Grief and Bereavement Service

The Grief and Bereavement Service operated by the Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service (SPaRTa) is available to support people who are recently bereaved. We also provide guidance and advice to general practitioners, nurses, allied health practitioners and other clinicians supporting bereaved individuals and families in their local communities.

We provide:

  • information and resources
  • linkage and advocacy with relevant community support services
  • grief counselling, trauma informed therapy and family work
  • meaning making, legacy and memory making work
  • grief and bereavement education for health professionals and community members.

Who is eligible

  • People living in rural, remote and regional parts of Queensland who have recently experienced the death of someone from a life-limiting illness or chronic disease who may or may not have been known to a palliative care service in Queensland
  • People living with a life-limiting illness or chronic disease through their last months of life (likelihood of death in the next 6-12 months) and those around them (e.g. carers) who are not linked with another service providing grief and bereavement support (e.g. regional palliative care service, cancer service or community health service).

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide support to recently bereaved people related to traumatic, sudden or unexpected death, suicide, or maternity, perinatal or childhood bereavement.

How to refer

If you are a health professional or from a community service, you can refer a person to the Grief and Bereavement Service by completing the referral form and sending it to either the:

If you are someone who is recently bereaved and are in need of support, you can email spartabereavement@health.qld.gov.au and find out more about support during times of loss and bereavement.

Contact your local coordinator

If you are supporting a person who is recently bereaved and meets the criteria listed here, contact your local Grief and Bereavement Care Coordinator to discuss the referral and download a referral form:

Gold Coast hub

Sunshine Coast hub

Townsville hub

Cairns hub

Find out about our service hubs and regions. You can also complete the referral form and send it to the relevant hub email address as well as the central Grief and Bereavement Service email address spartabereavement@health.qld.gov.au.

The SPaRTa Grief and Bereavement Service is available between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

A Grief and Bereavement Care Coordinator will contact you within 7 days.

Grief and bereavement resources

After hours phone services

  • Grief line helpline: 1300 845 745 (8am-8pm AEDT 7 days)

Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

  • Mental Health Crisis Line: 1300 642 255
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
  • Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
  • MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
  • 1800 Respect: 1800 737 732
  • 13 YARN: 13 92 76

Services for children

Last updated: 18 March 2025