Introduction to Grief Support Series | Beyond Risk Factors and Warning Signs: An Introduction to Suicide

Introduction to Grief Support Series | Beyond Risk Factors and Warning Signs: An Introduction to Suicide

Suicidology has been a distinct discipline for over half a century, yet suicide is still misunderstood as a symptom of psychiatric illness – treat the illness, suicidality will go away. This has never worked and suicide rates, particularly among Black youth in America, continue to climb (Jackson-Lowman et al., 2023). This is partly because of European-based assumptions that suicide is a singular, individual, autonomous experience without connection to socio-cultural contexts or structural-historical forces (Button & Marsh, 2020). Instead, suicide is a “wicked problem” (Bryan, 2021): highly complex and not easily addressed with solution-focused, linear thinking. Grief after suicide has been underestimated in terms of the reach and impact on the bereaved.

Research has led to the construction of the Continuum Model of the Effects of Suicide Exposure (National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 2015), illustrating that 115 people are exposed each time a suicide occurs, and 63 of these will have high or very high closeness with the deceased. Those bereaved after suicide are often challenged by the “perceived intentionality” of the death and related “perceived responsibility” for the death (Jordan, 2020). Research shows that lifetime suicide exposure is related to increased suicidal ideation, PTS, and anxiety (Andriessen et al., 2020). This presentation will go beyond risk factors and warning signs that lead to inaccurate presumptions about suicide. We will review theories of and best practices for addressing suicidal behavior, framing suicidality as not just an individual act but something that has social determinants (Millner et al., 2020; Jackson-Lowman et al., 2023). We will address research about and best practices for suicide intervention, postvention, and supporting grievers after suicide. The presentation will offer special consideration of how children and teens are impacted, what they worry about after a suicide death, and ways to support them (Andriessen et al., 2020).

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 →

 

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.
Format: Live Interactive Webinar

 

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and discuss theories of suicide.
  • Identify and discuss research on and best practices for suicide intervention and addressing suicidal behavior.
  • Identify and discuss research on and best practices for postvention and grief support after suicide.

 

Speaker Bios:

Janet McCord, PhD, FT, Professor of Thanatology and Thanatology Program Director at Edgewood College, has been a thanatologist and suicidologist for nearly 30 years. She is a death educator who teaches a broad array of topics in thanatology and suicidology and has educated hundreds of master’s level students around the globe in graduate thanatology programs. She is a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (IWG) since 2016 and embraces the IWG’s vision as her own: a world where dying, death, and bereavement are an open part of all cultures. Her research interests include the investigation of global and cultural perspectives of trauma, dying, death, grief, suicide, and loss, and the intersection of thanatology with literature and the arts. She is in the process of conducting research on death and funeral rituals among the Acholi and BaGanda peoples of Uganda, and plans to expand this research to other low-income countries. She currently serves as a Thanatology Section Editor for the Routledge Online Resources: Death, Dying, and Bereavement, and has published peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, book chapters, and contributed to a range of projects as an author or reviewer.

Rebecca S. Morse, PhD, is a behavioral and developmental psychologist and thanatologist. She has taught at several Universities and Colleges on a broad range of topics in psychology, criminology, traumatology, grief after suicide, and thanatology. She is a Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and is the co-chair for the American Psychological Association End of Life Special Interest Group. She is also a collaborator on a project with the Hospice Foundation of America to provide grief education for individuals with Autism, funded by the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation. She is a Thanatology Subject Editor for Taylor & Francis, and has published peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and contributed to numerous textbooks as both an author, and a reviewer.

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.

 

Introduction to Grief Support Series | The Invisibility of Child Sibling Bereavement

Despite its significant occurrence, sibling bereavement is the most understudied area of bereavement. This session will examine why the sibling relationship is so important, the effects of sibling death across the different stages of childhood, and interventions to help children who have had a sibling die. Also discussed will be how a child’s concept of death changes as the child grows, the vital changes that occur in family dynamics after a child dies, and the external factors that must be considered when working with children who have experienced sibling death. This session will also include an interactive component in which participants will examine case studies of actual children who have had a sibling die and discuss the efficacy of the care they received.

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:

  • Define 2 qualities of the sibling relationship.
  • Compare developmental concepts of death across the span of childhood
  • Identify 3 ways in which adults can assist grieving siblings.
  • Explain how the family dynamic changes after the loss of a sibling
  • List 3 external factors that must be considered when working with bereaved siblings.

 

Speaker Bio:

Maureen F. Walsh, NPFT, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and grief therapist. She has a private practice called Grief Weavers located at Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center in Kingston, MA, where she works with individuals, children and families who are grieving. In March 2023, Maureen was appointed the Education Outreach Director at Hope Floats. In this position she conducts grief trainings for schools, clinicians, and community organizations. She trains all Hope Floats’ group facilitators and volunteers and offers grief support to community members after sudden deaths, i.e. homicide, suicides, overdoses and accidents, Maureen is the author of Tuck Meets a Dragonfly, a children’s grief story and The Weaving Hope Club, a peer bereavement support program for school children. Maureen is certified as a Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death, Education, and Counseling.

