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C.A.R.E. Team Mission

The Richland County Coroner’s Office will support and provide comfort to surviving family members and their friends through a partnership with area ministers and grief counselors.

The C.A.R.E. Team was the vision of Coroner Gary Watts when he was initially elected as Richland County Coroner in 2001.  He wanted the Richland County Coroner’s Office to be something more than the death notification agency.  The C.A.R.E. Team concept was born out of memories of a neighbor helping a neighbor.  In today’s world neighbors may not know each other; may be at work; may be out of town; or may be unwilling to get involved.

C.A.R.E. is an acronym for Community Awareness Resources Education.

Community:

The importance of community involvement cannot be overstated. The Coroner and his deputies regularly attend community meetings and participate in community activities. Direct contact with the citizens of Richland County enables the community to have a voice.

Awareness:

Awareness is the first step in the process of prevention. The coroner’s Office helps to prevent injuries and death by directing attention to specific health and safety issues.

Response:

Following the loss of a loved one, emotional support is extremely important. The Coroner’s Office has established a partnership with area ministries and grief counselors to support and provide comfort to surviving family members and their friends.

Education:

The Coroner is dedicated to community education. Issues related to health, safety, and career development are discussed in area schools and other community settings. Flexible teaching styles paired with varied subject matter allow the Coroner and his deputies to connect with Richland County’s diverse community.

C.A.R.E. is an acronym for Community Awareness Resources Education. 

The C.A.R.E. Team is composed of compassionate caring volunteers who are willing to reach out into the community to someone they do not know – offering a kind word and a caring presence when a family member receives notification of a death from our office.

In South Carolina it is the Coroner’s Office who notifies the next of kin of a death.  With the C.A.R.E. Team a volunteer is on call to accompany the Deputy Coroner who notifies family of a death.  A volunteer also may follow-up with a family contact within a few days or weeks after initial notification.

The concept of the C.A.R.E. Team is to have a volunteer available to be with a family. The volunteer helps fill in the gap in that short period of time between the delivery of death notification and the activation of the family’s personal support system.

C.A.R.E. Team volunteers offer support and emotional first aid that may include:

  • Bringing a calming presence to survivors
  • Helping contact and convene other family, friends and community support
  • Helping survivors know the next steps
  • Suggesting ways for survivors to care for themselves and one another
  • Providing information and resources on frequently asked questions

The C.A.R.E. Team sponsors a Holiday Memorial and Remembrance Gathering near the end of each year.  Volunteers are invited to attend county burials to be with family and friends of the deceased.

There is a formal application and orientation process for C.A.R.E. Team volunteers.  This process includes periodic training opportunities; continuing education in crisis care; understanding of crisis reactions, response and grief care.

We encourage other Coroners and counties in South Carolina to offer volunteer outreach to citizens served by their offices.  We offer consultation and leadership in C.A.R.E. Team development to Coroner’s throughout the state.  Most recently we have been in conversation with York, Lexington, Orangeburg, and Hampton counties who are in various stages of C.A.R.E. Team development and implementation.

Dr. Delores Gulledge, Thanatologist served as a volunteer team member for the first five years of the life of the C.A.R.E. Team.  In 2005 she joined the Coroner-Medical Examiner staff as a Deputy Coroner to coordinate the volunteer C.A.R.E. Team.  After the death of her own daughter, Dr. Dee added additional academic credentials to her personal experience. She focused on providing education and grief crisis comfort care for family and friends who experience the death of a loved one.

Contact Dr. Gulledge at 803-576-1799 or by gulledged@rcgov.us for additional information about the C.A.R.E. Team.

Grief Support Group: Finding Hope Putting the Pieces Together.

Fourth Tuesday of the month 6:30 PM-7:30PM at Vive Church 2630 Clemson Rd Columbia, SC 29229.

  • Dee-Gulledge
  • Bev-Baliko
  • Sheila-McGriff
  • Saundra-Ligon
  • Tom-Westmorland
  • Reid-White
  • Van-Gullegde
  • Jan-Mathias
  • Mike-Spearman
  • Lucretia-Mills
  • Dan-Griffin
  • Diane_Croft
  • Ona-Pitzer
  • Hermenia-Perkins-Brown
  • Faith-Turner
  • Pam-Blakely
  • Evelyn-Jackson
  • Bill Dieckmann

Contributing Photographer: Alex Potash, Columbia, South Carolina.

COLUMBIA AREA BEREAEMENT SUPPORT GROUPS AND PROGRAMS

Death of Loved One

Program Audience Date/Time Place Contact
Pathfinders – Columbia Adults 1st Tues each month,

5:30-7:30 pm

(meal provided)

Palmetto Baptist Hospital

Private Dining Room

Taylor @ Marion St,

Columbia SC

Peggy Copulsky or Karen Brazell

803-296-3100 or 800-238-1884
peggy.copulsky@palmettohealth.org
karen.brazell@palmettohealth.org

Southern Care Support Group Adults 2nd Tues of month

2:00 pm

720 Gracern Rd, Ste 122

Columbia SC

Patrick Plunkett

803-750-9600

Widows of Opportunity Women Last Tues of each month

7:00 pm

Long Creek Church of Christ

720 Longtown Rd

Columbia SC

Kimberly Richardson

803-788-7997

www.widowsofopportunity.com

Overcomers

(For Widows)

