Evaluation of the National Association for Loss and Grief: Final Report

This is the final report of the evaluation of the National Association of Loss and Grief (NALAG) undertaken by the Centre for Health Service Development (CHSD) on behalf of the NSW Ministry of Health.

NALAG is a not-for-profit community-based organisation (CMO) that provides support services for people in NSW experiencing loss, grief and trauma. Its head office is located in Dubbo, NSW with a second physical premises located in Mudgee operating under the direction of a local volunteer coordinator. NALAG also operates ‘branches’ in Greater Sydney, the Hunter and Bellingen which operate ‘virtually’ under the direction of a local volunteer coordinator.

The Ministry commenced funding NALAG in 2010. Since then, NALAG has been funded through a series of two-year funding agreements. The current agreement is for a maximum amount of $1,117,082 and covers the period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024. The current funding agreement includes a series of KPIs against which NALAG is required to report to the Ministry on a quarterly basis.

Since the recent pandemic, NALAG has experienced increases in both the level of demand for its services and the complexity of grief experiences of clients accessing its services. This increase in demand has led to a broader set of issues and questions about NALAG and its role in providing loss and grief support.

This evaluation has sought to understand the scope and outcomes of the services being provided by NALAG and seeks to understand its role in addressing the needs of people who are experiencing loss and grief within the broader mental health service delivery environment.

The NALAG evaluation has used an exploratory mixed methods design. NALAG program data covering a six-year period, 31 stakeholder interviews, 173 client surveys, and 56 volunteer surveys has provided a rich source of information to inform the evaluation.

The evaluation was undertaken between July 2023 and March 2024. This report presents the evaluation findings and a set of options for consideration by the Ministry.