The popular appeal and wide-spread cultural embrace of modern-day superhero narratives offers an approachable medium for illustrating the struggles of loss, grief, and bereavement. This webinar will highlight how such superhero stories can be used to demonstrate modern thanatology theories, concepts, and intervention strategies to students, clinicians, and the bereaved. In particular, the webinar will focus on a central theme in superhero narratives, that of posttraumatic growth (PTG), defined as positive psychological changes occurring as a result of struggling with a traumatic event. PTG postulates that negative experiences in our lives do not always produce solely negative psychological consequences, but frequently also engender simultaneous growth. This webinar will demonstrate how the wide-spread cultural acceptance of superhero narratives allow grief professionals to support grieving clients in recognizing how the experience of profound distress can serve as a catalyst for the transformative power of suffering.

From some of the early writings of our ancient cultures and religions, thousands of years old, the universal struggle to survive after the traumatic death of a loved one emerges as a central theme in our mythical storytelling. In this struggle to survive, woven throughout our mythology, are heroes – often complex and flawed, they reflect back our humanity, illustrating our own strengths, struggles, and vulnerabilities. A hero’s journey is described as a narrative pattern in which the hero is faced with adversity, overcomes in a decisive crisis and returns home changed or transformed. Modern day superhero narratives illuminate the hero’s journey, providing many archetypes, such as strength and hope through painful life struggles. This webinar will address the concept of PTG and its five factors in terms of how it is represented in these narratives, with the goal of supporting clinicians in using superhero lore as a culturally familiar representation of PTG. Through the lens of Superhero Grief, this webinar will help participants better understand the concept of PTG after loss, identify the five factors associated with PTG as well as identify strategies based off of superhero characters and archetypes to help empower the bereaved and promote growth on their own hero’s journey through profound loss.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand posttraumatic growth (PTG) and identify the five factors.
• Recognize concepts of PTG through the use of modern superhero narratives.
• Identify 2-3 interventional strategies from PTG research and based off of superhero archetypes to promote growth after loss.
  

About the Presenters:
Dr. Jill Harrington is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science and State Extension Specialist in Youth Development at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She serves on the Board of the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC), Board of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), and Advisory Council of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). She served as Editor of the ADEC Forum publication. Dr. Bordere’s research program assumes a contextual approach focusing on cultural trauma, loss (violent loss, intangible loss) and suffocated grief among Black youth and families. She studies cultural practices that promote healing and survival. Dr. Bordere has done numerous workshops, consultations, keynotes, and published works relating to social inequities in loss including her co-edited/co-authored book, Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief (Routledge). She recently completed a Forward Promise Fellowship (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) focused health and healing among boys and young men of color. Dr. Bordere was awarded the Ronald K. Barrett Award (2018, ADEC) for her research on Black youth bereavement. She has been featured on NPR-WPSU Take Note –Suffocated Grief, Teens and Grief, Grief Outloud Podcast (Dougy Center), webcasts (ADEC, NAGC, HFA, NCFR), Legacy.com, and Open to Hope.

Dr. Melinda Moore is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University, where she is part of the core clinical faculty in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The Catholic University of America, where she trained in the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), conducted research on CAMS, and now regularly trains clinicians worldwide in CAMS. Dr. Moore has a profound interest in the intersection of faith and suicide prevention and advocates on behalf of suicide prevention in her role as co-lead of the Action Alliance’s Faith Communities Task Force. She co-edited the book The Suicide Funeral (or Memorial Service): Honoring their Memory, Comforting their Survivors with Rabbi Daniel Roberts and conducts suicide bereavement research with an emphasis on Posttraumatic Growth. Dr. Moore is also the author of the chapter “Posttraumatic Growth, Superheroes, and the Bereaved” in the new text published by Routledge, Superhero Grief: The Transformative Power of Loss.

Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and The Association for Death Education and Counseling. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians (ACCME) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco LLC designates this live and enduring material for a maximum of 1.50 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (ANCC) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco LLC designates this activity for a maximum of 1.50 ANCC contact hours.

Psychologists (APA) Credit Designation Statement
This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and The Association for Death Education and Counseling. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 1.50 hours.

The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Counselors: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MO, NC, ND, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
MI:No CE requirements
*OK:Accepts APA credit for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY
AL MFTs:Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted.
MA MFTs:Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Addictions Professionals: AK, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY (held outside NY ONLY), OK*, OR, SC, UT, WA, WI, WY
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Social Workers:AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, VT, WI, WY

Social Workers (AWWB Credit Designation Statement
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Amedco is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Amedco maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.50 GENERAL continuing education credits.

The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Social Workers:AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WV*, WY
*OK:Accepts ASWB ACE for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses.
*WV:Accepts ASWB ACE unless activity is held live in West Virginia.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Counselors: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MO, ND, NE, NM, NH, NV, OK*, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
AL: Activities without NBCC approval may be approved upon receipt of documentation prior to the activity BEFORE the event. No approvals afterward by the board.
No CE requirement.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NC, NE, NH, NM, NV, OK*, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY
AL MFTs:Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted.
MA MFTs: Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review.
MI:No CE Requirement.
The following state boards accept courses offering ASWB ACE credit for Addictions Professionals:AK, CA, CO, CT, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MO, MT, ND, NM, NV, OK, OR, SC, WA, WI, WV, WY

NY Board for Social Worker Credit Designation Statement
Amedco SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0115. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Mental Health Counselors (NY MHC) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0061. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Marriage & Family Therapists
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists. #MFT-0032. 1.50 hours.

New York Board for Psychology (NY PSY) Credit Designation Statement
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0031. 1.50 hours.

ADA Statement
ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law. If you require ADA accommodations, please indicate what your needs are at the time of registration. We cannot ensure the availability of appropriate accommodations without prior notification.

Grievances
If you would like to file a grievance, complaint or have questions, please contact ADEC at adec@adec.org.