Pennsylvania families who have lost loved ones to drug overdoses are calling on state agencies to use opioid settlement funds to create a statewide grief support system. Susan Ousterman, who lost her son Tyler Cordeiro to a drug overdose in 2020 in Bucks County, credits Philadelphia’s HEALs program with transforming her healing journey. Now, advocates want to replicate this free, specialized grief support model across Pennsylvania, making it available to all who have suffered drug-related losses, regardless of where their loved one died.
Philadelphia’s Model Program
Philly HEALs launched in 2019 after social workers and behavioral health providers identified growing need for counseling among families and friends experiencing loss due to substance use. The program was one of the earliest known completely city-funded specialized bereavement programs in the country, eliminating insurance barriers. According to city officials, Philly HEALs has served more than 4,000 people with bereavement support. The program offers virtual and in-person peer support groups tailored to specific circumstances—parents who have lost children, siblings, writing groups, movement groups, partner loss, and men’s groups. It also provides free one-on-one grief counseling with licensed therapists for at least 10 sessions, plus short-term services for children and teens ages 4 to 19.
About 90% of program participants are identified by Philly HEALs through next-of-kin information from the city’s Medical Examiner’s Office. Program manager Rachel Essy noted that staff works to reach beyond official next of kin to include siblings, best friends, and partners. The program provides a nonjudgmental space where grievers can share stories of their loved ones without feeling burdened.
Statewide Implementation and Expanded Support
Advocates are urging Pennsylvania to fund a statewide program coordinating grief support services and providing additional financial assistance. They envision connecting services to medical examiner’s offices and funeral homes to reach people immediately after loss, and offering respite care for grieving loved ones. Susan Ousterman coordinates virtual peer grief support groups through her nonprofit, the Vilomah Foundation, using mini grants from Bucks County and local opioid settlement funds, but said resources are insufficient to serve everyone who needs support. Bucks County had previously proposed allocating up to $150,000 of opioid settlement money toward a larger network of grief support groups, but the project did not move forward. Advocates also seek financial assistance for funeral costs and support for grandparents and relatives raising children left behind by parental deaths.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wesa.fm/health-science-tech/2026-03-16/pa-grief-support-services-opioid-settlement