Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief Counseling Models and Interventions

This webinar is part of an ongoing series that will provide a foundation of introductory information for anyone working with or providing support to children, teens, and families who may be grieving. This series is not progressive; sessions can be viewed in any order.

Therapists are on the frontlines when people face the most challenging and devastating times in their life. Unfortunately, when it comes to grief and loss, most have been let down by their training programs in terms of how to help their clients at these most vulnerable times. This session will address when grief therapy is beneficial, review important principles and procedures of grief therapy, and provide a framework for delivering effective grief therapy. Participants will learn a variety of treatment techniques and interventions to use with clients across the lifespan and with differing types of grief.

This 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 Worden’s 4 Tasks of Mourning and apply the model to their clinical work.
Implement a variety of grief-focused treatment interventions.
Discern and conceptualize the treatment needs of their grieving clients.

Speaker Bio:

Heather Gaglio, LMFT, received her Master’s degree at Oklahoma State University in Human Development and Family Science with an option in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2012. She is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an Approved Supervisor through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Heather has over 10 years of clinical experience and has worked in non-profit and private practice settings. Heather has been involved in supporting research in the field of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood programs as well. As the current Clinical Director at Calm Waters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Heather oversees a team of therapists and clinical interns who provide over 250 hours of grief counseling to nearly 150 clients each month. She is passionate about increasing access of grief support and educating the community about healthy and helpful ways to support children and families through grief and loss so that no one has to grieve alone.

Jordan Park, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) attended Oklahoma State University for her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Human Development and Family Sciences. She has a professional membership with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. Jordan has worked at Calm Waters Center for Children and Families for 4.5 years serving in a variety of programmatic and clinical roles. Currently, she is a full-time therapist, seeing individuals, families, and couples who have experienced a death and/or divorce. Jordan is very passionate about healthy relationships and encourages individuals to know they are worthy of love and of being seen, heard, and valued.

Needs Assessment Training Series #1: Community Assessment Overview

This is the first of a 3-part Needs Assessment training webinar series, along with accompanying technical assistance. The sessions are meticulously designed to equip participants with a solid foundational understanding to successfully engage in and complete an initial needs assessment process. Comprised of three comprehensive sessions, this training series aims to provide a holistic knowledge base while facilitating the application of concepts through interactive components, discussions, and practical exercises. During the first session, participants will delve into the essential components of a needs assessment, exploring the ‘Why,’ ‘Who,’ ‘What,’ and ‘How’ of the process, with special emphasis on understanding the purpose and benefits for the key stakeholders involved in programming. We will also start to discuss the initial steps for conducting a needs assessment, including steps for 3 levels of needs assessment and will provide information on steps for a basic needs assessment, steps for a more intermediate one, and steps for a more advanced needs assessment.

Download the slides here →
Download the fillable handout here →

Continuing Education (CE) credits are not available for webinar playbacks.
Target Audience: Counselors, Social workers, Bereavement support professionals
Instructional Level: Basic – This best describes a topic or issue that the prospective audience is encountering for the first time in a meaningful way.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Increase understanding and knowledge of the purpose and benefits of conducting a needs assessments.
Increase knowledge of all of the steps involved in conducting a needs assessment.
Increase knowledge of the initial steps for conducting a needs assessment, including steps for 3 levels of needs assessment: Level 1- Basic; Level 2- Intermediate; 3- Advanced.

Speaker Bio:

Ailala Kay (she/her), MA, is OMNI’s Director of Learning and Development. Ms. Kay has been with OMNI since 2004 and has overseen the provision of learning and development-focused projects, such as training, technical assistance, coaching, evaluation, and facilitation services to multiple state and local government agencies, foundations, and non-profits. Ms. Kay brings particular expertise in the design and delivery of trainings and facilitations focused on areas of needs assessment, strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation processes while supporting groups to optimize their efficiency, cohesion, collaboration, and decision-making. She is a certified performance coach, trainer of Prevention Ethics and Substance Abuse Specialist Trainer (SAPST) training, and is also certified in Effective Facilitator Strategies, Keys to Sustainability (CAPT), and Communities that Care, and is a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) facilitator. Ms. Kay is also a staff adjunct for the University of Oklahoma Master of Prevention Science degree program.

