About

When Jason was nine, his father died suddenly.  He recalls, “One of my favorite memories is of my time sailing with my dad. Whenever the weather got rough, we would go into a cove to take shelter. It was in those calm waters that I felt most safe.”  In the stormy, emotional times that followed his father’s death, Jason longed for the safety and peace of those calm waters again. It is for Jason, and all the other children who have endured loss, that Calm Waters was founded.

Loss can bring on turbulent and frightening times for children and teenagers. Calm Waters is a support center for children and families whose lives have been changed by death, divorce or other major loss.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to help children and their families in their grief journey caused by death, divorce or other significant loss.

Quick Facts

  • Calm Waters offers FREE grief and divorce support groups to children (ages 3-18) and their parents/guardians, and to young adults who are  not parents (ages 19-25).
  • Calm Waters was founded in November 1992 at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in the Counseling Department.
  • In September 1994, Calm Waters added support groups for children whose parents are divorcing.
  • Calm Waters expanded to provide support groups for families ravaged by community tragedies, such as the 1995 Murrah Building bombing and the May 3, 1999, tornado.
  • In 1997, adult seminars called, Parenting Through Divorce, were added. These seminars are often mandated by the courts for divorcing parents.
  • In 1999, Calm Waters became an independent nonprofit organization and is listed with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to Calm Waters are tax deductible.
  • In 2000, Calm Waters added a school-based grief support group program to its repertoire of free services offered to the community.
  • Historically, Calm Waters served 200 students per year in these school-based support groups.
  • By 2007-2008, more than 800 metro-area students (K-12) benefited from this outreach program. In 2008-2009, more than 1,750 children participated in the 6-week school-based groups. And in 2009-2010, 2,006 children and youth (pre-k – grade 12) participated in this program.
  • Calm Waters directly serves approximately 3,000 children, youth and adults annually.
  • Calm Waters has provided grief services to our community for 20 years, serving 20,000 individuals.
  • Calm Waters Center for Children and Families – Life beyond loss.