Rehab Kids
Kids and Loss:
How to Work with the Uniqueness
of a Child’s Grief
Erica H. Sirrine, Ph.D., LCSW, FT
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Kids and Loss:
How to Work with the Uniqueness
of a Child’s Grief
Erica H. Sirrine, Ph.D., LCSW, FT
Rehab Kids
ZNM057995
4/21
Copyright © 2021
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14pp
4/21
Rehab Kids
Materials Provided By
Erica H. Sirrine, Ph.D., LCSW, FT, is a licensed clinical social
worker, qualified clinical supervisor and the dean of the School
of Social Work at Southeastern University. She has over 17 years
of experience in the field of death, dying and bereavement and
has been awarded the distinction of Fellow in Thanatology by
the Association for Death Education and Counseling. She has
conducted and published research on the continuing bonds
maintained by survivors following a death, and she recently
authored and published Sammy’s Story, an anticipatory grief
counseling book for young children experiencing the serious
illness of a loved one.
Dr. Sirrine has extensive expertise providing individual and
group therapy to bereaved children, adolescents, adults and
families. She has implemented numerous interventions and
programs aimed at improving the emotional health of clients
experiencing loss. Dr. Sirrine presents seminars on bereavement
and loss throughout the United States and is known for her
interactive and engaging workshops. She has been distinguished
as “Professor of the Year” and the National Association of Social
Workers Heartland, Florida Unit’s “Social Worker of the Year.”
Speaker Disclosure:
Financial: Erica Sirrine receives compensation as an Associate Professor at Southeastern
University. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Erica Sirrine is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, The
Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors, the National Alliance for Grieving Children, and
the Florida Association of Deans and Directors. She does not receive compensation.
Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the
authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for
reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of
practice in accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.
Grief Summit 2021:
Supporting Grieving Children &
Adolescents
Dr. Erica Sirrine, Ph.D., LCSW, FT
www.hopeandgrief.com
APA Disclosure
Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the
authorized practice of mental health professionals. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing
the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in
accordance with and in compliance with your professions standards.
1
Parental and
Sibling Loss
Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model
judishouse.org
Childhood Bereavement
Resources
•National Alliance for Grieving Children
•https://childrengrieve.org
•Dougy Center- The National Center for Grieving Children and Families
•https://www.dougy.org
•Judi’s House/JAG Institute
•https://judishouse.org
2
Non-Death Losses and Children
•Divorce •Military Deployment
•Parental Separation •Peer Group/Friendship Changes
•Parental Incarceration •Social Status Changes
•Adoption •School Change
•Foster Care/Termination of Parental •Parental Unemployment
Rights
•Illness
•Move/Relocation
•Parental Substance Use/Mental Illness
Grief vs. Mourning
A Distinction
•Grief
•“Deep sorrow”
•Mourning
•“The (outward) expression of deep sorrow”
•“The act of sorrowing”
3
“Getting Over It”
vs.
Reconciliation
Core Tenets and Principles of
Grief-Informed Practice
Dougy Center (Schuurman & Mitchell, 2020)
•Natural •Personal Empowerment & Agency
•Nonpathological & Complex •Safety
•Contextual •Person-Centered
•Disruptive •Dynamic
•Relational Connection & Perceived •Non-Finite
Support
4
Distinctions
Between Adult and Youth Responses to Loss
•“Forgotten Mourners”
•Impacted by Cognitive Development
•Impacted by Adults (and how those adults allow or avoid emotions)
•Use of Play to Cope (Actions vs. Words)- “Decoding” Behavior
•Peer Relationships/Social Status Changes
Cognitive Components
Of Understanding Death in Childhood
•Universality
•Irreversibility
•Nonfunctionality
•Causality
10
5
Grief Emotions
11
Common Grief Reactions
•Regressive Behaviors •Guilt/Regret
•Magical Thinking •Fear/Anxiety
•Disbelief/Confusion •Faith/Spirituality Questions
•Difficulty Concentrating •Isolation/Loneliness
•Change in school work/grades •“Grief Bursts”
•Sadness/Depression •Physical Symptoms (tummy/headaches,
etc.)
•Mood Changes
•Sleep Problems/Disturbances
•Anger/Protest
•Lethargy/Fatigue
•Acting out/Aggressive behavior
•Continuing Bonds/Mystical Experiences
12
6
“Things We Want Adults to
Know about our Grief”
13
School-Based and Support
Group Bereavement
Interventions
14
7
Considerations for School-Based Counseling
•Parental Permission
•Relationships with Constituents
•Maintaining Confidentiality
•Counseling location, student comfort level, staff questions- Case Example: “High School”
•Parental Communication and Follow-Up
15
Support Group Considerations
•Structure
•Open vs. Closed
•Duration/Frequency of Meetings
•Facilitators- Therapists vs. Trained Peer Volunteers
•Number of Participants
•Adult, Youth, or Youth and Parent/Caregiver
•Pre-Screening
16
8
Family Bereavement Program
Evidence-Based, Family Support Group Intervention
•Developed for parentally-bereaved youth and caregivers (Ayers et al., Sandler et al.).
