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National Alliance for Grieving Children Webinar
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Supporting Youth and Schools After a Community Tragedy 
This webcast will provide practical information and advice for supporting children and teenagers in the aftermath of a tragedy. They will share information about how to talk to children about tragedy, how to engage the community, and ways to offer support throughout the grieving process.

Death, dying, and bereavement are unfortunate themes that appear almost daily in news headlines. Rarely is there any discussion on a national level as to how community tragedy impacts the lives of children and teenagers. 

Our presenters will provide practical information and advice for supporting children and teenagers in the aftermath of a tragedy. They will share information about how to talk to children about tragedy, how to engage the community, and ways to offer support throughout the grieving process.

Cost:  Free for participants
Register by calling Lory's Place, at 269-983-2707

Speakers:
Donna L. Schuurman, Ed.D. is Sr. Director of Advocacy & Training at The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families, where she has served since 1986. She writes and trains internationally on bereavement issues, and authored Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent. Dr. Schuurman is a member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement, and a founding board member of The NAGC. She has trained the NTSB and FBI’s Rapid Deployment teams, as well as medical personnel, NGO staff and caregivers following major disasters around the world. She believes grief is inherently complicated.

David J Schonfeld, MD  is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (NCSCB). He holds a joint appointment at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. In 2005, Schonfeld established the NCSCB with funding from the September 11th Children’s Fund and the National Philanthropic Trust. Further funding from the New York Life Foundation has allowed the center to provide ongoing and expanded services. The center aims to promote an appreciation of the role that schools play to support students, staff and families at times of crisis and loss; to collaborate with organizations and agencies to further this goal; and to serve as a resource for information, training materials, consultation and technical assistance. Schonfeld has authored more than 100 scholarly articles, book chapters and books and has given more than 800 presentations on the topics of pediatric bereavement and crisis.

Meghan Szafran, MS, CT has an extensive and varied background working with children and families, specializing in addiction, trauma, and grief. She has worked to implement evidence-based programming in school and community settings, training school professionals in evidence-based violence prevention models, and coordinating with community stakeholders to promote resiliency with youth and families. She spent over ten years providing group and individual counseling to adolescents and their families impacted by drug and alcohol addiction and trauma as the Lead Clinical Therapist and the Director of Prevention Services at TODAY, Inc., before making her way to The Center for Grieving Children in Philadelphia.

Kevin R. Carter, MSW, LCSW currently serves as the Clinical Director for The Center for Grieving Children.  Prior to the current position Kevin practiced in a variety of settings as a clinician, administrator and educator in community mental health, residential care for adolescents, hospice child/teen bereavement and served as a field director in social work education.  His primary interests are in grief/loss/trauma and in particular how these issues impact children, youth and families and in particular, the African American community. 

4.5 CEs for Psychologists, Counselors, MFT's & Social Workers is available for $25.00 payable on the day of the webinar.