CE Program for Clergy and Faith Leaders
The Role of Clergy and Faith Leaders in Supporting Adults with Autism Through Grief and Loss
CE hours: 1.5
This on-demand program is presented by Hospice Foundation of America (HFA). Clicking the button below will redirect you to HFA’s website to view the program.
This program explains ways in which adults with autism may experience and express grief. The expert presenter provides tools, resources, and strategies for clergy to use in their faith communities in order to enfranchise and support those with autism throughout their grief journey.
Target Audience: Clergy, chaplains, pastoral care professionals, youth ministry leaders, religious educators, and others from any spiritual or faith traditions.
Continuing education credit is provided by the Hospice Foundation of America.
Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, MDiv
Dr. Doka is Senior Vice President of Grief Programs at the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) and recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). He serves as editor of HFA’s Living with Grief® book series and its Journeys bereavement newsletter. He is a prolific author, editor, and lecturer; past president of ADEC; and a member and past chair of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement (IWG). In 2018, the IWG presented Doka with the Herman Feifel Award for outstanding achievement in thanatology. He received an award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Death Education from ADEC in 1998. Doka is an ordained Lutheran minister and a licensed mental health counselor in the state of New York.
At the end of the program, viewers will be able to:
- Understand basic facts about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- Discuss current grief principles.
- Identify how autistic adults may react (or not react) to loss.
- Identify how traditional religious beliefs and practices can present both benefits and barriers for adults with autism.
- Discuss how spirituality may be expressed by adults with autism.
- Delineate three techniques that clergy and others can utilize to assist autistics in navigating rituals.
- Identify three possible ways to offer support to an adult with autism in faith communities and through their grief journey, beyond the immediate period of the funeral and burial.
For more information, click here to view the Program Information Sheet.
Continuing education (1.5 hours) is available for a variety of boards through Hospice Foundation of America (HFA). Instructions for obtaining your CE certificate is provided at the end of the program.