Compassion in Action is a caregiver education and wellness initiative that supports professional and community caregivers through workshops, self-paced learning, peer connection, and specialized training. The program promotes mental well-being, grief literacy, resilience, and compassionate care, ensuring caregivers have the knowledge, resources, and support they need to thrive while caring for others.
Compassion in Action
Healing the Hearts of Front-Line Caregivers
The focus of Compassion in Action: Healing the Hearts of Front-Line Workers (Professional Caregivers) to develop and mobilize a multi-faceted program designed to the mental health and well-being of caregivers for multiple populations including Veterans and individuals with developmental disabilities from terminal diagnosis through end-of-life.
By addressing grief intensity, caregiver burnout, and long-term mental well-being, the program provides essential education, grief support, and resources to strengthen the care network. Through structured grief literacy, peer support, and accessiblebereavement resources, caregivers will gain tools to navigate loss in a sustainable way.
Caregivers often form deep bonds with those they support, yet many lack a structured system to help them process grief, loss, and the emotional weight of end-of-life care. This program ensures they are not alone by fostering a lasting network of trained individuals, informed advocacy, and sustainable policies that embed grief support into caregiving. By prioritizing collaboration over competition, Compassion in Action is building a sustainable, compassionate model where no caregiver faces loss alone.
Together, we're building resilient, compassionate caregiving communities.
Death and Grief Literacy
Building Confidence Around End-of-Life
Compassion in Action is a caregiver support and education initiative designed to strengthen mental health, resilience, and connection among professional and community-based caregivers.
The program focuses on:
-
Supporting caregiver mental health and emotional well-being
-
Addressing grief, burnout, and compassion fatigue in care environments
-
Building peer connection, reflection, and shared learning spaces
-
Strengthening caregiving environments across community and institutional settings
This initiative is designed to be adaptable across caregiving contexts, with three core streams of focus:
Program Streams
-
General Caregiving Stream: Supports caregivers working across diverse community and professional settings, with a focus on grief literacy, emotional resilience, and peer support.
-
Autism Caregiver Support Stream: Focused on caregivers supporting individuals on the autism spectrum, with emphasis on communication challenges, emotional load, and system navigation.
-
Veteran Caregiver Support Stream: Focused on caregivers supporting Veterans, including complex trauma exposure, end-of-life care contexts, and transitions within healthcare systems.
Workshops & Programming
includes:
-
Upcoming workshop listings (in-person/online/hybrid, date, time, description)
-
Past workshop archive (recordings or summaries if available)
-
Learning objectives for each session
-
Registration or participation links
Self-Paced Learning
Includes:
-
Pre-recorded modules
-
Downloadable resources (toolkits, guides, worksheets)
-
Reflection activities
-
Suggested learning pathways (Beginner → Advanced)
-
Recorded Sessions
Updates & Announcements
Includes:
-
Program updates
-
New partnerships or collaborators
-
Upcoming events or opportunities
-
Important changes or notices
Our Core Team
Taylor Welsh
Compassion in Action Team Lead
she/her
Taylor Welsh is a Social Service Worker graduate currently pursuing Business Administration Accounting. By combining social services and business knowledge, Taylor aims to bridge gaps within community organizations and strengthen the support systems available to underserved populations. Passionate about end-of-life care, Taylor is dedicated to advocating for overlooked communities and ensuring individuals receive compassionate, person-centered support throughout their journeys. Project Coordinator, Team Leadership, Facilitation, Research, Outreach, and Evaluation
Josie Lacey
Grant Mobilization & Impact Coordinator
she/her
Josie Lacey is the Grant Mobilization & Impact Coordinator for Compassion in Action. She leads grant implementation, project coordination, and impact reporting, helping ensure funded initiatives are organized, accountable, and aligned with both community needs and funder expectations. Josie brings many years of administrative experience across diverse settings, along with certifications in bookkeeping, grief support, death doula, and is passionate about supporting meaningful, community-centred initiatives. Project Coordination, Organizational Partnerships, Grant Administration, and Budget Oversight.
Emit Bryne
2SLGBTQI+ and Disabled communities Advocate
they/them
Emit’s academic and professional work is deeply rooted in supporting 2SLGBTQI+ and Disabled communities. With a BA in Japanese Studies from Huron University College at Western, Emit’s academic research has explored gender and LGBTQ+ representation in media. With an additional Social Service Worker diploma at Humber Polytechnic, Emit is committed to developing inclusive, affirming support systems for marginalized communities. Within their work with Home Hospice Association, they have played a key role in researching issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ folks, and the developmentally disabled community at end-of-life. Doing things like developing surveys, customizing workshops, and shaping the foundation of new programs to support disenfranchised groups at any age or stage, so they can receive respectful and compassionate care at the end of life. Research, Data Collection, and Participant Interviews.
Mia Robertson
Prend-of-life doula
she/her
Mia Robertson is an end-of-life doula based in Nova Scotia. She proudly served in the Canadian Armed Forces for fourteen years, where her dedication to service and compassion for others shaped her approach to supporting individuals and families. Drawing on her combined experiences as a nurse’s aide in long-term care and her military service, Mia found her calling as an end-of-life doula. As a proud veteran, she is passionate about providing compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care, fostering meaningful connections, and serving her community with dignity and empathy. Veteran End-of-Life Care, Community Outreach, and Educational Resource Development.
Natalie Couture
Thanatologist
she/her
Thanatologist. Specializing in grief support, education, and somatic practices. Evidence-based and nervous system informed. Lived Experience Advisory, Council Development, and Grief Education.
CONTACT US
Have any questions? Feel free to email us using the contact information below."
Funded by
The Laurel Foundation, Christina Mary Hendrie Trust, and Rexall