 

Introduction to Grief Support Series | How to Develop and Implement School-Based Grief Support

It is imperative that schools are able to provide grief support to bereaved students to ensure that they are not significantly impacted relationally, academically, or emotionally. When adequate grief support is not provided, it can lead to long-term relationship, academic, and career functioning disruptions. School-based grief support allows schools to support their students and staff in a manner that is conducive to a learning environment. This presentation will cover the multitude of ways that schools can support their students and staff. The development of these programs will be discussed, including the presentation material for childhood bereavement training for school professionals, how to provide direct support after the loss of students or staff, and how to equip school professionals with the tools and knowledge to support their bereaved students.  How to implement a successful ongoing grief support group and one-on-one grief support sessions with students will also be discussed. This presentation will also include a demonstration of the tools and lesson plans used to aid in the discussion of grief with both students and school professionals.

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:

  • Develop a school-based grief support program to support bereaved students. Utilize current models as a guide, such as New Hope Center for Grief Support’s school-based grief support model.
  • Create content and presentation materials to provide childhood bereavement training for school professionals so they feel better equipped to support students.
  • Implement a grief support group within the schools to allow bereaved students to connect with one another to learn more about their emotions and reactions to grief.
  • Construct developmentally appropriate activities and lesson plans to use during support groups and one-on-one sessions with students.
  • Adapt program content and activities based on developmental stages.

 

Speaker Bio:

Jennifer Frush came on board as outreach and event coordinator in the summer of 2018. Her passion and energy helped increase New Hope’s reach and impact, leading to her taking on the position of interim and then full Executive Director in January of 2020. She participates in the National Alliance for Children’s Grief online learning and webinars and other training. Jennifer sits on the following councils: Northville Community Cares, Ascension Community Health Advisory Committee, Community Mental Health Association through St. Mary Mercy Hospital’s Let’s Continue the Conversation Committee. She collaborates with eight Wayne Western School Districts. She is a trained facilitator for The Leader in Me school programs. She developed and led training for The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Families for Marine Elementary School. Additionally, Hegira Health invited Jennifer to speak at their Focus on Zero suicide prevention conference and to moderate their celebrity panel. Like other staff and volunteers, she received Trauma Informed Training and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Crisis Training, attended and participated several 2023 NACG Grief Conferences, recently attending the 2023 NACG Grief Conference and Training. Jennifer conducts Grief Sensitivity Training, Childhood Bereavement Training, Facilitator Training, and more serving as the Executive Director.

Laurel Neitling, BA, joined the team in July 2023 as the Circles of Hope Program Manager. She previously graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and minor in management. She previously volunteered with New Hope as a support group facilitator. She experienced the loss of her father as a young child, and that led to a passion for helping bereaved families get the support they need. Laurel has had the privilege of watching many of our participants grow through their grief journeys, and she is grateful to work alongside such dedicated volunteers and staff members to offer grief support services to the bereaved.

 

Introduction to Grief Support Series | The Kaleidoscope of Grief: Loss in Many Forms

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.

Typically, when we think about grief, we associate it with loss due to a death. Yet, we know that many children and teens struggle with complex issues such as housing insecurity, out of home placement, family members experiencing addiction, out-of-home placement, incarceration of a family member, and a host of other challenging circumstances. While not related to a death, each of these challenges is in fact a type of loss. Often these non-death losses and the grief that accompanies them go unrecognized by caring adults. In this workshop we will expand our view of grief to include death loss as well as the more ambiguous non-death losses that sometimes go unnoticed. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the ways that children experience grief throughout their development, the principles of grief-informed practice, and tools to support children on their grief journey.

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 a range of experiences as grief and loss.
  • Describe the ways that grief and loss impact children at home, school, and in the community.
  • Discuss the principles of grief-informed practice.
  • Explore three ways that a caring adult can support a child who is grieving.

 

Speaker Bios:

Alexa Livelsberger, MS, LCSW, is the Outreach and Education Coordinator at Highmark Caring Place, a center for grieving children, adolescents and their families where she works to heighten awareness of children’s grief through consultations, presentations and trainings for professional and community groups. Lexi has a master’s of science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University and is a licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania. Lexi has worked with children and families in a variety of settings throughout her career, including community mental health, kinship care, and victim service fields.

Janet Arida, PhD, earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Chicago, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed clinical social worker and earned certification in Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Janet is currently a child grief specialist as well as the Outreach and Education Coordinator at the Highmark Caring Place in Warrendale, PA, where she oversees peer support groups for grieving children and their families. Additionally, in her role as Outreach and Education Coordinator, Janet works to heighten awareness of children’s grief through consultations, presentations, and trainings for professional and community groups. Prior to joining the Caring Place as a staff member, Janet was a clinical instructor and researcher in end-of-life issues in the School of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. During her career, she has worked with children, adolescents, and families in a variety of clinical and community-based settings in both the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas.

 

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.

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 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.

 

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

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.

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.

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:

  • 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.

 

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.

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 →

 

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:

  • 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.

 

New York Life Foundation logo

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

 

After a Suicide: Helping Children, Adolescents, and Teens

*This playback is available to active NACG Members Only.

What Happened to You? Incorporating Trauma-Informed Practices in Grief Work