Ona Crow (she/her), CPSII, MSW, is a Senior Learning and Development Manager and has been with OMNI for 5 years. She brings over 15 years of experience in both direct service and project/program management with diverse populations. She values the power of community in creating systemic transformation to solve complex problems and sees strong relationships as the foundation of this work. Ona brings high-level expertise and experience in developing and delivering training grounded in adult-learning theory and interactive, and equitable approaches. Ona brings an embodied, authentic, and joyful presence to training and facilitation. She is an expert at designing effective, engaging, and customized training processes that center equity, as well as customizing the process of knowledge and skill building to meet the unique needs of each organization or group she is working with.

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

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief 101 for the New Practitioner

Ms. Phillips will present the foundation for grief therapy with children and adolescents. They will then present a curriculum developed by Ms. Phillips to help the beginning grief counselor establish a clinical practice. Concrete examples of activities used in the session will be demonstrated.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Participants will identify the developmental stages of children and how these impact bereaved youth.
Participants will learn of a basic curriculum of grief counseling.
Participants will identify appropriate treatment modalities with specific examples being taught.

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Phillips, LCSW, CATP has obtained her Master’s degree from the University of Southern Indiana. She has been practicing for over 30 years specializing in grief counseling in all ages. She holds certifications in child and adolescent trauma. Jennifer utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy and play therapy techniques.

Courageous Well-Being Continued: Putting Theory into Practice

This 60-minute session will build on the concepts presented in the first webinar, Courageous Well-Being, Finding New Pathways to Personal and Professional Renewal. As professionals and volunteers working with bereaved children and families, you are well aware of the challenges of your work — vicarious trauma and grief, burnout, empathetic distress, and work/life balance. It is essential to explore the strategies and practices that will help you cope with these issues. This interactive webinar will include writing exercises and practices you can use daily and share with your family and colleagues. Participants of this session should have attended Part I live or reviewed the recording from 7/19. You will need a paper or a journal for this session.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Speaker Bio:

Donna Gaffney, DNSc, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN, an advanced practice nurse-psychotherapist, author and educator, works with individuals, communities, and professional nurses in the aftermath of personal and national crises — 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Coronavirus pandemic. Donna provides pro-bono psychotherapy through the Emotional PPE Project and facilitates Virtual Schwartz Rounds for the New Jersey Nursing Emotional Well-Being Institute. With extensive experience in classroom, experiential and online education, she offers workshops, presentations and webinars nationally and internationally. Donna has taught and directed graduate programs at the International Trauma Studies Program, Columbia and Seton Hall Universities. Her webinar series at the beginning of the pandemic, Healing Ourselves, While Healing Others, was offered through Rutgers University School of Nursing and the Northeastern University School Health Academy. In addition to academic papers, book chapters, and articles for the lay press, Donna is the author of The Seasons of Grief, Helping Children Grow Through Loss. Donna holds graduate degrees from Columbia and Rutgers Universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. She received the 2021 APNA Award for Excellence in Practice – APRN. In 2023 her book Courageous Well-Being for Nurses will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

Nicole C. Foster, MA, NBC-HWC is a national board-certified health and wellness coach, consultant, and writer. She is Head of Coaching at Lief Therapeutics, a start-up that offers the only mental health wearable device using HRV-Biofeedback. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she self-published an eBook, Well-Being in the Waiting: Finding Presence During Unprecedented Times, and provided complimentary copies to healthcare workers. Nicole collaborates with the With Grace Initiative, a non-profit organization supporting children with cancer, providing pro-bono workshops that promote connection, support, and psychosocial education in their Warriors of Wellness series.

She is a graduate of Columbia University’s Spirituality, Mind-Body Institute and holds a Master of Arts in Psychology. Her personal essays surrounding the loss of her father in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have been published in New York Magazine and Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper. She is the co-author of Courageous Well-Being for Nurses, to be published by Johns Hopkins University Press in September 2023. Learn more about her work at www.NicoleCFoster.com and @NicoleCFoster on Instagram.

