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Wayfinders Network
Wayfinders Network
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The Wayfinders Network* is an independent and collaborative group of retired hospice nurses, case managers, death doulas, and social workers who are available to help patients and their families who are considering medical aid in dying. Wayfinders* help people find the right services and connect with whatever support would be helpful. For non-residents, that may include lodging and logistics. For all patients, it may include supporting enrollment in hospice care, creating a plan for the day the patient plans to take the medical aid in dying medication, arranging caregivers, and providing emotional support. These services supplement the assistance available on the PCV Helpline, especially where more detailed support is required. All Wayfinders have training and guidance from the PCV team and other network members. It is up to the patient and their family to decide whether a particular Wayfinder is a good match for them. To find a Wayfinder, please review the profiles below and then contact the person who you think might be a good match for you. Fees charged by individual Wayfinders do vary and all offer a sliding fee scale. Be sure to inquire about this when you contact a Wayfinder. *Trademarks: Wayfinder and Wayfinders Network are trademarks of Patient Choices Vermont. |
Special Thanks to Rita Mannebach and her Family: Rita Mannebach, who recently traveled from Florida to use medical aid in dying in Vermont, has provided a generous donation to PCV to help us assist others who want the same option. We extend our deepest sympathy and thanks to her family, and also honor her Wayfinder, Meg Tipper. Rita's story is provided here. PCV gratefully welcomes donations in furtherance of our mission to empower people at the end of life. |
List of Wayfinders:
NORTHEAST & CENTRAL VT
Lindsey Warren, MM, is an end-of-life doula that is an advocate for informed choice. To that end, she is a community educator for natural and home burial and as well as a Wayfinder™ supporting those wishing to explore Act 39 Medical Aid In Dying as an end of life option. She is also trained in complementary holistic modalities of Reiki, music, meditation coaching, essential oils, and herbal care for end of life. She has a Masters Degree in Music and came to death doula work first via bedside music for the dying and then chose to pursue certification through UVM's end of life doula training program.
Lindsey supports people across the state through her business, Journey With Compassion and works on a sliding scale fee structure to ensure accessibility to all. Lindsey's service area radius is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from Coventry VT, reaching parts of Lamoille, Orange, Washington and Franklin counties, as well as the Northeast Kingdom communities.
Contact:
[email protected]
www.journeywithcompassion.com
Lindsey Warren, MM, is an end-of-life doula that is an advocate for informed choice. To that end, she is a community educator for natural and home burial and as well as a Wayfinder™ supporting those wishing to explore Act 39 Medical Aid In Dying as an end of life option. She is also trained in complementary holistic modalities of Reiki, music, meditation coaching, essential oils, and herbal care for end of life. She has a Masters Degree in Music and came to death doula work first via bedside music for the dying and then chose to pursue certification through UVM's end of life doula training program.
Lindsey supports people across the state through her business, Journey With Compassion and works on a sliding scale fee structure to ensure accessibility to all. Lindsey's service area radius is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from Coventry VT, reaching parts of Lamoille, Orange, Washington and Franklin counties, as well as the Northeast Kingdom communities.
Contact:
[email protected]
www.journeywithcompassion.com
NORTHERN VERMONT
Offering support for M.A.I.D. in Chittenden County and some parts of Grand Isle, Franklin, and Lamoille Counties
Offering support for M.A.I.D. in Chittenden County and some parts of Grand Isle, Franklin, and Lamoille Counties
Joann Engelberth works as an embodiment coach teaching folks how to heal themselves by developing an empowered relationship with their bodies through trauma informed yoga and her roles as a Tension and Trauma Release Exercise provider (TREⓇ) and as a Trauma Informed Weight Lifting Coach (TIWL). She works a lot with grief, often with the loss that comes from traumatic experiences which started attracting folks working with bereavement, one of the threads that brought her to this work.
