Free for families
Programs
Ele’s Place helps children and teens cope after a parent, a sibling, or someone else close to them has died. Groups are peer to peer. All services are free of charge and available for as long as families need them.
Evening peer groups
Children and teens ages 3–18 meet with peers, facilitated by trained volunteers with staff oversight. Parents and guardians meet at the same time. Their groups are led by licensed mental health clinicians.
Ann Arbor
Weekly evening groups, Monday through Thursday, during the school year.
Capital Region (Lansing)
Weekly in-person groups Monday–Thursday through the school year, and Family Nights once a month in the summer.
West Michigan (Grand Rapids)
Weekly evening groups at the center through the school year.
Young adults, ages 18–26
A monthly virtual peer group for young adults who have experienced a death. It meets on Zoom on the 3rd Monday of the month, 6–7 PM. It is free, and pre-registration is needed. Call the Ann Arbor or West Michigan branch to ask about it.
Ele’s Groups: during the school day
Not every family can get to a center after work. Sometimes a death affects a whole school, like a student or a teacher. Ele’s Place partners with school counselors to run 8-week peer support groups in many area schools.
Parents start with their child’s school. Counselors and administrators call their branch and ask for the Ele’s Group coordinator. Enrollment forms go only to a parent or legal guardian.
Referring a family
Call the branch nearest the child. Enrollment forms are sent only to a parent or legal guardian. Friends and relatives may call for information. If Ele’s Place is not the right fit, staff offer other resources or a referral.
Ele’s Place is not a crisis line. If someone is in danger, call 911. If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 988.