ABOUT US
Billy’s Place is a community in the West Valley that provides comfort and companionship to kids and families experiencing grief—no matter where they are on their journey.
Through support groups, special events, and a community of people who ‘get it,’ we help families rediscover moments of happiness without guilt. We nurture these moments as signs of hope for more promising days ahead.
We see people for who they are—people with complex and beautiful identities beyond the grief.
We don’t see kids who have lost a parent or adults who have lost a partner or child. We see Emily, and Jack, and Billy. We see people like us.
We welcome all kids and families who have experienced the loss of someone special to find community and peer support at Billy’s Place—a safe community created for them and by them.
OUR STORY
FROM OUR FOUNDER, JULI MCGREAL
The need for Billy’s Place arose after my son Billy and I began coping with the sudden death of my husband, Mike. Billy was only 15 months old and our lives were changed forever. As a team, Billy and I have worked together to use what we have learned in our journey to help others know there is hope.
Billy's Place is a tribute to children and families who will be forever changed and challenged by the death of their loved ones. At Billy's Place we are proud to provide an organization that helps children and their families cope with the death of a significant person.�
OUR SERVICES
GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS
Billy’s Place groups are tailored to our families, with unique spaces for people who have lost a special person. Our groups include family groups for kids who have lost a sibling, parent or significant person in their lives, Young Adult Groups, Adult Men and Women’s Groups, a kids-only kicking back night and a Traumatic Loss group which are those who have lost a loved one due to suicide, drug overdose, or homicide. Adult and kid virtual groups are offered and can be accessed from anywhere.
All facilitators participate in a comprehensive training that teaches them about group facilitation skills and the impact of grief on children, teens and their families. Some facilitators have personal grief experiences and many are mental health professionals.
All of our groups and events are provided at no cost to the family. We are supported by generous individuals and organizations who are committed to ensuring every kid and family has a safe community in which to grieve.�
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Guidance counselors, teachers, coaches, and other professionals who serve kids each day are the first-responders for multiple family support needs. These are the trusted adults who will see a kid each day and have tremendous influence over whether they know how to get along with friends following a traumatic experience, if they succeed in academics, and if they receive the support they need.
Billy’s Place partners with the New York Life Foundation and brings The Grief Sensitive Schools Initiative, grief training, and resources to schools throughout Peoria, Glendale, and the greater Phoenix area. Our school bereavement liaison partners with school districts and community programs to deliver trainings, with a goal of certifying every school as a Grief Sensitive School.