Brief Interventions with Bereaved Children

Recent years have seen increasing interest in the needs of children facing bereavement, and a corresponding increase in services to support them. This book addresses and explains the theoretical concepts and practical implications behind the idea of brief work with bereaved children and families. Flexible and accessible short term services delivered at the right time underpin the strengths of bereaved children, supporting their recovery rather than pathologising the grief process. In this way the book also speaks to the current interest in the concept of resilience and working with families' strength and possibilities rather than merely identifying their problems. The topic of this book is unique in the field, and will appeal to practitioners, educators and service providers managing scarce resources. The editors have more than twenty years experience as practitioners within the field, as service providers and educators. The book features chapters from distinguished contributors with backgrounds in health care, education, social work and the police, alongside theoretical and practice based chapters from workers in the field of bereavement care for children. There is also a chapter from the service user's perspective. The book looks at different approaches to intervention, such as the importance of assessment and the value of groupwork, and also covers work with children and families before a death.

Table of Contents:
Foreword; Preface; Introduction; 1. Work with bereaved children; 2. Theoretical perspectives: linking research and practice; 3. Family assessment; 4. The family perspective in bereavement; 5. Therapeutic interventions; 6. One off or once a term: brief interventions in groupwork; 7. Shrinking the space between people; 8. The extended warranty; 9. Swampy ground: brief interventions with families before bereavement; 10. Working with volunteers to provide bereavement support to children; 11. Loss and grief in school communities; 12. Brief interventions in critical care environments; 13. Working with traumatically bereaved children; 14. Helping the family following suicide; 15. Family liaison: when once has to be enough; 16. Crossing the great barrier grief

About the Author :
Barbara Monroe is the Chair of the Childhood Bereavement Network (the National umbrella organisation).

Review :
What makes this a must-read is the consistent theme that bereavement is not a disease. Across the chapters, the non-pathologising, collaborative and purposeful stance informs an approach that can find rich application across the tiers of children's services. Journal of Advanced Nursing Reading this book brought back memories that I do not cherish from a long time ago, but my spirit was lightened reading about the enormous and continuing advances made in the management of bereaved children that have occurred since that time. One cannot but admire the inventiveness of some of the interventions described, and the enthusiasm is infectious. I thought the exploration of brief family interventions before bereavement was particularly interesting. Anyone who has anything to do with bereaved children should read this book. Strongly recommended. IAHPC Website I highly recommend this book as a core text in the field and one which all practitioners would benefit from reading. Palliative Medicine