ODL 332: Supporting Grieving Clients: Assessing Prolonged Grief Disorder and Facilitating Grief Interventions

Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.

6 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:

Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 6 Clinical CE Credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 6 Contact Hours
Psychologists
APA – 6 CE Credits
Counselors
NBCC ACEP – 6 Contact Hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – 6 Contact Hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 6 Contact Hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 6 Contact Hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 6 Contact Hours

Created on: 4/7/25

Target Audience:

This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses and case managers.

Counselor Skill Groups:

1. Clinical Intake and Screening
2. Clinical Assessment
3. Treatment Plan
4. Counseling Services

Overview:

The new DSM-5-TR edition ushered in only one official new diagnosis: Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). This workshop will present the new diagnosis and its criteria, explore the pros and cons of such a diagnosis, and examine methods of assessing for PGD. The use of diverse interventions and tools will be covered. Clinicians will feel more informed about this new diagnosis and better prepared to support clients who may have PGD. After discussing this new diagnosis, further exploration of grief dynamics will be presented. Complicated grief, disenfranchised grief, and non-death losses will be highlighted. Learners will be provided with grief screenings and assessments to enhance their assessment skills. Methods and models of supporting grieving clients with appropriate interventions will be discussed so that learners have increased confidence and skill in providing effective grief support to clients.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:

• Explain the diagnostic criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) and analyze pros and cons of the diagnosis
• Demonstrate an understanding of clients with PGD and formulate goals and treatment interventions
• Explain concepts of disenfranchised grief, ambiguous losses, and dynamics of non-death losses
• Identify methods of screening and assessment to formulate conceptualizations of grief in clients
• Formulate methods of intervention to support grieving clients

Presenter:

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW, owner of Diane Bigler Therapy Services, Inc. 

Diane Bigler is a licensed clinical social worker in Missouri and Kansas. She has over 20 years of experience in the social services field. Diane has held positions as a therapist (in-home and outpatient), private practice owner, trainer/facilitator, clinical supervisor, and professor of social work. She also has experience in corporate wellness training and coaching. Diane is most passionate about providing quality educational training to professionals. She enjoys spoiling her four dachshunds and anything 80s-related.