November is Children’s Grief Awareness Month. Join Bo’s Place, the National Alliance for Grieving Children, and Texas Children’s Hospital for this live webcast on children’s grief.
The process of dying presents many challenges to individuals and families impacted by a life limited illness or terminal diagnosis. When children are present and part of the immediate situation, family members and professionals sometimes are at a loss as to how to connect with, involve, or talk to children about the realities of the situation.
This half-day event will explore the ethical implications of supporting children who are anticipating the death of a parent, the death of a sibling, or their own death.
Our three presenters will provide practical information and advice for caring for children in the face of a terminal diagnosis. They will share information about how to talk to children about death, how to include children in rituals, and ways to offer support throughout the dying process.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss how the anticipation of death affects children and teens.
- Describe the challenges faced by children anticipating the death of a parent, sibling or their own death.
- Provide ethically informed advice for caring for children in the face of a terminal diagnosis.
Speakers:
Patti Anewalt, PhD, LPC, FT, has been with Hospice & Community Care for 22 years. As Director at the Pathways Center for Grief & Loss, Patti oversees a wide variety of bereavement services for adults, children and teens, serving over 5500 individuals a month. She oversees the Coping Kids & Teens program which provides individual and group support, school grief groups, grief and crisis response trainings in the schools and an overnight children’s bereavement camp she started in 1996.
Taryn Schuelke, CCLS, CPMT is the Palliative Care Grief and Bereavement Specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital, she assist families in navigating the grief that comes with their child’s life limiting illness, end-of-life support, and bereavement follow up care after the death of their child. Taryn co-chairs the interdisciplinary System Wide Bereavement Committee where they work on systemic projects, policies, and procedures to better serve patients and families facing end-of-life care. She has a passion for ethics, grief education, and spirituality within Palliative Care. Taryn is a Certified Child Life Specialist, and her background is in Emergency Center, Neonatal Intensive Care, and Women’s Services units, working with patients and their families. Her history as a CCLS grew in her a heart to serve those who are grieving and led her to the role she holds now. When she’s not helping families grieve, Taryn is at home with her family, acting childish, and playing her ukulele. Her motto is no guilt in life, no fear in death, and there is joy to be found in every moment.
Jeanine Clapsaddle, MA, LMFT, CCLS is a Certified Child Life Specialist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years’ experience working with pediatric patients and their families, providing intervention and support throughout their course of medical care, transition to home and bereavement experiences. She currently serves as the Clinical Supervisor for the Child Life, Music Therapy and Healing Arts Program at Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando, Florida.
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