A Person-Centered Approach to Grief Support Home > A Person-Centered Approach to Grief Support A A A This conference will explore navigating grief for yourself and supporting others in their grief. The grief support team at Heritage Christian Services cares for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their unique needs that arise through the grieving process. Comprised of behavior intervention specialists, creative arts therapists, faith community inclusion specialists and speech language pathologists, the grief support team has discovered that the need for grief support is universal. Register today! Heritage Christian Services employees can register in Relias or email [email protected]. Meet our presenters 2025 Schedule Time Title of Presentation Description Presenter(s) 9-9:45 a.m. Gentle and Caring Support in Times of Grief and Loss: Spiritual Traditions, Rituals and Community This presentation will focus on the role that spirituality, ritual and community play in supporting people through grief. It will also explore how to provide the practical aspects of gentle and caring support to people who experience loss. Shelly Christensen, MA, FAAIDD 9:45-10:35 a.m. Piecing It Together: A Holistic Approach to Grief Support Members of the multi-disciplinary Heritage Christian Services grief support team, will discuss the creation of the team and its values, purpose and ever-developing, agency-wide reach. Padraic Collins-Bohrer, faith community inclusion specialist Stephanie Hawkins, M.A., CCC-SLP/L 9:45-10:35 a.m. Using Music for Grief and Loss This presentation will discuss the benefits of using music to navigate grief and loss and will provide examples of tools and techniques. Amanda Dimino, MS, MT-BC, LCAT 9:45-10:35 a.m. Aftercare: Supporting People after the Death of a Loved One Every person is unique and their reactions to the loss of someone they love will vary. In this presentation, we will provide tools to help guide you through a person-centered approach to supporting someone who is grieving. Diane Sturmer, faith community inclusion specialist Lauren Faggiano, MS, MT-BC, LCAT 9:45-10:35 a.m. Making the Intangible Tangible: Utilizing a Variety of Strategies and Senses to Assist People in Understanding Loss and Grief Grief and loss are inherently intangible emotions that can be challenging to express and comprehend. This session will share ways to assist people who communicate and process differently in expressing their grief in meaningful ways. You’ll also learn how to enter into dialogue with people and teams to create a safe space to share emotions and process grief. Donna Golder, MS CCC-SLP/L Sherry Gricar, faith community inclusion specialist 10:35-11:25 a.m. Using Art as Grief Support This presentation will discuss the therapeutic benefits of using art to support someone through the grieving process. Participants will be provided with an art experience that can be used in their own work. Sara Corona, ATR-BC, LCAT 10:35-11:25 a.m. You Can’t Give from an Empty Vessel: The Importance of Self-Care When Supporting Others Through Grief As caretakers, we often give a lot of ourselves while helping others, especially those grieving a loss or facing significant life changes. It’s crucial to take time for rest, reflection and rejuvenation. This presentation will offer strategies and opportunities for self-care while supporting those in need. Padraic Collins-Bohrer, faith community inclusion specialist Joseph Starling, faith community inclusion specialist 10:35-11:25 a.m. Disenfranchised Grief: Addressing Bias and Creating Space for All to Grieve. Bias impacts everything, even the way we assume to understand how and why people grieve. By becoming more aware of personal, social and cultural biases, we can recognize and disrupt patterns and beliefs that may stifle a person’s ability to grieve fully. Shannon Seddon, MA, BC-DMT, LCAT Brittney Schultz, MSW, behavior intervention specialist 10:35-11:25 a.m. Pre-Planning: Easing the Burden at the Time of Loss This session will explore aspects of pre-planning. From starting the conversation to service options and writing an obituary, we’ll also discuss ways to add personal touches to honor a loved one. We will also briefly discuss the financial aspects of pre-planning. Gregory Thomas Sullivan 11:25 a.m.-noon Safe and Open Space (optional) Talking about grief can stir up complicated emotions. Several conference moderators will hold space to process emotions that may have come up during the conference and provide resources to help. Sara Corona, ATR-BC, LCAT Sherry Gricar, faith community inclusion specialist Matt Smeltzer, success coach Thank you to our sponsor: