When They Mourn: Guiding Children and Teens Through Grief and Healing

When They Mourn: Guiding Children and Teens Through Grief and HealingThursday, August 28 | 10am-12pm (EST) Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:Kevin Carter, MSW, LCSWSenior Research and Practice Fellow Lindy Institute for Ubran Innovation, Drexel University

Program Overview:

Grief can be overwhelming for anyone, but for children and teens—especially within African American communities—the experience of loss can be impacted by cultural, social, and systemic factors. This interactive workshop is designed specifically for social work and human services professionals who support caregiving adults. It offers practical tools and culturally relevant frameworks to help guide children and adolescents through the grieving process with empathy and understanding.

Participants will explore foundational concepts of childhood and adolescent grief, gain insights into age-appropriate expressions of loss, and strengthen their ability to coach and empower caregivers. The training will also highlight the importance of caregiver self-regulation and emotional modeling, with an emphasis on the cultural context of grief in African American families and communities.

Objectives:

• Explore the diverse ways children and teens understand and express grief across developmental stages.
• Identify effective communication techniques and supportive interventions for young people experiencing loss.
• Strengthen caregiver skills in self-regulation, empathy, and emotional modeling during times of grief.
• Apply culturally responsive models of care that address the specific grief experiences of African American children, families, and communities.

Host or Publisher Howard University School of Social Work