Youth Bereavement Support: A Roadmap to Inclusion

Description

Inequities and power differentials (e.g., race, income, gender, sexual orientation, age) shape  meaning-making and service provision in grief and loss encounters (Bordere, 2016, 2018, 2019; Rosenblatt, 2016). The grief journey is often complicated by secrecy, economics, traumatic loss, and the impact of poverty on quality of life. Inclusive and ethical programming that is intentional and on-going continues to be a source of growth and of concern in our field. As grief professionals, it is important to understand the dynamics of these experiences and the centrality of self-care so that we can offer support that is ethical, relevant, and culturally sensitive to grief support needs (Bordere, 2018; Layne & Williams, 2013; Rosenblatt, 2016). The very diverse and unique nature of grief within broader contexts of racial trauma for marginalized population calls us to be innovative, progressive, and “culturally conscientious” and operate within ethical and socially just frameworks (Bordere, 2009, 2016) in our approaches with less resourced communities.

This experiential presentation will offer a lens to view ethical work with underserved populations, to include activities (Layne & Williams, 2013), cultivating peer support, inclusive and resonant facilitation, self-care, skill building, and family-based group and processing approaches. Together we will explore an inclusion framework for a 21st century approach to reach across divides to make healing connections in community grief, loss and trauma.