Adolescent and Childhood Grief Part 2: The Role of Caregivers & Supportive Aid

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to create a safe environment that is grief-informed and supports children and adolescents who are grieving.
• Participants will be able to understand their role in supporting healthy growth and development in the lives of children and adolescents who are grieving.
• Participants will be able to identify protective factors that support positive outcomes for children and adolescents experiencing grief.

Course Hours: 1.5

Video Length: 90 minutes

Description

Children and adolescents in foster care experience grief on many levels, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially.

Youth experiencing grief fare better when they have supportive adults in their lives who recognize the impact of grief and provide a safe environment that is grief-informed.

This presentation offers suggestions for supportive actions adults can take to care for children and adolescents in foster care. We will discuss how to validate the grief experience of children and adolescents and ideas for supporting healthy growth, development, and transitions. We will look at protective factors that support positive outcomes for children and adolescents experiencing grief.

Andy McNiel

Andy McNiel, MA, is an author, trainer, bereavement support professional, and non-profit leader with three decades of experience providing support to bereaved people of all ages. He is the CEO of The Satori Group, LLC, a national non-profit consulting company. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer for The National Alliance for Grieving Children, the Executive Director for The Amelia Center at Children’s of Alabama, and the Director of Grief Counseling Services and Director of Development for Hospice of Martin and St. Lucie (now Treasure Health) in South Florida. In his current work with The Satori Group, Andy serves as Senior Advisor to Youth Programs and Young Adult Programs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Advisor to Programs for HealGrief and Actively Moving Forward, and Consultant and Advisor for The Compassionate Friends. He is the author of Understanding and Supporting Bereaved Children: A Practical Guide for Professionals in addition to numerous chapters related to bereavement support. He is a trainer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He is a member of the International Workgroup on Death, Dying, and Bereavement. Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and a Master of Arts in Counseling