Joann lives in Essex, VT. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UVM with a BA in Psychology. She completed UVM’s End Of Life Doula professional certificate program in October 2023 and Death Literacy Specialist training in the fall of 2024. She is an active Wayfinders member to support patients looking for access to Medical Aid in Dying and has been active in the North East EOL Doula Network, UVM EOL Doula Book Club, and attends local Death Cafés. She continues studying with the National End of Life Doula Alliance and the International End of Life Doula Association. Joann offers death doula services with a "Pay From the Heart" option for those with limited resources. As a PCV Wayfinder, Joann can assist you with identifying resources and working with emotional challenges while navigating end of life.
Contact Info: [email protected]
deathdoulajoann.com
instagram.com/deathdoulajoann
Joann lives in Essex, VT. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UVM with a BA in Psychology. She completed UVM’s End Of Life Doula professional certificate program in October 2023 and Death Literacy Specialist training in the fall of 2024. She is an active Wayfinders member to support patients looking for access to Medical Aid in Dying and has been active in the North East EOL Doula Network, UVM EOL Doula Book Club, and attends local Death Cafés. She continues studying with the National End of Life Doula Alliance and the International End of Life Doula Association. Joann offers death doula services with a "Pay From the Heart" option for those with limited resources. As a PCV Wayfinder, Joann can assist you with identifying resources and working with emotional challenges while navigating end of life.
Contact Info: [email protected]
deathdoulajoann.com
instagram.com/deathdoulajoann
BURLINGTON AREA
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in the greater Burlington area, including BTV airport.
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in the greater Burlington area, including BTV airport.
Meg Tipper, Ed. D., is a teacher by training and calling. She spent her full-time work life teaching in high schools and colleges in Maryland. After moving to Vermont in retirement, Meg became a 500 hour Kripalu Yoga Teacher. Having retired from yoga teaching, she now devotes herself to work as a Death Doula, certified through UVM’s EOL Doula Program. Meg helped her mother die using VSED (voluntary stopping eating and drinking) and is deeply committed to accompanying clients and their families who make the hard decision to die with intention. As a Wayfinder, Meg helps with the many logistical and emotional challenges of the process. Meg's business, The Agape Way, LLC, serves clients coming to Chittenden County. The fee is $3000, payable in two installments. There are "Pay from the Heart" and "Pay it Forward" fee options for those with limited or plentiful resources. Meg offers a 40 minute Zoom intake for free and after that the first payment and signed contract are required before moving forward.
If you have read the PCV website information for non-residents and feel that you are ready to begin your planning for coming to Vermont, then email Meg with information about the potential client and where you are in the Act 39 process. You can expect a response from Meg within 24 hours. Please email her only if you are not waiting to hear back from another PCV Helpline or Wayfinder contact.
Contact Info: [email protected]
If you have read the PCV website information for non-residents and feel that you are ready to begin your planning for coming to Vermont, then email Meg with information about the potential client and where you are in the Act 39 process. You can expect a response from Meg within 24 hours. Please email her only if you are not waiting to hear back from another PCV Helpline or Wayfinder contact.
Contact Info: [email protected]
SOUTHWESTERN VERMONT
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in Rutland and Bennington Counties
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in Rutland and Bennington Counties
Nicole DeNoyers, BA/MA, is a community volunteer, death literacy educator, and University of Vermont–trained End-of-Life Doula serving southwestern Vermont and eastern New York. She believes everyone should be empowered to make their own choices in life, including how and when to die when facing terminal illness.
After accompanying her parents and sister on their end-of-life journeys, Nicole followed her heart to advocacy work. She combines empathy with organizational and team-building skills from her business leadership career to help people clarify and enact their priorities, preserving energy for what matters most.
Nicole brings a calm, pragmatic approach to navigating Vermont’s Medical Aid in Dying process, including the travel and logistical arrangements often required for out-of-state clients. Cognizant of the emotion surrounding end-of-life decisions, she provides clear, timely information that supports informed decision-making and adapts as circumstances evolve.
Her fees are based on one’s ability to pay plus how much one can comfortably share with others who need the same support. The sliding scale begins at $2,000.
