Helpful Resources
Curated guides, articles, and support resources to help you navigate this journey.
State-by-state guides
Plain-language guidance you can expand, print, and share.
Immediate Steps
What to do when someone dies
A simple sequence for the first 24-72 hours.
Read full articleUnderstanding death certificates
How many to order, where they are used, and common delays.
Read full articleNotifying employers and institutions
Who to contact and what to say when informing organizations.
Read full articleEnd-of-Life Care
Legal & Financial
Grief Support
How grief affects the brain
Why focus and memory can feel disrupted in early grief.
Read full articleSupporting grieving children
Age-appropriate communication and consistency strategies.
Read full articleGrief support resources
What to look for in peer groups, counseling, and crisis support.
Read full articleMemorial Planning
Rachel's Reading List
Books that offer comfort, guidance, and understanding in grief.
Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
A surgeon examines what matters most at the end of life
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)It's OK That You're Not OK
by Megan Devine
Meeting grief and loss in a culture that doesn't understand
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)The Year of Magical Thinking
by Joan Didion
A powerful memoir on loss and the process of mourning
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
A neurosurgeon's memoir facing terminal illness
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)The Five Invitations
by Frank Ostaseski
Discovering what death can teach us about living fully
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)Option B
by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant
Facing adversity, building resilience, and finding joy
View on Amazon (opens in a new tab)Need immediate support?
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text
988
SAMHSA National Helpline
(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Call
1-800-662-4357
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to
741741