•Focuses on reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors
•Youth and Caregiver Program
•Child (ages 8-12)
•Adolescent (ages 12-16)
•12 group sessions (2 hours each)
•Focuses on psychoeducation, coping, and caregiver skills
•Training manuals available for youth and caregiver groups (Ayers et al.)
17
Pathfinders Program- Judi’s House
Newly Developed (Evidence-Informed)
•Developed at Judi’s House (Griese, Burns, & Farro, 2018)
•Combines elements of evidence based treatments including the FBP, TF-CBT, and GTI with peer
grief support group approaches
•Acknowledges that grief is uniquely experienced by each person
•Avoids minimizing or pathologizing
•Strengths-based
•Focuses on “decreasing disruptive grief reactions” while “increasing restorative grief
experiences”
•10 sessions (three phases), 50-90 minutes in length
•Three curricula- Children (3-11 years), Adolescents (12-18 years), Adults
18
9
General Grief Support Group
Weekly Session Topic Outline
•My Loss Story (Death/Grief Narrative)
•Coping With and Expressing Feelings of Loss (Anger)
•Seeking Support after Loss
•Coping with Changes Caused by the Loss (Good and Bad Changes)
•Self Care following Loss
•Remembering the Loss/Sharing Memories (Positive and Negative)
•Honoring the Loss/Memorializing (Continuing Bonds)
•Final Group/Meal Sharing/Strengths-Based
19
20
10
“If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not
together.. there is something you must
always remember. You are braver than you
believe, stronger than you seem, and
smarter than you think. But the most
important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll
always be with you.”
- Winnie the Pooh
21
Questions?
[email protected]
22
11
Online Resources
•www.bosplace.org
•http://childrengrieve.org/
•www.dougy.org
•https://judishouse.org
•https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/grief/
23
12
Grief Summit 2021- References
Erica Sirrine
Supporting Grieving Children and Adolescents
References
Ayers, T. S., Sandler, I. N., Lutzke, J. R., Twohey, J. L., Li, S., Losoya, S., et al. (1996). Family
bereavement program: Group leader intervention manual for adolescent
program. (Available from Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, 900
S. McAllister Ave. Room 205, P.O. Box 876005, Tempe, AZ 85287-6005.)
Ayers, T. S., Wolchik, S. A., Weiss, L., Sandler, I. N., Jones, S., Cole, E., et al. (1996).
Family bereavement program: Group leader intervention manual for parent
program. (Available from Prevention Research Center, Arizona State University, 900
S. McAllister Ave. Room 205, P.O. Box 876005, Tempe, AZ 85287-6005.)
Ayers, T. S., Wolchik, S. A., Sandler, I.N., Twohey, J. L., Weyer, J. L., Padgett-Jones, S., et al.
(2014). The family bereavement program: Description of a theory-based prevention program
for parentally-bereaved children and adolescents. Omega, 68, 293–314. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/OM.68.4.a
Burns, M., Griese, B., King, S., Talmi, A. (2020). Childhood bereavement: Understanding
prevalence and related adversity in the United States. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
Advanced online publication.
Chen, C.Y., & Panebianco, A. (2018). Interventions for young bereaved children: A systematic
review and implication for school mental health providers. Child and Youth Care Forum, 47
(2), 151-171. doi: 10.1007/s10566-017-9426-x
DeSpelder, L. A., & Strickland, A. L. (2020). The last dance: Encountering death and dying
(11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ener, L., & Ray, D.C. (2018). Exploring characteristics of children presenting to counseling for
grief and loss. Journal of Child and Family studies, 27 (3), 860-871. doi: 10.1007/s10826-
017-0939-6
Griese, B., Burns, M., & Farro, S. A. (2018). Pathfinders: Promoting healthy adjustment in
bereaved children and families. Death Studies, 42 (3), 134-142. doi:
10.1080/07481187.2017.1370416
13
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2015). Retrieved June 5, 2015 from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/
Judi’s House (2020). Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model. Retrieved from
www.judishouse.org/CBEM.
Sandler, I. Tein, J.Y., Wolchik, S., & Ayers, T.S. (2016). The effects of the familybereavement
program to reduce suicide ideation and/or attempts of parentally bereaved children six and
fifteen years later. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 46 (1), S32-38. doi:
10.1111/sltb.12256
Schuurman, D. L., & Mitchell, M. B. (2020). Becoming grief-informed: A call to action. Dougy
Center: National Grief Center for Children & Families. www.dougy.org
Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Boerner, K. (2017). Cautioning healthcare professionals: Bereaved
persons are misguided through the stages of grief. OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying, 74
(4), 455-473. doi: 10.1177/0030222817691870
Wolfelt, A. (2003). Understanding your grief: Ten essential touchstones for finding hope and
healing in your heart . Fort Collins, CO: Companion Press.
14
NOTES
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