Unconventional Grief as It Relates to Parents of Children with Mental Illness

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Target Audience

Social workers, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, educators, school personnel, mental health professionals, clinicians, health and human service practitioners, and other health care professionals.

Description

Parents and children can experience grief even when there is no death involved. This type of grief is often named “unconventional grief”. One element of grief is the reaction to loss, not the loss itself. When parenting a child with mental illness, parents often experience many emotions. These emotions can often be more powerful and confusing than the grieving process for someone who has recently passed away. When parents cannot change or control their child or the situation, emotions intensify. Unconventional grief is unique and deserves a tailored approach to being understood as well as treated. It is important to remember, that finding support from other parents in a similar situation can help with feeling alone. This topic is worth exploring and finding out the sometimes-unique challenges and how to address those challenges with clients and/or loved ones.

Faculty
Kitty Hart, MSW
Adoption Social Worker/Human Services Senior Practitioner
Wake County Human Services

This program is being offered in association with the University of North Carolina, School of Social Work's AHEC Training Partnership.

Webinar Information
This webinar will be broadcast with Zoom. Instructions to join the webinar will be emailed prior to the event. You can test your computer by going to the Zoom Test Page.

Charlotte AHEC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5096. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Charlotte AHEC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Registering for and attending a Charlotte AHEC program authorizes Charlotte AHEC to take audio, video, and/or still images to be used for promotional and educational purposes. If you have concerns, please speak with a Charlotte AHEC team member.

Objectives

• Explain the difference between grief, bereavement, and mourning.
• Define traditional grief and identify stages of traditional grief.
• Define unconventional grief and identify stages of unconventional grief.
• Distinguish the differences between traditional and unconditional grief.
• Examine other causes of unconventional grief, beyond mental illness and why unconventional grief happens.
• Discuss components of unconventional grief: emotional, physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, cultural, spiritual, and philosophical.
• What might treatment look like for the parent? For the child?
• Identify support, resources and hope for those enduring unconventional grief.
• Learn Self-Care for parents when it is hard to “care” at all.
• Provide support for clients who experience this type of grief.
• Advocate for appropriate services for a parent in this situation.

Contact

Gabriela Staley MEd, 704-512-6523

Sessions