Services

Circle of Care Groups & Services

Circle of Care offers a variety of support services to children and families including families impacted by a life threatening illness such as cancer or other illness, or death of a parent or sibling including sudden loss.

Peer Support Groups
Counseling
Family Consultation
School and Community-based Consultation and Counseling Services

Peer Support Groups

Our peer support groups enable children and adults to share their stories and to give and receive support from one another.  We have several groups available to family members who are coping with either illness or bereavement.  The entire family can attend a support group night together and break off into their respective group. 

For kids, we offer separate support groups; Littles (ages 3-5), School Age (6-12) and Teens (13-18). Theme based art and play activities for managing stress and coping strategies are integrated into the kids groups supporting them in developing skills to process their feelings and challenges.

For adults, we offer three different support groups; Adults diagnosed with a life threatening illness, caregiver adults and bereaved adults.  The adult groups work through the same themes as the kids through talk, and some expressive arts.  Often the adults share their feelings, as well as personal challenges and practical parenting strategies. 

Groups are facilitated by a core of 35-45 EBAC volunteers who are trained in supporting children with honoring and expressing their emotions.  Volunteers work with children and adults to facilitate connection with other families as they assist in developing the necessary skills needed for coping with their challenges around illness and loss.  Many of our volunteers bring with them their own personal experiences of illness and loss and that is what motivates them to give back. They contribute more than 3,000 hours every year of their time, energy and heart providing compassionate services to our families. 

Ongoing Support groups: Living with Illness & Living with Loss

• Living with Illness Support Group Flyer ENGLISH  
• Living with Illness Support Group Flyer SPANISH
• Living with Loss & Sudden Loss Support Group Flyer ENGLISH  
• Living with Loss and Sudden Loss Flyer SPANISH  

Groups meet every other week from 6:30-8:00pm, and are held on either Wednesday or Thursday evenings. A pre-enrollment interview is required before beginning services.  Support Group fees are set on a sliding scale, and no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

Counseling

Our individual and family counseling services are available to all family members coping with a life threatening illness or bereavement.  Counseling is provided by EBAC’s MFT/MSW graduate students and MFT/MSW interns in our practicum internship training program.  

• Individual & Family Counseling Flyer

Counseling fees are set on a sliding scale, and no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.

Family Consultation

Families who would like support on a 1-2 time basis may arrange for a 90 minute consultation.  An intern or graduate student will provide information or and referrals to help parents or caretakers.

School and Community-based Consultation and Counseling Services

Circle of Care provides telephone consultation and on-site services to schools and community groups where children are dealing with issues of a life-threatening illness or death. Arrangements can be made to provide time-limited, on-site intervention programs, support groups or workshops for families, students, or staff dealing with these crises. Interns also provide counseling support to several elementary and middle schools in the Oakland Unified School District that have a need for illness and bereavement counseling, and for students receiving services through MediCal/EPSDT.