UK peer-led support group expands to help students coping with major loss

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 2, 2025) — Beginning in Fall 2024, Loss Inspiring New Connections, or LINC, was expanded to support University of Kentucky students who had experienced a major death loss and were ready to actively work on processing their feelings.

“It’s difficult to come to college and try and make new friends when you are working through such a difficult personal issue, like grief,” said Rose Barczak, a psychology (College of Arts and Sciences) and communication (College of Communication and Information) major from Walton, Kentucky. “Ultimately, I wanted to find people who not only understood my situation but were also my age and dealing with similar college struggles.”

LINC began as a class project for J.J. Weaver, Troy Litteral and Shawn Clancy. The program was created for Nicole Breazeale’s Community and Leadership Development senior capstone seminar. UK’s Women and Philanthropy Network helped sponsor the initial project and the continued expansion efforts. After being expanded, LINC is now bringing support and providing resources for all UK students.

“My sister died right before I went to college, and I was overwhelmed with grief,” said Chase Hill, a psychology major from Lexington who participated in LINC last fall. “I felt I was stuck, so when I saw the poster, I felt the group would be a good chance for me to express my grief to people who would understand as well as potentially making new friends.” 

LINC is a peer-led grief support program facilitated by a trained grief counselor, and it’s now being offered to all UK students through the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Barczak is a former participant who now helps facilitate the program as a peer mentor. 

“After a new member sign up, it’s my job to reach out and try to build a connection,” Barczak said. “The goal is for them to feel like they know at least one person (the peer leader) before coming to meetings.” 

LINC is an eight-week program, meeting weekly throughout the academic semester. The program is not designed for people who are fresh in their grief but is intended for people who’ve had at least six months to process. Each 90-minute session focuses on a different aspect of loss. Accompanying coping skills and tools are also introduced to participants.

“This program is not about getting rid of your grief, but about helping you to live with it,” Hill said. “This group also gave me something to look forward to each week and gave me a reason to get out of bed, which can be hard to do when you’re overwhelmed with grief.”

Every meeting is meant to provide a positive environment with a meal so students can focus on relaxing, looking inwards, learning skills and connecting.

“This group has brought me a lot of joy and support in my personal life,” Barczak said. “I have made great connections with members and still keep in touch with past members.”

The original “Behind the Blue” podcast featuring Breazeale, Weaver and Emily Johnson, clinical programs manager at the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families, is available above. In the podcast, the three discuss the beginnings of the program, the overwhelming need for these types of groups throughout the Commonwealth and the legacy they hope build by serving students in need.

To find out more on how students can enroll with LINC for Fall 2025, visit: https://www.kcgcf.org/young-adults. 

The TRACS (Triage, Referral, Assistance and Crisis Support) hub is a physical and virtual one-stop shop where UK students can come for a quick referral to support services or receive direct clinical support for a range of mental health needs, basic needs and crises. Students can show up in-person (third floor, east wing of the Gatton Student Center), call 859-21TRACS (859-218-7227) or fill out this form for assistance.