Judi’s House
November, 2024

Healing Communities:
Centering Families to Support Bereaved Youth

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.

About the Presenter:

By investing in direct service, training, and research, we help whole families adjust to loss and prepare for future challenges.
We believe supporting children grieving a death loss builds connection and coping that leads to healing. All services and programs are provided at no cost. We rely entirely on private donations and our community of dedicated volunteers to fulfill our mission.

History of Judi’s House
When former NFL quarterback Brian Griese was just 12 years old, his mother Judi died of breast cancer. Along Brian’s path to healing, he realized he wanted to give back to children and young adults who were also grieving the loss of an important person in their lives.

Brian Griese with his mother Judi Griese, the namesake of Judi’s House and JAG institute.
In 2002, Brian and his wife, Dr. Brook Griese, a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood trauma and loss, founded Judi’s House in Denver in Judi Griese’s memory.

Judi’s House is a community-based nonprofit bereavement center for children and families with the vision that no child should be alone in grief.

In order to achieve this vision, Judi’s House is committed to providing comprehensive grief care services for bereaved youth and families at Judi’s House as well as in school and community-based settings throughout Metro Denver. These vital services are delivered at no cost to families thanks solely to philanthropic support.

Judi’s House is also committed to contributing to knowledge that helps identify and meet the needs of the bereaved everywhere. In 2014, Judi’s House launched JAG Institute (named in memory of Brian’s mother, Judith Ann Griese) as a center for learning, focused on expanding the evaluation, research, and training opportunities necessary to share successful bereavement programs.

By integrating practice, research, and community, Judi’s House is uniquely positioned to create social change regarding childhood bereavement and serve as a national leader in the effort to increase access to effective, individualized care for the bereaved.

More information about Judi’s House and their services can be found on their website: judishouse.org