Fall Social Work Education Conference

Loss and Grief Process with a special emphasis on Veterans and their significant others.

October 30, 2008
9:00am to 4:30pm
VA Hospital: Lebanon
Co-Sponsored by Temple University Harrisburg and Lebanon VA Medical Center Social Work Department

Throughout life individuals experience various losses of persons, places, and things. The complexity of reactions to such losses impacts individuals, family systems, and communities. This workshop will address concepts of a theoretical nature to help professionals better understand the loss and grief process with particular emphasis given to those experiences unique to veterans and their significant others. The experiential nature of this workshop will have primary emphasis on therapeutic interventions. By recognizing the impact of loss and grief, providers will have a better understanding of how to address and treat these issues clinically.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop participants will:

Understand significant factors of loss – Attachment, Nature of Loss, Comprehension of Loss and Location of Loss.
Review the loss cycle as perceived by various theorists (i.e., Kubler-Ross, Doka, Neimeyer, Worden, Rando) and discuss the concept of “stages vs. states” of grief.
Review the complex nature of grief as defined by the DSM IV-TR and distinct types of grief (i.e., normal, anticipatory, disenfranchised, complicated, protracted);
Recognize the impact and reactions of grief and loss in individuals, family systems, and communities, nations and the world with particular emphasis on those experiences unique to veterans and their significant others;
Be cognizant of both formal and informal grief assessment tools that can be utilized in a practice setting.
Possess a general knowledge of educational, supportive, and restorative interventions.
Become familiarwithwriting effective treatment planning goals and objectives based on case studies.
Be able to apply a therapeutic intervention (i.e. Meaning-Reconstruction Approach, Solution Oriented Therapy) to a case study.

Location

This program will be held at the Lebanon VA Medical Center Building 18 Social Room, 1700 South Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA. Complete directions to the facility will be mailed with registration confirmation.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

8:15 to 8:55: Check in & Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:30: Review Basic Points of Loss and Grief Begin Didactic Presentation of Assessment/Identification of Loss/Grief
10:30-10:45: BREAK
10:45-12:15: Practice use of Formal Assessment Tools
12:15-1:15: LUNCH on your own
1:15-2:45: Tool Box Intervention: Presentation of Therapeutic Techniques and Issues of Therapeutic Interventions
2:45-3:00: BREAK
3:00-4:30: Small Group Practice Applying Interventions

Presenters

Lisa S. Zoll, LCSW

Lisa graduated from Temple University with her MSW in 2003 and is a licensed clinical social worker. She works in the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program at Penn State Hershey Medical Center as a Clinical Psychiatric Specialist in the program and as an outpatient therapist. Lisa also has a Masters of Parks and Recreation from Penn State with a minor in Therapeutic Recreation. She previously worked for 10 years as a Recreation Therapist at the Medical Center on both the geriatric and adult inpatient units. She has been an adjunct instructor for Temple University Harrisburg and has published an article on Postpartum Depression in the VA Newsletter, Fall 2003. Lisa and Dr. Klinger have worked together as students, co-workers, presenters, and instructors since 1990.

William “Bill” R. Klinger, PH.D

Dr. Klinger is a Mental Health Educator and Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with over 28 years of experience in psychiatric settings as a therapist, educator, and researcher. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Westminster College and his M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Health Education from Penn State University. Presently Dr. Klinger is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine. His areas of interest include: Anxiety and Stress, Adaptive Tai Chi, Behavioral Influences on Health, Grief and Loss, Coping With Change, and Dementia Care. Dr. Klinger has been an adjunct instructor for Penn State, Duquesne and Temple Universities. He co-authored “Stretch Your Mind and Body: Tai Chi as an Adaptive Activity” and has presented keynote addresses, lectures, and workshops to diverse professional groups at national, regional, state, and community settings.

Registration

The cost of theworkshop is free. There is a $15 continuing education certificate processing fee payable to Temple University for those interested in receiving continuing education credits. Credit card payments are acceptable and may be made by phone, fax or mail. Preregistration is required as seating is limited. For registration questions, please contact Tia Gilbert-Beverly toll free at 1-866-769-1860 or e-mail: tia@temple.edu. For program questions, please contact Lynn Notestine at lynn.notestine@temple.edu. Please mail completed registration form to: Tia Gilbert-Beverly, c/o Temple University Harrisburg, 234 Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17101. You may also fax the completed registration form to: (717) 221-1634.