Symposium2023

Symposium Sessions and Speakers

Understanding Your Grief: Touchstones for Hope and Healing | Dr. Alan Wolfelt

This program will help all of us understand how loss influences our lives. Participants will embrace the uniqueness of their grief, quietly reflect on their feelings of loss, learn about the six essential needs when someone dies, and come to understand the difference between "reconciling" grief and "resolving" grief.

Dr. Alan Wolfelt has been recognized as one of North America's leading death educators and grief counselors. His books have sold more than a million copies worldwide and have been translated into many languages. He founded the Center for Loss in 1984 to offer education and support both to grievers and bereavement caregivers. Well respected for his inspiring teaching ability, Dr. Wolfelt is a past recipient of the Association for Death Education Death Educator Award. He is known around the world for his compassionate messages of hope and healing as well as his companioning philosophy of grief care. Dr. Wolfelt speaks on grief-related topics, offers trainings for caregivers, and has written many bestselling books and other resources on grief for both caregivers and grieving people.

When Grief is "Complicated:" A Model to Understand, Identify, and Companion Grievers | Dr. Alan Wolfelt

This workshop will help participants explore the important topic of "complicated" grief. Alan Wolfelt will present his model for understanding, identifying, and companioning grievers lost in the wilderness of grief. After a significant loss, grief is normal and necessary. But sometimes a mourner's grief becomes naturally heightened, stuck, or made more complex by especially difficult circumstances surrounding the death or complications surrounding the nature of the relationship.

Grief in the Workplace | Benjamin E. "Ben" Baran, Ph.D.

The science of human behavior in the workplace has numerous applications for both how organizations can best support grieving employees, and those experiencing grief can navigate the crucibles they face using sense-making, psychological resilience and hardiness. Using research form organizational psychology, illustrated by historical and personal examples, this program will provide psychological and behavioral strategies that are useful for both individuals and organizational leaders.

Benjamin E. "Ben" Baran, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management at Cleveland State University, co-founder of the consulting firm Indigo Anchor, and a captain in the US Navy Reserve. His research focuses on how leaders, teams, and organizations navigate uncertainty and adversity and he has published 25 journal articles and book chapters on organizational behavior and human resource management. Ben earned his bachelor's degree in political science and communication from Villanova University, and he holds a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology and Ph.D. in organizational science from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Loving Myself as I'm Loving My Neighbor | Linda Anderson Gaines, LPCC-S

Professional mental health providers, as well as lay leaders, can be affected by stress, burnout and compassion fatigue. This program will help the participant determine which lifestyle patterns drain vs engage, identify self-care strategies which increase effectiveness in providing grief support, providing informative and practical opportunities to learn and implement effective faith based self-care interventions.

Linda Gaines has been a counselor, workshop presenter, and conference speaker for forty years. She received her master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Cincinnati in 1980. Linda formerly taught counseling at Ashland Theological Seminary. Her teachings focus on anger and stress management, coping with grief, cultural diversity, mentoring, leadership development, team building and spiritual disciplines. God has also chosen to give Linda spiritual oversight of Under His Wings Ministry for the past 25 years. Linda's passion is to encourage those who provide leadership care for others, to care for themselves through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prolonged Grief Disorder and the DSM | Neesha Roberts, MA

Typically, prolonged grief affects around 10% of the population, but due to COVID-19, researchers tell us to expect an uptick in prolonged grief. This matters to community behavioral heath care because "treatment as usual" for grief - supportive counseling with a referral for group - will lead to treatment failure for those with prolonged grief. This organization conducted a pilot project with 10 therapists to screen, assess for, and treat PGD. The results of this project will be discussed at the workshop, and will reveal a great need for healthcare professionals to be able to differentiate PGD from MDD and PTSD. This will ensure clients receive the right treatment for PGD rather than "treatment as usual" for bereavement-related depression.

