Hospice Foundation of America
E-Newsletter
Volume 7, Issue 6
June 2007
http://www.hospicefoundation.org
June 2007
In this issue:
- Message from David Abrams, President/CEO
- Focus on: HFA's National Bereavement Teleconference
- Call for 2008 Cover Art
- Host a Downlink Site!
- What's New@HFA
- Upcoming Conferences and Educational Opportunities
Message from David Abrams, President/CEO
We are pleased to announce that HFA’s 15th annual National Bereavement Teleconference, Living With Grief: Children and Adolescents, will be broadcast Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 1:30pm - 4:00pm Eastern time. By far, some of the most common questions we receive from both professionals and laypeople focus on how to help children and young people deal with grief and loss. While HFA examined this issue in depth eight years ago in a teleconference and book, there was great consensus that the topic deserves another look.
Although summer has officially begun for many, HFA staff is already hard at work on this important program. And so, we imagine, are many of the loyal Site Coordinators who have hosted this program in their communities. Many Site Coordinators have hosted at least 5 programs, and we are especially proud of those we’ve partnered with for more than 10 years. Please take a few minutes to look over the list below; be sure to pass on your appreciation if you know them personally or professionally, and be sure to let HFA know if you should be included. telecon@hospicefoundation.org
Focus on: HFA’s National Bereavement Teleconference
HFA’s 15th annual National Bereavement Teleconference, Living With Grief: Children and Adolescents, will be broadcast Wednesday, April 16, 2008. HFA's 2008 Teleconference will focus on the experience of grieving children and adolescents and the ways that hospices, schools, grief counselors, and parents can best support these populations as they cope with loss and grief. The program and newly published book will focus on the newest theories and practices in this area, and as always will combine academic research with hands-on ideas for use in hospice support groups and other settings.
At the conclusion of the 2008 teleconference, participants will be able to:
- Describe the situations that might engender grief in children and adolescents as well as the particular ways that grief may be manifested in children and adolescents;
- Describe and evaluate strategies for work with grieving children and adolescents, including counseling, support groups, expressive and play therapies, school-based programs, and camp-based programs;
- Discuss effective strategies to empower parents and other support systems, such as schools and faith communities, to assist grieving children and adolescents; and
- Describe the unique issues that grieving children and adolescents pose for professional caregivers and offer strategies for effective self-help and professional support.
Call for 2008 LWG Book Cover Art
HFA is calling for submissions of grief-related artwork by children and adolescents. One piece of artwork will be selected as the cover image for HFA's 2008 book, Living with Grief: Children and Adolescents. Artwork must be the original work of a child or adolescent and must be received by HFA by November 30, 2007. Entries will be disqualified if the artist is over the age of 21. There will be a $500 honorarium provided to the artist whose work is selected for the book and a $250 honorarium provided ,if applicable, to the organization that facilitated the artist’s work. The selected artist may be interviewed by HFA to confirm age and may also be asked to describe the artwork, and this information may be published by HFA. In addition, HFA may select other pieces of submitted artwork to be displayed on the HFA website at www.hospicefoundation.org. Any artwork that is received may be used as a visual image during the 2008 teleconference. For more information on the submission process, see here.
Congratulations to Site Coordinators (PDF) who have hosted a site for at least five years; HFA is grateful for your support and continued participation.
If you haven’t done so before, HFA encourages you to consider hosting a downlink site for the 2008 teleconference. Site coordinators have found that there are many benefits to hosting an HFA teleconference. Being a host can:
- Increase awareness of your organization in your community;
- Offer you and colleagues the opportunity to build relationships with other caregivers, advocates, and community leaders;
- Help frontline health workers, family caregivers and advocates stay current on end-of-life topics;
- Provide low-cost continuing education credit to more than 70 boards, including nursing, social work, funeral directors, counselors, clergy, EMS workers and others.
The teleconference will be telecast live, and it is anticipated that more than 100,000 people at more than 1,200 locations across the United States will view the program.
To show the teleconference via satellite, you will need a satellite that can receive the C or KU-band frequency, a monitor with sound, and seating to accommodate an audience. If a satellite downlink is not available in your area, you may also contact HFA to find out how to show the teleconference via live streaming webcast.
Registration will begin in October; if you have questions, please contact telecon@hospicefoundation.org
The full-length DVD of the 2007 program is now available! The one-hour edited DVD will be available after July 1st. Order these helpful educational tools.
Upcoming Conferences and Educational Opportunities
The Oregon Center for Applied Science (ORCAS) is conducting a research study to gather feedback for a new online interactive program designed to help individuals who are experiencing grief over the recent loss of a loved one. Participants will be asked to provide feedback and opinions on two online surveys. Study activities can be done entirely from the comfort of home, and participants will be compensated. To find out more, go to the website or call 1-800-934-0626.
The 11th Annual National Symposium on Children’s Grief Support will be held June 21-23 at the Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham, AL. The Symposium is a national forum for those who serve grieving children and families to offer educational resources and networking opportunities.
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