The Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project

The Yale Child Study Center is collaborating with Child Bereavement UK and the New York Life Foundation to fill the gap that exists in bereavement support and training both locally and nationally by addressing bereavement resources aimed at healthcare professionals outside of the mental health arena. This multi-faceted program includes providing in-person and virtual trainings to healthcare providers who work with bereaved families, as well as developing resources for families and providers about various bereavement-related topics.

Trainings are varied in specific content areas, though they all educate professionals in developing effective, empathic, and reflective practices in their work with bereaved families. Broadly, these trainings facilitate non-mental healthcare professionals to understand the bereavement process, appreciate the importance of working within the context of each individual family’s structure/system/culture, and develop one’s own reflective capacity and self-care.

Examples of specific trainings targeted at non-mental health professionals include:

• An introduction to loss, grief and bereavement
• Supporting parents through pregnancy loss and the death of a baby
• When a child dies – supporting children and families
• Supporting families facing traumatic bereavement
• Self-care – considering the impact on healthcare professionals dealing with death
• Understanding traumatic bereavement

In addition to direct training, easy-access information for families and providers on the topic of child and family bereavement is now available at https://griefsensitivehealthcare.org/ including a resource library and family stories.