Grief and Bereavement of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Current Research and Practice

Grief and Bereavement of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Current Research and Practice

The development of activities that effectively address the topic of grief aids in the retainment of grief-related education. The incorporation of activities can enhance the learning, growth, and connection that grief support provides. Participants will learn how to design and implement activities that are both interactive and therapeutic, as well as see examples. In addition, they will better understand the importance of incorporating current interests of youth into the activities for further engagement. Attendees will explore the various types of activities, including physical activities, artistic expression, and mindful practices. Also, participants will learn various ways to measure the effectiveness of their activities in age-appropriate ways. The session will equip attendees with the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to enhance their grief care by incorporating activities into grief support.

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Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Students, interns, individuals entering the field of childhood bereavement, new staff members, new counselors, group facilitators, volunteers, anyone who wants to invest in their practice.
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

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Describe ways that children with ID understand and process a loss
  • Provide examples of how children with ID engage in Caring Connections
  • Demonstrate developmentally inclusive support strategies

 

Speaker Bios:

Arlen Gaines, PhD, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, APHSW-C, is a psychosocial leader in the field of palliative care and hospice, providing system-wide leadership to social workers in palliative care at MedStar Health. Over close to 20 years of caring for patients and their families with serious illness and at the end of life, she developed a specialization in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in their grief and speaks nationally on this subject. She is the co-author of the award-winning I Have a Question series, which addresses complex topics for children, inclusive of those with developmental disabilities, such as I Have a Question about Death and I Have a Question about Cancer. As the first social worker in the inaugural doctoral program in Palliative Care at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, she completed her dissertation research on the grief and bereavement experiences of children with intellectual disabilities.

 

New York Life Foundation logo

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

 

 

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Homicide Loss 101

Homicide loss brings up complex emotions, challenges, and experiences that often complicate the grief process for individuals, children, and families. Persons experiencing homicide loss must navigate the legal system, potentially stigmatizing situations, and cultural factors in addition to the factors that come with a grief event. Through this presentation, we will discuss unique challenges, the impacts of the trial process, the impacts of witnessing homicide, and language to discuss homicide loss with children.

members only iconThis playback is available to active NACG members only. 

Members must be logged into the member portal to access the playback. Not currently a member? Become a NACG member today! Your membership will provide access to free monthly webinars with CEs on current topics to support you in your work, discounts on educational events, access to all webinar playbacks, and more. To learn more and become a member to access this webinar for no additional cost, visit HERE →

 

Target Audience: Students, interns, individuals entering the field of childhood bereavement, new staff members, new counselors, group facilitators, volunteers, anyone who wants to invest in their practice.
Instructional Level: Novice – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way.
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify 3 unique challenges individuals, families, and children experience related to homicide loss.
  • Recognize best practice language to use when discussing homicide loss with children at different developmental levels.
  • Recognize the impacts of the trial process on children and families grieving homicide loss.
  • Identify the impacts of witnessing a homicide.

 

Speaker Bio:

Becca Olsson, MSW, received her Master’s Degree at the University of Oklahoma in Social Work in 2023. She has worked in the social services field since 2019 with experience in mental health services, youth homelessness services, sexual abuse and trauma therapy services, and grief. As the Center-Based Program Coordinator at Calm Waters, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Becca manages the grief and divorce support group programs onsite at Calm Waters. In providing services, she aims to help individuals and families feel less alone in their grief, pain, and loss. She is passionate about social justice and acknowledging and incorporating individuals’ and families’ unique identities and experiences into services.

Kaitlyn Roedl, LPC Candidate, received her Master’s degree at Southern Nazarene University in Counseling Psychology in 2021. She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPC-C). Kaitlyn is a therapist at Calm Waters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and has over 2 years clinical experience and has worked in clinical and non-profit settings. Kaitlyn has experience working with children, teens, adults, and families. Kaitlyn is passionate about creating a safe environment for children and families so individuals don’t have to feel so alone in their grief. Through creating a safe environment, she hopes to increase access to grief support services and empower her community through education.

 

It’s Complicated: Processing grief when relationships are difficult, estranged, or unrecognized

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Grief and Bereavement in the School Setting: Empowering Students Family and Staff

*This playback is available to active NACG Members Only.