Childhood Grief: Interventions for Working with Bereaved Children and Adolescents

CPD

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Faculty

Erica H Sirrine, PhD, LCSW, FT Related seminars and products

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Dr. Erica Sirrine is a licensed clinical social worker with over 22 years of experience in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. She earned a PhD in social work and has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Dr. Sirrine has conducted and published research on grief and bereavement, including a study on college student experiences of loss amid the COVID-19 pandemic that was published in OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying and featured in TIME magazine. She maintains a blog on grief and is the author of Sammy’s Story, an anticipatory grief counseling book for young children experiencing the serious illness of a parent.

Dr. Sirrine has extensive expertise providing individual and group therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families experiencing illness and loss. She has implemented numerous interventions and programs aimed at improving the emotional health of clients and currently serves as the director of social work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Sirrine frequently presents seminars on bereavement and loss throughout the United States and is known for her interactive and engaging workshops.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Erica Sirrine has employment relationships with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Southeastern University. She receives royalties as a published author. Erica Sirrine receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Erica Sirrine is a member of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers, the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare.

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Program Information

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Objectives

• Demonstrate an understanding of developmentally appropriate grief reactions throughout childhood and adolescence.
• Identify the components of understanding death.
• Discuss effective strategies of intervening with bereaved children, adolescents and families.
• Identify support group topics and activities for bereaved children and adolescents.
• Explain memorialization activities to assist children and adolescents in processing feelings of grief and bereavement.
• Appraise the benefits of designing grief interventions using modalities such as the arts and play.

Outline

CHILDHOOD GRIEF

• Six Common Questions Following a Death
• Four Components of Understanding Death
• Distinctions among Adult and Youth Bereavement

CHILDHOOD ANTICIPATORY GRIEF

• Normalizing the Dying Process and Grief Experience
• Intervention Techniques for Funeral Ritual Preparation
• Intervention Techniques for Returning
• Children to School After a Death

DSM-5® UPDATE

• Depression and Bereavement: A Distinction
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Proposed Criteria- Persistent Complex
• Bereavement Disorder

ATTACHMENT AND CHILDHOOD GRIEF

• Significance of Pre-Death Relationship to the Deceased
• Assessment of Continuing Bonds Following Death
• Common Expressions of Continuing Bonds to the Deceased

ASSESSMENT OF CHILDHOOD BEREAVEMENT

• Options for Assessing and Counseling Youth at School
• Strategies for Rapport Building
• Grief Symptomatology with Case Examples from Infancy-Age 18
• Signs of Concern/Red Flags

25+ THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS FOR CLINICIANS

• Bibliotherapy
• Games and Play
• Art and Illustration
• Poetry, Writing and Music
• Memorialization Rituals - Holidays and Significant Dates
• Grief Camps
• Family Camps
• Pamper Days
• Holiday Gatherings

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS

• Parent/Caregiver Involvement
• Curriculum and session topics for a 6 week support group
• Facilitator Activities and Techniques

Target Audience

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