Mayo Clinic support groups in Florida

Support and bereavement groups

Support and bereavement groups may play an important role in the emotional well-being of patients and their families as they are confronted with serious illness. Mayo Clinic encourages you to seek support from credible groups that can provide you with information, advice and understanding from peers and medical professionals. This website is designed to provide basic, objective information about support and bereavement groups.

Defining support and bereavement groups

Support groups are for people with a disease or their relatives who want to share their concerns with others and learn how to address disease-specific problems. Bereavement groups allow those who have lost a loved one to share their struggles with others who have experienced a similar loss.

Most support groups are “peer” groups, made up of people who have the same or a similar disease. A layperson or health professional may lead the group and, often, the moderator is a disease survivor. Some groups meet in a hospital setting, within a community agency, at a person's home, over the telephone or in online chat rooms. Bereavement groups also are peer-oriented, with those participating having lost a loved one.

Support groups can be structured in various ways. Some are organized based on the specific disease, while others are designed according to what stage of disease a person has. Some offer a focus such as therapy, education or coping skills, while others feature a less structured environment where members provide direction. Bereavement groups may be organized based on the relative a person has lost — child, parent or spouse. Those participating have had the same experience.

Benefits of support groups

Some people who have participated in support and bereavement groups say the experience gave them an emotional connection when they felt isolated from friends and family. A group can provide and share information ranging from disease research and new medications to how a bereaved person can cope during the first year after a loved one's death. People involved say this exchange of information is one of the most valuable elements of participating in a support or bereavement group. Moreover, support and bereavement groups offer people the opportunity to release powerful emotions they may otherwise keep to themselves. Health care providers say support groups can improve a participant's mood and decrease psychological distress.

When a support group isn't enough

Sometimes people with a disease, their loved one or a person who has lost a family member or friend may require help beyond a support group. If a support group isn't providing the help you need, contact your care provider to discuss your situation.

Mayo Clinic support groups in Florida

Sharing your story or expressing your concerns can help to make a difference — for you and for those who are fighting the same disease.

The support groups at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida welcome survivors and their caregivers for a time of sharing and encouragement. The meetings are free and open to the public.

ALS Support Group (Zoom)

Third Monday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Contact: Jennifer Reidell at 904-953-0332.

AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults) Support Group (Zoom)

Are you 18-39 years old? Got cancer? You’re not alone!

First Thursday of each month from 8 to 10 p.m., Eastern time.
To register and get the Zoom invite, email Melody Griffith at griffith.melody@mayo.edu.

BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) Support Group (Teams)

First Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m., Eastern time.
Contact Abbie Demirbulakli at demirbulakli.abbie@mayo.edu.
You will receive an invite one week prior to the meeting.

Breast Cancer Support Group (Zoom)

Third Thursday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration is required.
Contact Atiya Day 904-953-6286.
You will receive an invite one week prior to the meeting.

Caring for the Caregiver Support Group (Zoom)

Open to all caregivers.
Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET.
To receive the Zoom link to join the discussion, email preusler.eric@mayo.edu or call 904-956-3085 to leave your email address.

*This group is for caregivers, so we respectfully ask that patients not attend.

Colorectal Cancer Liver Transplant Support Group (Zoom)

Support group for patients and their caregivers when the patient is listed for a transplant or has received a liver transplant due to colorectal cancer at any Mayo Clinic campus.

First Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon, Eastern time.
Preregistration is required.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.
Contact Sally Blackwell at Blackwell.Sally@mayo.edu or 904-956-3205 for information and to register.

Compass Connect (Zoom)

Support group for patients with a primary brain tumor and their caregivers.

First Tuesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration is required.
Contact Kim Nelson at nelson.kimberly3@mayo.edu for information and to register.

Cystic Fibrosis Adult Patient Support Group (Zoom)

Third Tuesday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration is required.
Contact Carl (Bob) Goodholm through Mayo Portal.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.

