we have walked. Sometimes it is helpful to look back on where we have been, what we have learned, how we have grown, and how this offers insight and hope for our future and where life will take us from here. This session will be offered virtually*.

• 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Closing Session with Bonnie Carroll and Dr. Frank Campbell

• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Family Lunch

*All sessions offered virtually will be live in Mountain Time Zone and will not be recorded. 

SEMINAR FEES

There are no registration fees for our regional seminars. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, TAPS provides lodging, all meals, materials, activities and T-shirts at no cost to you.

LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION

Lodging is provided at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel for those traveling more than 30 minutes to the event. Please request your lodging in your registration form and specify how many nights you’ll be staying. TAPS covers the cost of the lodging for Friday and Saturday nights and will book your hotel room for you.

You'll need to cover the cost of your transportation to and from the seminar. 

If you have questions about lodging, please email lodging@taps.org or call 800-959-TAPS (8277).

REGISTRATION DETAILS

In-Person and Virtual Registrations are open until April 17, 2021 (look for the blue button at the top of the page). You'll receive a confirmation email once you have submitted your registration. Please email seminarregistrations@taps.org if you do not receive a confirmation email after registering.