Children’s Capacity Building Series

Grief and Loss: A Circle of Support

Description

Gerard’s House, in collaboration with NMCADV, will be offering this immersive workshop on handling grief and loss in children. We will begin by facilitating a “Circle of Support” to provide a safe and nurturing space for the losses you may have experienced, including those touching the lives of your clients. It’s a no-pressure zone which means personal sharing is never required, but is welcomed through writing and group activities. In the second hour, we will provide information about how grief manifests in children and teens, how to support them, and what resources are available. Attendees will receive handouts in English and Spanish including: “How you might be feeling when you are grieving: A Handout for Children and Teens,” “Letter to Parents of Grieving Children,” and “Ten Things Adults Can Support Grieving Children and Teens."

Objectives

• Able to recognize grief symptoms that commonly manifest in children and teens who have experienced death of a loved one.

• Able to recognize grief symptoms that commonly manifest in children and teens who have experienced the separation from a loved one.

• Learn the basic tools to support them and their caregivers in the grieving process.

Facilitator

Associate Director, Maggie Boyle (she/her) is a former Gerard's House volunteer and rejoined the team in May 2019. Before returning to Gerard's House, she worked as a case manager and therapist with children, teens and adults. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and non-native Spanish speaker. Maggie is proud of the accessibility of Gerard's House’s services, where we hold space for all of our community’s residents to find support and connection after a loss.

Outreach & Training Specialist, Roxana Melendez (she/her) is also a former volunteer and has been at the heart of our program for grieving families with immigrant roots from the very beginning. Roxana’s mother is from Guatemala and her father is from El Salvador, and because she grew up in Santa Fe with Spanish as her first language and with friends whose families came from Mexico and Central American countries, she has been immersed in these communities. Roxana has been involved with Gerard’s House for 8 years and brings her personal and professional experience to her training and outreach work.

Program Manager, Bridget Hinton (she/her) is a masters level social worker with experience in palliative care, hospice and bereavement. Bridget is honored and moved to work with grieving families; amazed by how the grief process unfolds uniquely for each individual. Bridget is especially interested in the intersections of grief and social justice and the ways in which they are in conversation with one another. Bridget started at Gerard’s House in August 2022 and cherishes her work accompanying families make sense of grief.