GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing) was formed to help those who have lost loved ones to addiction or substance abuse grapple with the loss and the stigma that is often associated with it.
First organized in 2002, this peer-led support group provides a community providing a safe space for individuals to share their experiences, emotions and challenges in coping with such loss. Formed in 2002 by a family who lost their child to a substance overdose, the organization has grown from three support groups to over 150 peer-led groups across the United States and Canada.
Laura Bratt and Dawn Owens, two local Kansas City women who have experienced the pain of losing their loved ones to substance abuse, formed a local GRASP group in 2023 to provide support to those dealing with their grief.
According to Bratt, GRASP co-facilitator, “Dealing with grief in any circumstance is never easily accomplished; because of the specific nature of substance-related death and the stigma associated with it, this is even more difficult for surviving family and friends to overcome.”
“We have experienced such a tragedy and as a result, we felt compelled to reach out to others by forming this peer-led support group in Kansas City,” said Owens, co-facilitator.
According to the NIH, in 2023 there were approximately 108,000 drug-related death and 99,000 alcohol-related deaths in the United States. Hundreds of those deaths were members of our Kansas City community, who left behind family members and friends. The stigma and grief associated with losing a loved one to substance abuse is different from that of losing one to other reasons.
The local GRASP group meets the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at First Call (9101 State Line Road, 3rd Floor, Kansas City, MO 64114).
Those interested in attending the GRASP group should register with First Call at (816) 361-5900.
“We are here to let those who are grieving the loss of a loved one due to substance abuse know we are an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on and a hand to hold,” Bratt and Owens said. “…we want them to know they are not alone and we understand.”
