FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2008
WASHINGTON – Continuing education and training for professional caregivers working with bereaved families is important, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) will launch its first online training series in December with a webinar on assessing the risk of suicide among those who have experienced the death of a loved one.
The one-hour seminar will be offered on Thursday, December 4 at 12pm Eastern Time, 11am Central Time, 10am Mountain Time, and 9am Pacific Time. Advance registration is required through www.taps.org/professionaleducation/.
Offered via a webinar interface with renowned expert Dr. David Jobes, the
goal of the training is to teach professionals how to identify risk factors,
protective factors and warning signs for suicide among the bereaved, as well
as risk assessment and intervention strategies. There will also be a special
focus on the loss of a military service member and unique aspects of
surviving families.
Any professional caregiver providing services to help grieving families is
invited to attend the webinar, which costs $25. Active duty, National Guard
and Reserve military chaplains and casualty assistance officers may attend
the training for free (email name, branch of service, duty station and
contact information to Jill Harrington LaMorie at jill@taps.org).
Certificates of attendance can be provided. The Association of Professional
Chaplains will accept certificates of attendance for reporting continuing
education hours. Application for formal continuing education approval has
been filed with the National Association of Social Workers. Application for
formal nursing continuing education approval has been filed with the
California Board of Registered Nursing. Check with your state licensing
board for professional discipline requirements for continuing education.
Dr. David Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is a professor of psychology and co-director for
clinical training at the Catholic University of America. He is a member of
the American Psychological Association, the American Association of
Suicidology, the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and the
International Academy of Suicide Research. He has published extensively in
suicide prevention and provides professional training in clinical
suicidology.
Jobes is currently a consultant to the Department of Defense, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Air Force Suicide Prevention Program. He
serves on the Advisory Board for Give an Hour, which partners with TAPS and
provides free mental health services to U.S. military personnel and families
affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2.4 million people
die each year in the United States. They leave behind bereaved family and
friends to grieve. It’s common for the bereaved to feel grief, sadness,
depression, anger, and guilt. Sleep and appetite problems, difficulty
functioning at normal activities such as work or school, and feelings of
isolation are also common.
Because military deaths may be unexpected, occur away from home, and be
violent, the bereaved family members left behind can experience what is
known among caregiving professionals as “traumatic grief” or “complicated
grief.” It’s not uncommon for family members who’ve lost a loved one serving
in the military to experience intense emotion and longing for the deceased,
depression, extreme feelings of isolation and emptiness, short term memory
loss and difficulty concentrating, “survivor guilt” for not protecting the
loved one, and in some cases, symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and
even suicidal thoughts.
The United States military has lost 4,197 service members in Iraq, and 626
in Afghanistan. For each death, TAPS estimates at least ten people –
parents, spouses, siblings, children, and other relatives – are
significantly impacted. Consequently, more than 48,000 people in the United
States are grieving the loss of someone who served in Operations Iraqi
Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Since its founding in 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and care to more than
25,000 surviving military family members. TAPS provides ongoing emotional
help, hope, and healing to all who are grieving the death of a loved one in
military service to America, regardless of relationship to the deceased,
geography, or circumstance of the death. TAPS meets its mission by providing
peer-based support, crisis care, casualty casework assistance, and grief and
trauma resources. Services are provided free of charge. For more information
go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free crisis line at 800.959.TAPS.
Media contact: Ami Neiberger-Miller, Public Affairs Officer, TAPS,
202.588.TAPS (8277), ami@taps.org.
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