To schedule a 30-minute consultation, contact:
Nicole DeNoyers
River’s Edge Transitions
[email protected]
After accompanying her parents and sister on their end-of-life journeys, Nicole followed her heart to advocacy work. She combines empathy with organizational and team-building skills from her business leadership career to help people clarify and enact their priorities, preserving energy for what matters most.
Nicole brings a calm, pragmatic approach to navigating Vermont’s Medical Aid in Dying process, including the travel and logistical arrangements often required for out-of-state clients. Cognizant of the emotion surrounding end-of-life decisions, she provides clear, timely information that supports informed decision-making and adapts as circumstances evolve.
Her fees are based on one’s ability to pay plus how much one can comfortably share with others who need the same support. The sliding scale begins at $2,000.
To schedule a 30-minute consultation, contact:
Nicole DeNoyers
River’s Edge Transitions
[email protected]
SOUTHERN VERMONT
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in Brattleboro and Windham County
Support for Medical Aid in Dying in Brattleboro and Windham County
Kasey March, Ed. M., is an end-of-life doula, educator, and advocate. She believes that everyone can have a well supported death. In her work she helps clients understand the challenges at end-of-life and navigate them. Her goal as a doula is to assist and empower you, the client. She recognizes the importance of a dying person’s autonomy and realizes there are many who don’t know that they have access to choices and preferences at end-of-life. Kasey provides an open-hearted presence to the dying and their circle of care. She simplifies complex information so that clients can spend time on what matters most to them.
Kasey worked in higher education administration helping students navigate university systems to access supports, overcome obstacles, and complete their degrees until moving to Vermont. In 2021, she decided to utilize her skills in a new way and became a hospice direct care volunteer and trained with the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). She currently serves as a death doula and hospice volunteer in Vermont and New Hampshire.
For more detail on Kasey's services, please contact her.
Contact Info: [email protected]
www.doulacarefordying.com
Kasey worked in higher education administration helping students navigate university systems to access supports, overcome obstacles, and complete their degrees until moving to Vermont. In 2021, she decided to utilize her skills in a new way and became a hospice direct care volunteer and trained with the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA). She currently serves as a death doula and hospice volunteer in Vermont and New Hampshire.
For more detail on Kasey's services, please contact her.
Contact Info: [email protected]
www.doulacarefordying.com
CENTRAL VERMONT, including towns like Burlington, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury and White River Junction
COMPASSIONATE CHOICE ALLIANCE
Compassionate Choice Alliance, LLC is a team of three mental health professionals and End of Life Doulas serving clients throughout Vermont. We offer a calm, steady, experienced presence for individuals and families considering Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) under Vermont’s Act 39. We help navigate the logistical, emotional, and relational aspects of accessing services with clarity, compassion, and respect. Our goal is to support care that aligns with each person’s wishes and to ease the journey by guiding clients and their loved ones through practical barriers while providing consistent emotional support throughout the process.
For more information on the Compassionate Choice Alliance, please visit:
www.compassionatechoicealliance.org/about-2
or contact: [email protected]
802-448-5046
Compassionate Choice Alliance, LLC is a team of three mental health professionals and End of Life Doulas serving clients throughout Vermont. We offer a calm, steady, experienced presence for individuals and families considering Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) under Vermont’s Act 39. We help navigate the logistical, emotional, and relational aspects of accessing services with clarity, compassion, and respect. Our goal is to support care that aligns with each person’s wishes and to ease the journey by guiding clients and their loved ones through practical barriers while providing consistent emotional support throughout the process.
For more information on the Compassionate Choice Alliance, please visit:
www.compassionatechoicealliance.org/about-2
or contact: [email protected]
802-448-5046
Licia Berry-Berard, MSW, LICSW
Licia is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and end of life doula with over 30 years of experience supporting individuals and families through medically and emotionally complex life stages. She has guided countless patients and caregivers through medical systems, end-of-life decisions, and anticipatory grief with a consistent focus on dignity, clarity, and emotional safety. 
