This 1 ½ hour presentation discusses the stages of grief and loss experienced by both children and their biological parents due to separation from family members that often occurs in child welfare practice. In addition to discussing "the normal grief process" we will also explore how trauma affects children and biological parents as they process grief. Strategies to help children, their biological parents, and the resource providers deal with the issues of loss and traumatic reaction to grief will be presented through case presentations.
Topics to be discussed include: the history and stages of grief, the influence of attachment on separation responses, reaction to loss, affective symptoms, behavioral symptoms, cognitive symptoms, common diagnoses, behaviors that parents display during separation from their children, ambivalent parents, helping children grieve, strategies to help clients find help and relief from their feelings of loss, and approaches to working with ambivalent parents.
The presenters will provide insights into the stages of grief as experienced for both children and adults through a PowerPoint presentation. This will be followed by demonstrating how, when trauma is involved, children and parents do not process grief in, what is perceived to be a "normal" manner. By explaining and demonstrating to the audience/participants why children and parents would respond in the manner in which they do, understanding/knowledge is gained. Through case presentations and group discussion, the participants will gain a better knowledge base/understanding of the behaviors observed in children and birth parents when children are removed from the home. Additionally, participants will be able to develop strategies to help the children, biological parents, and resource providers work through their grief in a more positive manner.
This presentation will be helpful to caseworkers, resource parents, foster care agency workers, students, educators, and other community partners/service providers working with child welfare clients and their families.