Grieving Children and Their Families

Live Interactive Webinar 
Instructor: Nancy Cincotta, M.Phil, LCSW, CLS
Level: Intermediate
CEs: 3
Target Audience: Social workers and other social service providers working in palliative care.
Course Delivery Method, Format and Instructor Interaction: Live interactive webinar with discussion. Instructor will use group discussions. Attendees are visible to one another in Zoom Meeting and are encouraged to be active participants with their camera and/or microphone in order take part in discussion. Login information will be emailed to all program participants in advance of the start of the program.
System Requirements: Attendees will need access to a computer with working camera and microphone. All courses are offered using Zoom conferencing software.

This session uses a developmental framework to address how death, grief, and bereavement shape self and identity. Using research drawn from work with children, concepts of “normal" grief are challenged and alternative views of grief and bereavement presented.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define theoretical frameworks that guide bereavement work with children and adolescents
2. Describe the unique needs of bereaved children and adolescents from a developmental perspective
3. Identify concrete tools and language for explaining illness and death to children
4. Explain appropriate interventions for supporting grieving children and adolescents

Outline:

• 2:15 - 2:35 p.m. ET
  • Class overview
  • Introductions 
  • Goals and intentions for the afternoon 
  • Specific questions/topics that group would like covered 
• 2:35 - 2:55 p.m. ET
  • Theories of grief and bereavement 
  • Impact of grief and bereavement theory on how we view childhood bereavement and bereavement stage/phase theories 
  • Task models 
  • Continuing bonds 
  • Dual process model 
  • Meaning making and constructivist theories 
  • Multidimensional grief theory 
• 2:55 - 3:50 p.m. ET
  • The grieving child - overview 
  • Research 
  • Clinical/case examples 
  • Behavioral responses
  • Communication 
  • Family relationships 
  • Cognitive development 
• 3:50 - 4:00 p.m. ET
  • Break
• 4:00 - 4:20 p.m. ET
  • The grieving child - developmental considerations 
  • 0-2 Years 
  • 3-5 Years 
  • 6-9 Years 
  • 10-13 Years
  • 14-17 Years 
  • 18 Years + 
• 4:20 - 4:40 p.m. ET
  • The grieving child-family, community and culture 
• 4:40 - 5:00 p.m. ET
  • Needs of grieving children
  • Providing truthful, age-appropriate information 
  • Inclusion in death, dying, burial and memorial rituals 
  • Identification and expression of emotion 
  • Clinical interventions 
  • Case examples 
• 5:00 - 5:20 p.m. ET
  • Supporting grieving children - before and after a death 
  • Individual, group and family interventions 
  • Schools 
  • Camps/summer programs 
• 5:20 - 5:30 p.m. ET
  • Q&A and resources