A growing number of children and adolescents are experiencing the loss of loved ones to gun violence and opioid overdoses, representing two of the most traumatic and stigmatized forms of bereavement in contemporary society. These losses present unique challenges that extend far beyond typical grief responses, as young people must simultaneously process traumatic circumstances of death while confronting societal stigma that often complicates and prolongs their grieving process. This presentation will examine the complex intersection of trauma and stigma in youth bereaved by violence and substance-related deaths, providing evidence-based strategies for recognition, assessment, and intervention with this vulnerable population.

Background and Rationale: The landscape of childhood bereavement has shifted dramatically in recent decades, with increasing numbers of young people losing family members and friends to preventable causes, including gun violence and drug overdoses. These deaths carry distinct characteristics that differentiate them from other forms of loss: they are often sudden, violent, preventable, and accompanied by significant social stigma that can isolate bereaved families and complicate natural grief processes.

Gun violence has become a leading cause of death among young people in the United States, with ripple effects extending far beyond direct victims to include family members, friends, and community members who witness or experience secondary trauma. Similarly, the opioid epidemic has created unprecedented numbers of children orphaned by overdose deaths, with research indicating that between 2011 and 2021, more than 321,000 children lost a parent to overdose.

The traumatic nature of these deaths, combined with societal stigma and blame, creates what researchers term “disenfranchised grief” – grief that is not socially recognized or supported. Young people bereaved by these causes face unique barriers to healthy grief processing, including shame, blame, social isolation, and lack of appropriate support services designed for their specific needs.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits: 1.5 continuing education credits pending
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support professionals, school professionals
Instructional Level: Intermediate – This best describes a topic or issue that the audience likely has a theoretical foundation for understanding and/or a working knowledge
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

Cost: Free for NACG Members; $60 for Guests without CEs, $75 for Guests with CEs

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After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the unique characteristics of grief following losses to gun violence and substance abuse in youth populations
• Recognize signs of traumatic grief and complicated bereavement in children exposed to violent or stigmatized deaths
• Assess the impact of stigma on grief processing and long-term adjustment outcomes
• Implement trauma-informed, culturally responsive interventions for youth bereaved by violence and substance abuse
• Develop community-based support strategies that address both trauma and stigma components

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Brian K. Shaffer is a licensed professional counselor, certified alcohol, drug and addiction counseling practitioner, clinical chaplain, thanatologist, and approved clinical supervisor with 25 years of experience in spiritual and pastoral care, grief, loss, bereavement, trauma, and mental and behavioral health. His work has spanned both private practice and community-based settings.

Dr. Shaffer’s professional passions include working with homeless and disadvantaged populations as well as helping faith communities develop and implement mental and behavioral health social action programs. He currently serves as a professor in Counselor Education and Supervision while maintaining a private telehealth therapy practice.

Throughout his career, Dr. Shaffer has served as mentor and clinical supervisor to numerous students and residents in counseling. His specialty areas include working with adults and families struggling with addiction issues, grief and loss, and trauma, as well as providing chaplain services.

Dr. Shaffer regularly conducts workshops on death, dying, and bereavement as well as mental health and addiction topics. He is actively engaged in research within these areas to contribute to both academic and clinical knowledge. His doctoral research focused on the bio-psychosocial-spiritual needs of retired clergy.

Dr. Shaffer holds a Master of Theological and Pastoral Studies, a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University.

Supported by the philanthropic investment
of the New York Life Foundation.

Continuing Education (CE) Provider Information:

Each professional is responsible for the individual requirements as stipulated by their licensing agency. Please contact your individual licensing board/regulatory agency to review continuing education requirements for licensure renewal. Please note: You must attend “live” (in real-time) to earn CEs. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the CE process, please contact Megan Lopez at megan.lopez@childrengrieve.org or at (432) 288-4688.

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7221. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Counselors completing this course will receive 1.5 contact hours.

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0689. Social Workers completing this course will receive 1.5 contact hours.

The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0238. Counselors completing this course will receive 1.5 contact hours.

National Alliance for Children’s Grief, #1819, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. National Alliance for Children’s Grief maintains responsibility for this course.  ACE provider approval period: 07/20/2023 – 07/20/2026. Counselors completing this course will receive 1.5 continuing education credits.

Refund/cancellation policy: If you need to cancel your registration, please contact Megan Lopez at megan.lopez@childrengrieve.org or at (432) 288-4688. Please note that no refunds will be given.

To request accessibility accommodations: The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is committed to providing universal access to all our events. Please contact Megan Lopez at megan.lopez@childrengrieve.org or at (432) 288-4688 to request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.

Attendance policy: To earn CEs for this event, you must attend the entirety of the event as demonstrated by your autogenerated login and logout time on the Zoom Webinar report and complete an online event evaluation within seven (7) days of the event. Please make sure you are signed into Zoom using the name that matches your professional license and not the name of your place of employment, as there is no way to verify your attendance after the fact if your name does not appear on the Zoom Webinar report. CE certificates will be sent out within 30 days of the educational event. The link for your certificate will come from “certificates@simplecert.net” as the National Alliance for Children’s Grief. Please be sure to add this email to your “safe sender list”. The NACG is unable to process certificates after 90 days from the date of the event. 

CE Certificate retrieval request: The NACG maintains continuing education records for at least six years from the date of completion of the educational event which include: the name and curriculum vitae of the presenter, a record of attendance, an outline of the course, date, and location of the course, and the number of hours for completion of the course. If you attended a CE educational event and need a copy of your CE certificate, please complete this form to obtain a copy: https://nacg.wufoo.com/forms/qfsln7r1twqpty/. Please note if the education event was more than 90 days ago, and a required evaluation was not completed, a certificate cannot be provided per the policy.

Grievance policy:  To view the NACG’s Continuing Education Grievance Policy, you can find it HERE. Please complete THIS form to share a grievance with the NACG regarding a continuing education event.