A Note from the Instructor
As the lead instructor for the course, I want to share that one goal behind the certificate is to create more awareness and tools for providing support for loss and grief on both personal and professional levels. I care deeply about having an open and safe atmosphere for exploring and discussing grief and loss
Dr. Erica Srinivasan, Lead Instructor of the Grief Support Specialist Certificate
About this Program
The program includes seven weeks of instruction. The fully online format provides a flexible schedule making it possible to earn the certificate without traveling or taking time off work.
Course Learning Objectives
- Differentiate between various types of losses and types of grief
- Apply grief theories and concepts to loss experiences
- Identify how personal and societal factors influence the grieving experience
- Apply therapeutic grief activities for use in personal and professional life
- Explain the importance of cultural humility in providing grief support
- Explain how grief support is a social justice issue
- Differentiate between vicarious grief and compassion fatigue
- Develop self-care approaches
- Clarify skills and values for professional or personal goals related to grief support work
- Identify tools for exploring and assessing grief, cultural humility, compassion fatigue and self-care.
- Analyze how course content and course materials relate to professional or personal goals related to grief support work
- Integrate course content to apply to and/or enhance grief support work
Level
Beginner to Advanced
CEUs and Prerequisites
The Grief Support Specialist Certificate provides 4.0 Continuing Education Units (40 hours of professional continuing education) for people in a variety of professions including, but not limited to, psychology, social work, counseling, and marriage and family therapy.
To enroll, we encourage you to have a bachelor’s degree and/or at least 3-5 years experience in social services, non-profit, business, school, health care, or counseling setting.
Learn more about CEUs and CE approved hours.
Program Delivery and Time Commitment
This course is fully online with no real-time requirements. While the course is completely online, it is instructor-facilitated with significant interaction between instructor and student and between students. Participants are able to adjust their involvement in listening to the lectures and doing the assignments according to their personal and professional schedules.
Participants should expect about 5 hours of coursework per week (the lectures and assignments portion); with a final project (2-3 page reflection paper), all of which is included in the 40 hours of instruction. Participants will upload weekly reflections and interact with other participants via discussion boards as well as interaction with the instructor.
It is possible to complete this course successfully while working full-time and caring for a family.
Is Now the Right Time?
If you have had a significant loss within the past year, you may want to consider delaying participation in this program. The content may be difficult to process so soon after your own loss. If this applies to you and you would like to discuss, please contact Meghan Wilhelmi at meghan.wilhelmi@wisc.edu.