Addressing Grief Following Addiction or Overdose Deaths

2:00 p.m. Eastern | 11:00 a.m. Pacific (1.5 hours)

Presentation Description

The dramatic increase of opioids and other substance abuse issues in our society has led to increased numbers of children grieving deaths from overdose. The stigma surrounding overdose deaths compounds the grief process for children in very specific ways.  Most have been negatively impacted by the family chaos, dysfunction, and secrets that are characteristic of homes in which a parent is abusing substances.  Webinar participants will learn to identify the special needs of these children and their families, the need for trauma-informed care, and strategies for helping these children work through the complex emotions related to their grief.  Participants will receive hands-on activities to help facilitate safe and honest communication.

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About the Presenters

Dr. Karen S. Scott is the co-founder, Director of Program Development and Executive Director Emeritus of Lost & Found Grief Center in Springfield, MO.  She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Trauma Specialist with 30 years’ experience as a grief therapist, working with individuals, families and groups. She developed programs for children and adults at Lost & Found Grief Center, oversees the therapeutic grief support groups at the center and is a frequent speaker and writer on the topics of grief, grief support, and crisis response.  Dr. Scott is an adjunct professor at Drury University. 

.Objectives

Learning Objective Two: Understand how death from an overdose or addiction compounds the grieving process for children and families.

Learning Objective Three: Identify specific activities that help address the special needs of children grieving an addiction-related death.