Join us for a professional development workshop on how professionals can support bereaved families after loss.
It is estimated that 1 in 14 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the time they turn 18 (Statistics Canada, 2016 Census of Canada and 2016 Mortality Data). Due to the taboo nature of this topic, childhood bereavement is often misunderstood and rarely discussed. Through a combination of theory and personal testimonial, professionals will improve their understanding of childhood grief, including how it manifests at various developmental stages. Special attention will be given to identifying the professional’s personal connection with grief and the impact that their own experiences with death, or lack thereof, may have on their work with bereaved families. Participants will learn concrete guidelines & interventions to help bereaved children express their emotions.
Who should attend this workshop?
This workshop was developed for health care professionals who want to develop a more detailed understanding of childhood bereavement and enhance their practice when encountered with children and/or their families who have experienced the death of a loved one.
A certificate of participation will be provided.
This workshop will be offered in English, however participants are welcome to ask questions in French.
Workshop Schedule:
9:00 - 10:00 Welcome & Introduction to the topic of childhood bereavement
Clinicians self-awareness related to grief and loss
Identification of various types of grief
Understanding developmental stages of grief in children
Break: 10 minutes
10:10 - 10:50 Case Presentation
Case presentation by Dr. Dahlia Guttman; Illustrating the importance and need for formalized education on grief and bereavement for all initial frontline crisis intervention responders. from social workers to nurses and primary care physicians.
Break: 10 minutes
11:00 - 12:00 Interventions that work
Corrie Sirota will outline how professionals can support bereaved children and demonstrate concrete activities to help children understand their loss including:
Interventions that help children honor the memory of the deceased
Interventions that help children express their feelings
The workshop will culminate with a brief Question and Answer period with both presenters.
Corrie Sirota holds a Master’s degree in social work from McGill University, (Montreal, Canada) as well as a Graduate Certificate in Loss and Bereavement where she continues to teach as a sessional lecturer in the School of Social Work. As a licensed psychotherapist, Corrie maintains a private practice and spends much of her work facilitating psycho-social educational workshops for schools, camps, community agencies, and organizations. Corrie is also a published author, clinical director of Myra’s Kids Foundation and the co-host of the weekly radio show Life Unrehearsed on CJAD 800.
Dr Dahlia Guttman is a family physician working in the Emergency Department at the Jewish General Hospital and at GMF Santé Mont-Royal. She received her medical degree from McGill University where she also completed her residency in Family Medicine followed by a specialized fellowship in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Guttman is a mother of three children. She developed an interest in loss and bereavement after the sudden, unexplained death of her 2-year-old daughter Ronnie in January 2020.
With the support of