Adults 2nd and 4th Tues of month

5:30-7:30 pm

Fellowship Baptist Church

Lexington SC

Anne Watson

803-791-5849

Young Widows Group Adults Individual support, not a group Call for information Jackie Linder

803-345-5938

Gleaners for Life

(Widows/Widowers)

Adults 3rd Fri of month

6:30-8:30 pm

Call for information Jackie Fleshman

803-788-2969 or 803-622-4464

Good Grieving Adults

Children

Registration Required

Call for dates and times

Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital

Medical Park 7

Columbia SC

Lynne Bridges

803-434-4566
lynne.bridges@palmettohealth.org

Brett’s Rainbow Bereavement Camp Adults

Children

Teens

Registration Required

Call for dates and times

Westwood High School

Blythewood SC

Peggy Copulsky or Karen Brazell

803-296-3100 or 800-238-1884
peggy.copulsky@palmettohealth.org
karen.brazell@palmettohealth.org

From Grief to Joy Adults 3rd Tues each month

7:00-8:30 pm

Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship

4766 Sunset Blvd

West Columbia SC

Linda Gill

803-407-3185 or 803-413-2199

www.joyinthemourning.com

LMC-Chaplain’s Office Support Group Adults 1st Thurs of each month

7:00 pm

Lexington Medical Center, Granby Rm

2720 Sunset Blvd

West Columbia SC

Gloria Shull

803-791-2901

Journeys Adults 1st Sat each month

10:15-11:30 am

The Waterford at Columbia

9370 Windsor Lake Blvd

Columbia SC

Emma Riley
Suicide or Homicide        
Program Audience Date/Time Place Contact
Survivors of Suicide Adults 1st Tues each month

7:00-8:30 pm

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Columbia SC

Kathy Neeley

803-356-2874

Parents of Murdered Children &

Other Survivors of Homicide

Adults 3rd Tues each month

6:00-8:00 pm

Washington Street United Methodist Church

1401 Washington St

3rd Floor Youth Room

Columbia SC

 

Marvin Bryant

803-414-4491

Grieving the Death of a Child
Program Audience Date/Time Place Contact
Wee Remember

(Pregnancy & Very early infant loss)

Adults 4th Tues each month

6:30-8:00 pm

Palmetto Health

Basement Seminar Room

1501 Sumter St

Columbia SC

Rosalee Blair

803-296-5636 or 803-296-5580

When the Bough Breaks

(Late pregnancy loss; Loss of young children)

Adults 2nd Tues each month

7:00-8:30 pm

2220 Lake Murray Blvd

Columbia SC

Linda Gill

803-407-3185 or 803-413-2199

www.joyinthemourning.com

Memories

(Pregnancy loss)

Adults 2nd Thurs of month

7:00-8:15 pm

Lexington Medical Center

North Entrance

Outpatient Registration Area

Corrine Barbian

803-783-1003 Ext 3

www.clbarbian@msn.com

Naomi’s Circle

(Pregnancy, Infant Loss, and Pregnancy after a loss)

Adults 2nd Thurs of month

6:30-7:45 pm

Spring Valley Baptist

91 Polo Rd

Columbia SC

Kristi Bothur

803-728-1162

www.naomiscircle@gmal.com

Compassionate Friends of the Midlands Adults 1st Thurs of month

6:30 pm

110 E DeKalb St, United Way Bldg

Camden SC

Cheryl Jones

803-432-0740

cheryltjones@live.com

www.compassionatefriends.org

Healing Grief Using Art
Grief HeART Art Adults Call for Information Columbia Metro Baptist Association Dr. Delores Gulledge

803-730-2220 or 803-252-0116

www.artsasmedicine.com

Art of Coping with Loss Adults 4th Tues of month

6:30-8:00 pm

Vive Church

2630 Clemson Rd

Columbia SC

Dr. Delores Gulledge

803-730-2220 or 803-252-0116

Arts as Medicine

(Healing the Heart with God & the Arts)

Adults Call for Information 1929 Gadsden St

Columbia SC

Dr. Delores Gulledge

803-730-2220 or 803-252-0116

www.artsasmedicine.com

 GriefShare Support Listings

(Please contact individual church for information and schedule)

 

Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church

5503 Sunset Blvd, Lexington SC

803-359-7770; www.saxegotha.org

 St Andrews Presbyterian Church

6952 St Andrews Rd, Irmo SC;

803-732-2273; www.sapc.net

First Baptist Church of Lexington

412 Barr Rd, Lexington SC

803-957-0686; www.fblex.org

 St Peters Lutheran Church

1130 St Peters Rd, Lexington SC

803-359-2470; www.stpeterslex.com

 Ashland United Methodist

2600 Ashland Rd, Columbia SC

803-798-5350; www.ashlandumc.com

 Shandon Baptist Church

5250 Forest Dr, Columbia SC

803-782-1300, ext 121; www.shandon.org

 

Riverland Hills Baptist Church

201 Lake Murray Blvd, Irmo SC

803-772-3227; www.riverlandhills.org

 

gary watts
Coroner Gary Watts
wattsg@rcgov.us
Phone: (803)576-1799
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