Neesha Roberts has been a licensed professional counselor since 2017 and holds a master's degree in community mental health counseling. She is also a nationally approved Clinical Supervisor via the Center for Credentialing and Education and a board-approved Clinical Supervisor in Tennessee. Her primary clinical experience has been with treating traumatic stress in children, adolescents and families within systems of care such as: foster care and juvenile justice. Additionally, she has provided mental health services in anti-trafficking organizations, schools, outpatient, private practice and telehealth. As Manager, Clinical Program Development of Centerstone Research Institute, Neesha is currently focused on designing and piloting clinical programs and conducting program development research.

Co-Presenter Katherine Munies is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a master's degree in education focusing on Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia. She has been practicing applied behavior analysis for over eight years, focusing on program development and implementation for individuals diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. Katherine has been involved in several research projects focused on daily skill development for Autism youth populations. Katherine currently works as the Coordinator for Clinical Advancement at Centerstone Research Institute.

Suicide, Supervision and Supervisors | Emily Ribnik, LPCC-S

The suicide of a client can have pervasive professional and personal impact on a mental health supervisee. In this program, supervisors will understand the potential impacts of such a situation and how supervision can protect the supervisee from the most distressing impacts, engage in reflective activities to better understand the culture and climate of their site, and learn additional suggestions to enhance supervision.

Emily Ribnik has been working in Ohio's mental health field for over 15 years. She is the Training, CE, and Certification Coordinator for Light after Loss, a non-profit focused on providing support for suicide loss survivors and dedicated to educating clinicians about suicide loss. She holds a BA in psychology and ME in Community Counseling from Kent State University. She is a Ph.D. student completing her dissertation, "How Counselor Supervisors Experience Client Suicide," this year. She has presented about the impact of client suicide loss on mental health clinicians, supervision of a client suicide loss, the impact of client death on mental health clinicians and her experiences of suicide loss as a professional.

A Tale of Two Clinicians: Mental Health Providers as Suicide Survivors | Emily Ribnik, LPCC-S

Mental health clinicians aren't always viewed by the public, nor by themselves, as suicide survivors. However, losing a client this way has direct impact on how they manage their response to the suicide death. Mental health providers may be unique survivors due to their relationship with the deceased client. This complicated relationship can have direct impact on how the clinician moves forward individually and with other clients. As survivors themselves, presenters will share research on the impact of client suicide to mental health clinicians.

The Co-Presenter Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, is the Founder, Vice President, and Chief Executive Officer of Light after Loss. Shannon lost her husband, Craig, to suicide on August 3, 2016, leaving her and their two young girls behind. After being a counselor for nearly 10 years, she also learned that the grief and trauma related to loss survivors is unique to only those who have experienced it. Light after Loss is her way of paying it forward as she feels everyone deserves to have the resources and support to heal. She has presented her story as a suicide loss survivor locally, regionally, and nationally.

Trauma and Loss in the Amish Community | Nancy Carst, MSW

For those working with the Amish, it is important to understand the unique culture and Christian beliefs of that community. In this program, you will hear directly from an Amish family who experienced trauma and grief, how their community responded, an appreciation of their spiritual faith and rituals, and how the medical community interfaced with their grief journey.

Nancy Carst, LISW, has worked at Akron Children's Hospital for 36 years providing social work services to bereaved families and families of children coping with chronic, potentially life threatening conditions, and long term illness. For the past 21 years she has been a member of the pediatric palliative care center focusing on a variety of programs and outreach to support grieving families. Nancy received her bachelor's degree in social work from Kent State University and holds a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical social work from the University of Chicago.

Co-Presenter Annamae Miller and her husband, David, are the bereaved parents of David Jr, Regina and Rachel Miller, and parents of Robbie and Jeremy. It took several years to medically understand the unique genetic condition that affected 4 of their 5 children. This condition generally results in a shortened life expectancy. Their youngest son is living with this genetic condition. Annamae and David will share how they navigated their grief and trauma, and how their healing has included holistic therapies for themselves and others.

Peer-Led Teen Trauma Support | Leila Salisbury, MA

Evidence based research from the ASU Family Bereavement Program was used to develop curriculum for a peer-led, teen support group. In this program, participants will learn the value of this type of group, and how to recruit and train teen facilitators along with adult support personnel. A teen facilitator with the program will be present to share her experiences as well.

