Loss Within the Walls: Coping with Grief While Incarcerated is a free grief booklet created especially for inmates who are struggling with grief and loss.
“Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.”
— Vicki Harrison
Grief can be especially difficult in a correctional setting where access to support is limited, and emotions can feel heightened.
This free grief booklet aims to guide individuals who are incarcerated through understanding their grief, expressing their feelings, and finding healthy ways to cope in a correctional setting.
Please note that this free grief booklet is meant to be a two-fold booklet. To print two-fold, use the ‘booklet’ setting in Foxit PDF Editor when printing. Otherwise, print to scale (one page per sheet).
This free grief booklet may be reproduced and distributed for personal, therapeutic, and/or educational purposes. Please link to Mind Remake Project when sharing electronic copies.
For a full workbook on grief, created for anyone who is experiencing loss (also free to download), see Free Grief Workbook PDF – mind remake project. For quotes on grief, scroll to the bottom for a printable PDF.
Nearly 100 mental health worksheets, handouts, card decks, forms, and more for substance use, mental health, and wellness. Please bookmark this page and share with anyone who might benefit! New resources are added on a regular basis.
For more free downloads and mental health worksheets, click here for a list of PDF workbooks, manuals, and self-help guides.
A 2-page handout for clinicians who facilitate group therapy with (adult) clients and their families. The questions were developed for an inpatient SUD setting.
A list of questions for exploring the following topics: Conversation starters, mental health, addiction, personal development, values, family, relationships, and emotions. These questions can be used in a group setting, individually, or as journal prompts.
Good for newly formed groups. Each group member writes down their “first impression” of other group members. The facilitator then reads off the different categories and group members have the opportunity to share their answers.
A printable deck of cards with 128 coping skills for managing stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions. Each card includes one simple coping skill.
These cards can be used in a SUD inpatient or outpatient setting to facilitate group discussions about recovery. Group members take turns drawing a card and answering questions. The facilitator can vary things up by letting group members pick someone else to answer their question once they’ve finished sharing. Alternatively, group members can take turns drawing cards, but all group members are encouraged to share their answers. This activity works best with a working group.
A card deck with 104 cards with thought-provoking questions intended to promote discussion. Topics include goals, values, emotions, relationships, spirituality, and more.
These cards can be used in a group or individual setting. The last page of the PDF includes additional values exercises for journaling, clinical supervision, couples, and groups. Tip: Print the cards on patterned scrapbook paper (blank on one side).
A colorful 3-page handout with ideas for hobbies that fall under the following categories: Animals/nature, arts/crafts, collections, cooking/baking, entertainment, home improvement/DIY, outdoor/adventure, self-improvement, sports, travel, and misc.
In the House-Tree-Person Test, the picture of the house is supposed to represent how the individual feels about their family. The tree elicits feelings of strength or weakness. The person represents how the individual feels about themselves. (Source: How Projective Tests Are Used to Measure Personality – Simply Psychology)
This art activity can be done in a group setting or individually. Clients design both outer – what the world sees – and inner – the hidden self – masks. The third page has questions for discussion. This activity can be used to target all sorts of issues from body image to values to character defects (in addiction) and more.
This mental health worksheet can be used in groups or as a homework assignment. Encourage clients to be creative; instead of just drawing or coloring, they can use magazine cutouts, stickers, photos, etc. Suggested questions for discussion: How did you decide which identities to portray? Which portrait best represents your true self? Which portrait do others see the most? What, if anything, would you like to change about your portraits?
A blank schedule with hourly slots starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. Can be used as part of a relapse prevention, for depression management, or as a planner.
A 16-page mental health worksheet packet for examining the expectations you have for others, helping you to understand how expectations can impact relationships and overall quality of life.
A 6-page worksheet for describing problem areas, identifying goals, and exploring what has (and has not) been helpful in the past. This worksheet can be used to develop a collaborative treatment plan.
A 2-page form for case conceptualization with sections for demographics, key findings, background info, case formulation, interventions/plans, and requested feedback or suggestions.
