Foundational Training: Part 1A

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), in collaboration with The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, and the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing have partnered to provide trainings and materials on grief, loss and trauma among children and youth.
 

Helping Children and Youth Heal in a New Era of Grief

Children and adolescents are impacted by grief at astounding numbers. Recent data estimates that over 200,000 children have experienced the death of a caregiver due to COVID. And we know that many more have experienced caregiver death due to other illness, accidents and community violence. The prior school-year saw a significant increase in the number of children/adolescents reporting the death of someone important to them. We know grief has entered schools in record numbers. And, when a child or adolescent experiences the death of someone important, their entire world is impacted, and important questions can surface. Who will take care of me? Will I remember this person? Why did this happen?

Adults who understand the developmental impact of grief and can provide appropriate support are central to the healing process in children and adolescents.

Training Information: This workshop is a live, interactive webinar with video and audio capabilities enabled for both participants and instructors. Participants will have the ability to comment and ask questions both verbally and in the chat feature and will receive real-time communication from the instructor or co-facilitator in response. The instructor will frequently invite engagement from participants through use of the chat, reactions, and/or poll features.

Instructor: Melissa Sellevaag, LICSW

Instructor Information 

Melissa Sellevaag, LICSW is currently the Director of Training and Education at the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing. She is responsible for designing and implementing training curricula focused on the intersection of grief and trauma to expand the communities capacity to witness, support and tend to grief. Additionally, Melissa oversees the crisis response program for the Wendt Center which provides support to schools, agencies, and businesses in the wake of tragic events.

Melissa has over twenty years of experience providing direct services to individuals, families and youth. Melissa has developed, implemented and supervised innovative community-based trauma-informed programming aimed at reducing the barriers to stability and wellness. She holds a MA in Counseling from Marist College and a MSW from Catholic University. She is a licensed clinical social worker in Washington, DC where she lives with her husband, two children and cat.

Additional Training Information 

• CEs: 3 CEs
• Note: The training will be offered in three connected parts (1A, 1B and 1C), each segment taking 3.5 hours and each qualifying for 3 CEs
• Target Audience: Licensed mental health professionals and other school staff or administration where relevant.