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

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
Counselors
NBCC ACEP – 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

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.

Created on: 4/7/25

Attention New Jersey Social Workers: 

This course is approved for all social workers, including New Jersey. The Board Adopted Amendments: N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.3, 6.4, and 6.7 Content Areas for Continuing Education Credit on April 15, 2024. This updates the Board’s regulation. This amendment states that  attendance at programs or courses offered by providers approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) are now acceptable sources of CE credit. 

At the June 12, 2024 public meeting, the Board voted to allow “any applications submitted, or audits which take place, on or after September 1, 2022” to be able “to submit CE from the sources updated in the new amendment adopted on April 15, 2024.”

For more information please refer to https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/sw/Pages/Additional-Information.aspx#CE

Target Audience:

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

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.