Brigid Guttmacher, M.A., L.P.C.
Brigid is a retired licensed professional counselor and end of life doula with 40 years of hospice experience as both a clinician and volunteer. In her role she supported families, friends, and community members before and after the death of a loved one. Brigid had a private practice in DC focused on helping individuals and families navigate illness, life transitions, and grief. |
Rachel Loreto, LMSW
Rachel is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist and end of life doula. She serves on the board of End of Life Options DC and volunteers with hospice. Her dedication to this work is rooted in her personal experience accompanying her aunt through Vermont’s MAID process, inspiring her commitment to helping others create a peaceful and empowered end-of-life journey. |
THE COMFORT PROJECT
The Comfort Project has been supporting out-of-state clients coming to Southern Vermont for Medical Aid in Dying since the residency requirement was removed in 2023. Our team brings extensive professional experience in end-of-life care and specialized training in MAID.
Navigating MAID in Vermont is a complex process requiring the completion of numerous logistical tasks. Our work with clients is grounded in a compassionate understanding of the enormous emotional and practical undertaking this decision entails. We strive to make the process easier by offering clear information and logistical assistance while respecting the profound nature of this end-of-life decision. We charge a fee for our services based on a sliding scale. The Comfort Project is led by Patty Dunn and Suzanne Baxtresser, who have partnered with five other Wayfinders to provide assistance to those pursuing MAID.
The Comfort Project has been supporting out-of-state clients coming to Southern Vermont for Medical Aid in Dying since the residency requirement was removed in 2023. Our team brings extensive professional experience in end-of-life care and specialized training in MAID.
Navigating MAID in Vermont is a complex process requiring the completion of numerous logistical tasks. Our work with clients is grounded in a compassionate understanding of the enormous emotional and practical undertaking this decision entails. We strive to make the process easier by offering clear information and logistical assistance while respecting the profound nature of this end-of-life decision. We charge a fee for our services based on a sliding scale. The Comfort Project is led by Patty Dunn and Suzanne Baxtresser, who have partnered with five other Wayfinders to provide assistance to those pursuing MAID.
Suzanne Baxtresser is a retired hospice nurse certified in Hospice and Palliative Care. Since retiring from Bayada Hospice in Brattleboro, she has continued her end-of-life work with individuals and families pursuing Medical Aid in Dying.
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Patty Dunn has provided emotional and practical support to people facing the end of life and living with loss for 32 years in professional and volunteer roles. |
For more information about The Comfort Project: www.thecomfortproject.org
Questions & Answers:
Is the Wayfinder Service Free?
Some Wayfinders are volunteers while others provide their services for a fee. It is up to the patient and family to ensure that the Wayfinder they choose is a good match, both in terms of capabilities and fees. PCV has no financial interest in the work of the Wayfinders.
Is a Wayfinder a substitute for hospice?
No, the Wayfinders are not a substitute for hospice. PCV strongly recommends that all aid-in-dying patients be enrolled in hospice for the combination of medical, comfort, and emotional support they provide.
Is the Wayfinder Service Free?
Some Wayfinders are volunteers while others provide their services for a fee. It is up to the patient and family to ensure that the Wayfinder they choose is a good match, both in terms of capabilities and fees. PCV has no financial interest in the work of the Wayfinders.
Is a Wayfinder a substitute for hospice?
No, the Wayfinders are not a substitute for hospice. PCV strongly recommends that all aid-in-dying patients be enrolled in hospice for the combination of medical, comfort, and emotional support they provide.
PCV is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, not supported by any government agency.
While our services are free, our small staff and dedicated team of volunteers counts on individual donations to cover our month-to-month operations. Please, consider supporting the PCV team by making a donation.
Thank you.
While our services are free, our small staff and dedicated team of volunteers counts on individual donations to cover our month-to-month operations. Please, consider supporting the PCV team by making a donation.
Thank you.