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

Facilitating Parent and Caregiver Support Groups

Many children’s bereavement centers and programs across the United States offer concurrent support groups for parents and caregivers that are typically held during the same time as children and teen grief support groups are being offered. This presentation will cover practical tips for facilitating grief support groups for parents, caregivers, and other adults. Best practices for running adult groups will be discussed, including group dynamics, group cohesion, and protecting the process. Additional topics include managing conflict and navigating challenging behaviors in groups, such as advice-giving, monopolizing, interrupting, or one-upping. Suggestions for effective ways to handle controversial topics when they arise in group will also be discussed. This presentation will include a discussion about providing grief support to parents and caregivers in a group setting while also providing helpful information to them about their children’s grief. Effective openings and closings will also be presented in this workshop. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

List best practices for running parent and caregiver bereavement support groups.
Identify challenging behaviors that arise in adult support groups and effective ways to handle them.
Discuss effective ways to protect the process and manage conflict in a bereavement group for parents and caregivers.

Speaker Bio:

Pamela Gabbay, EdD, FT is a nationally recognized trainer and consultant who has served the bereavement field in many capacities during her 25-year career. Dr. Gabbay is currently the Director of Operations and Training for The Compassionate Friends and is on the TAPS Advisory Board. She is part of the training corps of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Dr. Gabbay has served in a variety of roles including being the Director of The Mourning Star Center for Grieving Children and Camp Erin, Palm Springs. Dr. Gabbay is the co-author, along with Andy McNiel, of Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals. She is on the Executive Committee of ADEC’s Credentialing Council and served as the President of the Southern California Chapter of ADEC. Additionally, Dr. Gabbay previously served as Vice President on the Board of the NACG. She was also an adjunct faculty member in the psychology department at Brandman University. Dr. Gabbay holds a Fellow in Thanatology (FT) from the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and earned a Master of Arts degree in Cognitive Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. She earned her Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Brandman University.

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

Courageous Well-being: Strategies for Personal and Professional Renewal

Coping and self-confidence in your work require taking the time to understand the evidence-based literature and use effective strategies to enhance your well-being, find meaning in your work and discover joy and support in relationships. This session will explore the essence of courageous well-being. Based on evidence-based strategies, attendees will explore nontraditional approaches to minimize the consequences of stress and trauma—through nature, the arts, and creativity as indispensable wellsprings of respite and joy. The profound healing effects of advocacy for health and well-being are also introduced. Attendees will receive several handouts with practices and guides for use in their work and home lives.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Discuss how working with bereaved children and their families can put professionals and volunteers at risk for empathic distress fatigue, vicarious grief, ongoing stress, or burnout.
Describe the six elements of psychological well-being.
Explore how trauma and vicarious grief are carried in our bodies, hearts, and minds and the strategies used to manage the consequences of their work.

Speaker Bio:

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

Using Fictional Characters to Help Children and Adolescents Who Are Grieving Live Interactive Webinar

Reading about fictional characters’ grief and loss experiences can help children and adolescents deal with their own grief and loss. Many stories written for children and adolescents, like the Harry Potter books, are filled with loss and death. But literature, like magic, can open new worlds for people, and show many possible ways to survive losses and challenges and even flourish beyond them. Using reading and storytelling to help improve a person’s mental health is often referred to as bibliotherapy. This session will present activities based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to help children and adolescents deal with grief and loss, as well as activities based on other books to help children who are grieving (including Everett Anderson’s Long Goodbye, Charlotte’s Web, Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Hunger Games). The session’s goal is to give participants many practical individual and group activities, including discussion questions, worksheets, and crafts, that can help children who are grieving.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Summarize how bibliotherapy can help children and adolescents who are grieving.
Describe how reading the fictional works presented may help children who are grieving.
Discuss specific activities using fictional characters that may be helpful for specific age levels and situations of children who are grieving.

Speaker Bios:

Kathryn Markell, PhD teaches Child and Adolescent Development and Death and Dying classes at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. She has published and presented scholarly work on how to help grieving children and adolescents, including co-authoring the book “The Children Who Lived: Using Harry Potter and Other Fictional Characters to Help Grieving Children and Adolescents”.

Marc Markell, PhD teaches at Worsham College of Mortuary Science; he is also a professor emeritus at St. Cloud State University. He teaches Death Education for non-grieving children. Marc is a certified Thanatologist and Death and Grief Studies. He presents locally, nationally, and internationally. Marc has published three books on grief, as well as book chapters and numerous articles.

