Supporting Grieving Children in Afterschool & Summer Learning Programs

Posted by Afterschool Alliance on May 30, 2016

Supporting Grieving Children in Afterschool & Summer Learning Programs

Thursday, June 9, 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. EDT (10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. PDT)

About this webinar:

In this webinar, we will help out-of-school professionals learn basic skills in how to talk with and support students as they struggle to understand and cope with a loss in their lives. The vast majority of children experience the death of a close family member or friend by the time they complete high school. Whether involving a personal loss or one that impacts the entire community, bereavement can have a profound and long-term impact on children’s psychological adjustment, academic achievement and personal development.

Youth development professionals can play a vital role in providing important support to children to help them understand and learn coping strategies to accelerate their adjustment and minimize their distress, and minimize maladaptive coping mechanisms and behavioral difficulties. Yet most have had limited to no professional training in how to support grieving students.

Our presenter for the webinar, David J Schonfeld, MD, established and directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the University of Southern California School Of Social Work. He will draw on over 25 years’ experience in pediatric bereavement and school crisis response to provide examples.

In the webinar we will also highlight a free, practitioner-oriented website housing comprehensive materials on bereavement developed for education professionals of all stripes by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students – a coalition of ten of the top organizations (AASA, AFSA, AFT, ASCA, NAESP, NASN, NASSP, NASP, NEA, SSWAA) representing school professionals including educators, school administrators, school counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers: http://www.grievingstudents.org.

Speakers:

• David J Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Professor of the Practice in the School of Social Work and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
• Kristin Romens, Senior Consultant, The Learning Agenda [Moderator]

Click here to register.

http://afterschoolalliance.org/webinars.cfm?ID=192E5EF4-5056-A82E-7A5B84BF78E3060E