The intervention includes the following steps: 1) in-person interviews by the facilitator with the family prior to the family conference in order to discuss the family's concerns, questions, needs and unique communication characteristics that will be addressed in the family conference; 2) a pre-conference meeting with the facilitator, physician(s), nurse(s), and other clinicians in which a brief summary describing the family's concerns, questions, needs, and unique communication characteristics is presented and discussed; 3) facilitator participation in the family conference; and 4) facilitator follow up with the family throughout the ICU stay. Prior to the facilitator's involvement, both the intervention and control group will meet with the research coordinator who will obtain consent from the family and distribute baseline questionnaires; the research coordinator will also contact both the intervention and control group families at the time of the follow-up questionnaires (3 and 6 months after discharge or death) to notify them that questionnaires are being sent to them and ask if they have any questions. The contacts through the research coordinator are expected to enhance response rates for both groups. For the control group, these contacts with the research coordinator will provide an "attention control." The research coordinator will not provide any of the other intervention components provided by the facilitator (i.e., discussion of concerns or questions prior to the family conference; brief summary to clinicians; participation in the family conference; follow-up contact after the family conference for duration of the ICU stay). A component of the facilitator's role will also include helping to identify the need for a family conference and scheduling these conferences. Therefore, as part of the multi-faceted intervention, we anticipate that family conferences will occur earlier and more frequently in the intervention arm. After the initial family conference, there may be additional family conferences and the facilitator will participate in these conferences for the intervention group.