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

The Intersection of Domestic Violence and the Grieving Process of Children

Children who experience domestic violence are impacted at every level of their wellness. They can lose a caregiver or sibling(s) through separation, housing stability, and even the feeling of safety, security, and belonging, all contributing to a child’s grief. This grief may be initially overlooked or dismissed as adults focus on establishing safety and meeting the basic needs of all involved. This webinar will teach professionals how domestic violence and grief are intertwined. The webinar will highlight how domestic violence impacts the grieving process, particularly through secondary trauma and disenfranchised grief.

This playback is available to active NACG members only.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe how secondary trauma from domestic violence impacts a child’s grieving process.
Discuss the intersection of disenfranchised grief with children who have experienced domestic violence.
Implement 2-3 therapeutic interventions to assist children who have lost a parent/caregiver to domestic violence.

Speaker Bios:

Sheree Burnett, MA, LPC-S is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. She has over 10 years of experience working with various populations in community mental health, private practice, hospital, and university settings. She has particular training in working with trauma individuals and families who have experienced domestic violence. She has conducted didactic training, participated in panel conferences, assisted with developing a curriculum about domestic violence for the educational system, and co-developed department initiatives to bring awareness about domestic violence and ways to celebrate survivors of domestic abuse. In addition, Sheree has worked with and participated in training to assist children and their families about grief. She also obtained certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which further allows her to assist survivors and grieving individuals with their healing journey in therapy.

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

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Supporting Children’s Grief: Tools, Sensory Strategies, and When to Refer

When children experience a stressful life event, their nervous systems can have difficulty regulating. Children exhibit grief reactions in various ways that may present similarly to sensory and emotional dysregulation. Occupational therapists can partner with families to provide a holistic mental health approach. This presentation will address the role and benefit of occupational therapy, mental health strategies that may help, and when to seek out occupational therapy services.

Handouts:

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 →

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

Participants will be able to describe occupational therapy and how it can benefit children experiencing grief
Participants will be able to identify two occupational therapy mental health strategies/tools that can be utilized in a clinic or at home.
Participants will be able to recognize when to refer a child experiencing grief to occupational therapy services.

Speaker Bios:

Michelle Michaels is an occupational therapy doctoral student at Huntington University, who is completing her capstone experience project while collaborating with the National Alliance of Children’s Grief (NACG). She is extremely passionate about her project working with the NACG due to her personal experiences with childhood grief following the death of her mother. She also has ten years of experience working with children with and without disabilities as a care provider, direct support professional, and a personal paraprofessional aid. She gained occupational therapy clinical experience through her Level II Fieldwork placement at an outpatient pediatric clinic that utilized a sensory-based approach. Once she has passed the NBCOT exam following graduation in April, she plans to go into travel occupational therapy.

Teen Do and Don’t poster from teens

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Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief Counseling Models and Interventions

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief Counseling Models and Interventions

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Needs Assessment Training Series #1: Community Assessment Overview

Download the slides here →
Download the fillable handout here →

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief 101 for the New Practitioner

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Courageous Well-Being Continued: Putting Theory into Practice

Speaker Bio:

Facilitating Parent and Caregiver Support Groups

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Courageous Well-being: Strategies for Personal and Professional Renewal

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Using Fictional Characters to Help Children and Adolescents Who Are Grieving Live Interactive Webinar

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

The Intersection of Domestic Violence and the Grieving Process of Children

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Supporting Children’s Grief: Tools, Sensory Strategies, and When to Refer

Handouts:

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

Teen Do and Don’t poster from teens

Resources & Support

Education

Explore our Education and CE opportunities:

Awareness

Grants

About Us

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief Counseling Models and Interventions

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief Counseling Models and Interventions

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Needs Assessment Training Series #1: Community Assessment Overview

Download the slides here → Download the fillable handout here →

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Grief 101 for the New Practitioner

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Courageous Well-Being Continued: Putting Theory into Practice

Speaker Bio:

Facilitating Parent and Caregiver Support Groups

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Courageous Well-being: Strategies for Personal and Professional Renewal

Objectives:

Speaker Bio:

Using Fictional Characters to Help Children and Adolescents Who Are Grieving Live Interactive Webinar

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

The Intersection of Domestic Violence and the Grieving Process of Children

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Supporting Children’s Grief: Tools, Sensory Strategies, and When to Refer

Handouts:

Objectives:

Speaker Bios:

Teen Do and Don’t poster from teens

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