I Am A Professional

Grief and Parenting in the Disability Community

October 5, 2022

In this blog post, Carrie writes about being the parent and primary caregiver to a child with disabilities and grieving the loss of a child dying from their disabilities.

Blog Post / Death of a Child / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / I Am A Supporter / Living with Dying / Supporting Others

Christian – Language around those pushed to the margins

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about how people who are pushed to the margins are not discussed as part of our community and how we need to include them. As a community how do we care for our neighbours and how do we mourn the loss of our neighbours

Collective/Community Grief / Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Christian – Supporting people who may die

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about going from zero overdoses to 50 in a matter of months and how to help people who may die

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Jessica M – Continuing Bonds

June 13, 2023

Jessica talks about the values of continuing bonds and connections with people who are not here anymore. She gives some examples of things that have made her more connected to her Mom.

Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Grief and Disability: Carrie’s Story

September 20, 2022

It has become clear to me over time that we have much work to do to ensure the delivery of disability-sensitive grief literacy and grief support. In March of 2022 my proposal for four 1-hour sessions was approved, we provided the program for 20 participants. My heart was full in each session.

My heart remains full of hope that conversations, education, and expertise about disability sensitive end of life care and grief support will gain momentum as more and more people join in on this vital conversation.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Blog Post / Grief and Trauma / I Am A Professional / Supporting Others

Caleigh – Play Session

February 22, 2023

Caileigh discusses child play sessions, how children can learn about confusing feelings of grief and ways to cope.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Lack of Memorials During Pandemic

April 23, 2023

Kristal talks about how memorials can offer closure to people who are grieving, find a community, and share stories. With the absence of this during the pandemic, many people turned inward to grieve or isolated, which can create safety issues and have an impact on mental health. She speaks to how this leads to depression, physical pain, and it compounds upon itself.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Christian – Autonomy for the homeless

April 23, 2023

Christian discusses those who are unhoused and how they want a space that is theirs and how we need to take that seriously especially when it comes to grief

Death and Grief During a Pandemic / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Craig – Resilience in the Face of Adversity

August 1, 2023

Craig how he overcame a series of challenges, including the loss of his marriage, his job, and his home. He talks about how he found the strength to keep going and how he learned to be more resilient.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of A Loved One / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Harm Reduction

April 23, 2023

Kristal speaks to the importance of harm reduction and how it can save lives. She discusses how accessing harm reduction leads to the creation of connections with community support. It allows community outreach members to connect with community members and get to know them, and to know to look for them if they don’t see them when they usually do.

Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Kristal – Drug Poisoning During Pandemic Stigma

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses how the pandemic has created additional stigma surrounding those who use drugs. She dissuses how it seems like some losses are treated as more deserving of being mourned than others. Many people have had to grieve privately instead of publically within a community. She touches on the state of the public health system during the pandemic.

Collective/Community Grief / Death By Overdose / Drug Poisoning and the Pandemic / I Am A Professional / Video

Caileigh – Sharing grief experience to spread hope and kindness

February 23, 2023

Caileigh talks about taking the opportunity to share her personal and professional grief experiences as a way to spread hope and to spread kindness.

Bereavement Professionals' Insights / Death of a Parent / I Am A Griever / I Am A Professional / Video