SFI signs a collaboration agreement with SIPS to offer grief support

Barcelona, October 2009

Serveis Funeraris Integrals (SFI) has initiated a collaboration with Serveis Integrals de Psicologia (SIPS) to offer guidance to families dealing with loss and crisis situations, as well as individualized grief therapy.

With this agreement, SFI aims to create a quality service that contributes to the well-being of families during one of the most delicate moments in life. According to Josep Ventura, Director of the Funeral Services Area at SFI, "this service is intended to help those who request it from the very first moment, promoting recovery and preventing unwanted consequences during the subsequent grief process."

Help at a Crucial Moment

People who manage general stress from the demands of daily life usually recover and progress in a healthy and productive manner. However, when a death occurs, an individual may experience cumulative stress and, consequently, increased emotional vulnerability. According to Andrés Cuartero, a clinical psychologist at SIPS and a specialist in clinical psychology, "the management of grief is directly related to the significance of the loss to the affected person and the conditions in which the death occurred. However, when death occurs at certain times of the year—during seasonal changes or in periods such as autumn or winter—we are more prone to emotional weakness." Commemorative dates, anniversaries, or Christmas are other difficult and crucial moments in a grief process.

Each person has their own pace to overcome grief, although it is usually estimated that this period can range from three months to two years. The possibility of psychological support from the moment of death is essential to help in this process. For this reason, SFI offers a free psychological counseling service to those in need during the days of the deceased person's wake. If the process becomes complicated, individualized therapy or even grief support groups are available.

Emergency and Personalized Service for Families

The psychological support service at Serveis Funeraris Integrals operates 365 days a year at any of the group’s facilities in Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Baix Llobregat, Penedès, and Garraf. Emergency assistance entails a maximum response time of one hour from the moment the professional is contacted to their presence at the requested location.

In parallel with the psychological support, SFI has also published an administrative assistance guide for those dealing with a death, which is offered free of charge to anyone who requests it. *What to Do in the Event of a Death* includes all the necessary information and step-by-step advice to be considered after a death.

About Serveis Funeraris Integrals (SFI)

Serveis Funeraris Integrals is the leading group in the management of funeral services, funeral homes, and cemeteries in the province of Barcelona, currently serving 56 towns in Catalonia. SFI was born from the union of three family businesses—Ventura, Fenés, and Viñas—with over 300 years of experience in the funeral sector and a team of 200 professionals. SFI maintains a strong commitment to environmental quality. This commitment primarily aspires to achieve excellence in corporate governance, occupational health and safety, and environmental issues. In this regard, in addition to holding the European EMAS registration at the Roques Blanques Regional Cemetery, the group has obtained the ISO 14001-2004 environmental certification for all the cemeteries it manages, as well as the ISO 9001-2000 quality certification for both the cemeteries and the group’s 14 funeral homes, including the Tanatori Ronda de Dalt in Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Boi, Vilafranca del Penedès, and Vilanova i la Geltrú, among others. Additionally, two of the cemeteries managed by SFI—Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltrú—are members of the ASCE (Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe), a European association that groups cemeteries of cultural and historical interest across the continent.

About Serveis Integrals de Psicologia (SIPS)

Serveis Integrals de Psicologia is a collective of professionals dedicated to providing specialized services in the field of psychological care. Their service philosophy follows the biopsychosocial health paradigm promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a holistic view of human beings and their health. They approach interventions from an ethical standpoint based on what is humanly desirable for the affected population, promoting responsibility as a fundamental value for individuals.

SIPS has a team of specialists, including associated and collaborating psychologists with extensive experience in various fields, but specifically in psychological assistance in critical incidents and ad hoc training in emergency psychology (APIC). These professionals are affiliated with and have accredited training from the Official College of Psychologists of Catalonia. The APIC covers both immediate interventions corresponding to the acute or crisis phase and post-trauma psychosocial rehabilitation tasks.

The experience accumulated over the years by SIPS professionals allows them to seek maximum efficiency and excellence in the services provided. SIPS collaborates with institutions such as UB, UAB, SEM-061 (Medical Emergency Service of Catalonia), and other entities and municipalities throughout Catalonia.