Trauma bereavement program: review of development and implementation.

The Allegheny General Hospital Trauma Bereavement Program demonstrates the importance of specialized follow-up care for surviving family members and loved ones during the year after a death. Sudden, traumatic death leaves the survivors in shocked disbelief and intense emotional pain. Appropriate support and intervention can make a significant contribution to a family's eventual recovery by assisting in the normal grieving process and thus avoiding prolonged, pathologic grieving. The Allegheny General Hospital Trauma Bereavement Program assists a family as it begins to establish hope, order, and the promise of recovery.