Signature Series: Healing Communities: Centering Families to Support Bereaved Youth by Judi’s House
A special presentation for Hospice Professionals, Clergy, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Victim’s Advocates, Therapists/Counselors, Volunteers, Companions, Death Doulas, Death Care Professionals, including Administrative and Leadership Professionals in these settings who are supporting families and bereaved children.
When pandemic restrictions interrupted our grief and mourning practices, we saw clearly how community impacts healing and hurting following a death loss. For many, the inability to gather and participate in traditional rituals complicated already challenging grief reactions, and we witnessed how the absence of community contributed to adjustment difficulties. While community can be a significant source of strength, the loss of community that often accompanies bereavement can lead to additional stress and strain. At this crucial time, families may struggle to connect and appreciate the unique ways each member adapts and adjusts to the loss. Research demonstrating the profound impact of bereavement on families highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to grief services that recognizes the value of prevention and whole-family support. This workshop will review the role of community in facilitating grief processing with a specific focus on families. Drawing on experiences from working with families at Judi’s House, a comprehensive family bereavement center in Aurora, the presentation will address the importance of bringing a systems perspective to grief work and how we can contribute to creating more grief-sensitive communities.
Learning Objectives:
By the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to:
• Recognize current societal factors and disparities impacting grieving youth and families and identify personal action items for supporting equitable access to effective care.
• Identify and apply the concepts of systems to experiences of bereavement at the family, school, and neighborhood levels
• Understand the importance of differentially considering cause of death and developmental understandings when addressing bereavement with children and families
• Consider ways their own grief experience, culture, and privilege complicate and enhance bereavement work with children and families
Date: Tuesday, November 5th
Time: 8-10am (PT)/ 9-11am (MST)/ 10-12pm (CT)/ 11-1pm (EST)
location: Zoom
Registration Required. Certificate of Completion provided upon request to professionals in attendance.