Family First (In person)

A program that uses creative expression and a guided curriculum to help patients with cancer, their partners or spouses, and their children. A complimentary, family-style dinner will be served at the beginning of each meeting. The program meets in person, once a week for four weeks on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Eastern time, at Mayo Clinic in the Mangurian Building. Three series, each four weeks long, are offered.

Session I: March 22 – April 12
Session II: July 12 – August 2
Session III: October 25 – November 15
Registration is required.
Contact Candace Porter, LCSW, at 904-953-6831 for more details regarding registration.

GYN Support Group – Women of S-Teal Jax (Zoom)

For newly diagnosed, receiving treatment or in surveillance. This group provides education and support to patients diagnosed with NETs (gynecological cancer). All patients and their caregivers are welcome to attend.

Second Monday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Eastern time.
The Zoom link is posted on Mayo Connect prior to the meeting.
https://mchealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpcumqrjspG9fMELiP7SZzpF_vPDfkhNuz.
Open to the community. Patients and caregivers welcome.
Maximum of 50 participants. Early registration on Zoom is required and recommended.
Contact Oncology Social Work at 904-953-6831.

Heart/VAD Transplant Zoom Support Group (Zoom)

Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Contact Jennifer Kittinger at kittinger.jennifer@mayo.edu.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.

Hope in Mind: A Support Group for the Low-Grade Brain Tumor Experience (ZOOM)

Third Thursday of every month from noon to 1 p.m., Eastern time.
Contact Jenny Anderson at Anderson.Jennifer33@mayo.edu for more information and to register.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.

Kidney Education/ Support Group (Zoom)

This group is for Kidney Transplant waitlisted and post-transplant patients.

Fourth Wednesday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Invitation will be sent through Mayo Portal.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.
Contact Kidney Social Workers at 904-956-3292 with questions.

Liver or Combined Liver/Kidney Transplant – Second Chance Group (Zoom)

The objective of this support group is to share information and provide support to pre and posttransplant liver and combined liver/ kidney transplant patients.

Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon, Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Invitation will be sent through Mayo Portal.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.

Lung Transplant Support Group (Zoom)

Weekly informative and supportive group for pre and post lung transplant patients and caregivers.

Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Contact: Bea Flores through Mayo Portal.
Zoom registration required prior to group meeting.

Mayo Clinic Connect

Mayo Clinic Connect is an online community where you can share your experiences and find support from people like you. You can also read Mayo Clinic expert blogs and take part in educational events. Connect is managed by a team of community moderators, who keep the community safe and welcoming. They also support a volunteer group of patient mentors who share their stories, assist in connecting members and build community.

Discover your support network on Connect today.

Muscular Dystrophy Support Group (Zoom)

First Monday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., Eastern time.
Preregistration required.
Contact: Karen Hart or Jennifer Reidell at 904-953-0332.

Neuroendocrine Tumor Support Group – NE FL Neuroendocrine Cancer Zebras (Zoom)

First Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Eastern time.
The Zoom link is posted on Mayo Connect prior to the meeting. https://mchealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/vpUqdeGvrzksvBPx9kW8518Rtp8_vzMoEg
Open to the community. Patients and caregivers welcome.
Maximum of 50 participants. Early registration on Zoom is required and recommended.
Contact Oncology Social Work at 904-953-6831.

Outpatient Dialysis Support Group (Zoom)

Meets the last Thursday of each month from 5 to 6 p.m., Eastern time.
Provides support for those patients in the Mayo Clinic Outpatient Dialysis Center.
Contact dialysis social worker to participate: graham.jennifer@mayo.edu.

Stroke Support Group (Zoom)

Interactive group that provides a supportive environment for stroke survivors and their caregivers with topics focusing on stroke-related health.

First Tuesday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon, Eastern Time.
The meetings are virtual and held on Zoom.
No registration needed, though contact us to receive an email reminder, which contains the Zoom link and meeting topics.
Contact: flastrokesupportgroup@mayo.edu or 904-953-7102.