Leila W. Salisbury is the Executive Director of The Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families (KCGCF), which she founded in 2020. She currently serves on the Membership Committee of the National Alliance for Children's Grief. She is trained on the Peer Healing Curriculum as part of a pilot program with the University of Chicago Medical School; the KCGCF is one of two pilot sites in the country for this teen-led, evidence-based grief support curriculum. She has also worked as a volunteer with the McClean Fletcher Center (a children's grief center in Jackson, MS) and raised a grieving child after her husband died when her daughter was 5.

Co-Presenter Katarina W. Salisbury is a junior at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky. She lost her father at the age of 5 and spent three years attending groups at the McClean Fletcher Center's children's bereavement program. She lost her maternal grandmothers when she was 12. She now volunteers regularly with an equine-based therapy program and is a trained Teen Facilitator for Peer Healing, an online, evidence-based grief support program for teens aged 13-18 that is locally run by the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families.

Insight: Widening Your Trauma Informed Lens | Sarah Hendrickson, M.Ed.

This training, builds on a foundational awareness of trauma to foster insights into its impact on the brain and body. Key elements of developing a trauma informed lens will be explored. Participants learn practical knowledge and skill based tools to implement in their work and life.

Sarah Hendrickson is a Partner and Chief of Strategy and Innovation at Evellere Group, a social impact consulting firm leading evidence-informed training, strategic consultation and a research-driven continuum of care that reconnects health care with humanity. Sarah is an industry-leader in trauma-focused programming, relational health education and system administration, and building resilience. She developed a nationally leading recovery program for trauma survivors and designed an award-winning peer mentorship program that is now a flagship model for Essential Healthcare Systems. Sarah received a bachelor's degree in hearing, speech and language sciences and a master's degree in counseling from Ohio University, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision.

Dying, Death and Bereavement in a Digital World | Julie Olds, CT

The digital world creates a very different environment for how we live and work. However, laws and regulations governing the use of digital communication have not kept up with technology online. Ethical and moral considerations become increasingly important not only when conducting business online, but when providing clinical services through telehealth.

Julie Olds is the Director of Community Relations and Education for Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service in Columbus, Ohio. She received her bachelor's degree in allied medicine from The Ohio State University and holds a master's degree in marketing and communication from Franklin University. Additionally, Julie received her certification in Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling in 2018 and went on to receive her certification as a Funeral Celebrant in 2022.

Best Practices for Providing Trauma Response Services to Homicide Co-Victims | Wendy Ricks Hoff, BA

Developed by a collaborative effort, the Ohio Victim Witness Association wrote the best practices guide to address advocacy and support to homicide co-victims, including immediate support, working with media, navigating complex family dynamics, and criminal justice considerations. This workshop will outline key best practices to circumvent the re-traumatization of homicide co-victims, with special considerations for LBGTQ homicides and mass shootings.

Wendy Ricks Hoff is the Program Director for the Ohio Victim Witness Association, a registered advocate with senior standing through the Ohio Advocate Network, and an advanced, comprehensive credentialed advocate through the National Advocate Credentialing Program. She holds a BA in Sociology from Wright State University, and has over 30 years of experience in the field of victim advocacy. Wendy is the former Director of the Victim Assistance Program in Xenia, a prosecutor-based misdemeanor level crime victim advocacy program. She is a member of the Ohio Crisis Response Team, certified through the Tristate Trauma Network, is a certified Trauma 101 trainer and certified in Mental Health First Aid.

Cornerstone of Hope is an approved provider for professional development and education. Cornerstone of Hope is approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a provider of continuing education for counselors and social workers. Approved provider number #RCS070701 The Ohio Nursing Board accepts continuing education hours approved by any other credentialing agency. 9 CEU's are available to counselors, social workers and nurses. In addition, this program is also offering 9 Continuing Education credits to licensed funeral directors in the state of Ohio.