Please join us for this instructional and restorative program that focuses on the forms of grief and loss. This program will provide helpful insights into grief, with particular emphasis on older adults. During the workshop, we will provide tools to assist you in coping with the many bereavement issues that you have been presented with throughout the pandemic, both for your congregation and yourself.

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqcOigqDstGNBWTEsB--NW4a1xv7GnFZYP  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Presenter: Julia Ellifritt, LISW-S Cornerstone of Hope Julia Ellifritt is a clinician and educator with over 25 years of experience in the areas of bereavement and trauma. She has published in The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care and The Exceptional Parent. Julia was a founding board member of the Northeast Ohio Bereavement Council. She has taught hundreds of courses on the various aspects of grief and diversity.

Also, we understand the many ways in which the pandemic has changed both grief and parish life, resulting in great demands on those in a pastoral role. We will have an interactive session addressing self-care, particularly for the specialized needs of clergy.

Clergy Presenter: Carlton Williams, D. Min  Carlton Williams pastored for 26 years, and has extensive training in a variety of areas, including community issues, cultural humility, family development, and grief counseling. As Community Service Director at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, he worked largely with seniors - focusing on healthy lifestyles. His additional experience as a certified Trauma Recovery Empowerment Instructor, Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Specialist, has given him first-hand opportunities to help reduce stigma around mental illness, through community education, and to link self-esteem in a broad-spectrum approach for self-care, and mental health promotion. Carlton co-authored several related peer-reviewed publications and continues to serve as adjunct Assistant Professor of Research at Wright State University.

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