American School Counselor Association

It can be difficult to know how to support someone grieving the loss of a loved one. Learn what not to say, considerations related to grief across different cultures and appropriate academic accommodations. Focus on ways to initiate conversations with grieving students, identify and address students’ guilt and help them manage grief triggers.  Learn about the unique challenges of supporting grieving students during and after the current pandemic. Walk away with practical advice to support your grieving students, as well as free resources from the Coalition to Support Grieving Students.

Earn 0.1 CEUs/1 contact hours for this webinar by purchasing and passing the corresponding quiz found in the Specialists and Exams section of the Online Store. Search by keyword of the webinar title to find the exam in the online store. CEU exams are available for three years following the live webinar.

Learning objectives: 

After viewing this webinar, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the role of guilt and its impact on adjusting to a loss
2. Describe grief triggers and ways to minimize their impact in a school setting, as well as other academic accommodations to support grieving students
3. Outline the unique barriers to supporting grieving students during the COVID-19 pandemic and resources to address those barriers
4. Access free professional development resources on bereavement via www.grievingstudents.org

Original Air Date: April 15, 2021

Presenter: David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, established and directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (www.schoolcrisiscenter.org), located at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; the center coordinates the Coalition to Support Grieving Students (www.grievingstudents.org), composed of more than 100 organizations including ASCA and other major educational professional organizations. Schonfeld is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and professor of clinical pediatrics at the USC Keck School of Medicine. He has authored more than 150 scholarly articles, book chapters and books and has given more than 1,000 presentations on the topics of pediatric bereavement and crisis. Schonfeld has provided consultation and training in the aftermath of a school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad. He has also conducted school-based research, involving children’s understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death, as well as school-based interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention.

About the National Center for School Crisis & Bereavement: 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.

1-877-53-NCSCB (1-877-536-2722) info@schoolcrisiscenter.org