Helping the Bereaved from a Traumatic Death: The De Leo Fund Network

Abstract

De Leo Fund (non-profit organization), with support from the Veneto Region and the assistance of the Regional Transplant Center, has contributed to the creation of a regional network of professionals in the area of mental health formed specifically to assist and support the survivors of a traumatic death. In June 2011, we opened a toll free number run by five operators. This, through a two-step procedure, collects the requests and needs of the survivor and send him to the professional in the network geographically closer to him. This presentation deals with the main characteristics of these calls and users who contact the toll free number, and how the network responds to the needs of survivors of traumatic bereavement.