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.