Providing Grief Support

A Guide for Pastoral Care Workers

Course Description

A practical training equipping Pastoral Care Workers to compassionately support grief across students, educators, parents, and whole school communities.

Course Overview

This training entails defining and explaining death and grief to children, understanding grief within childhood development, and exploring grief in families and communities. It also covers helpful grief strategies and activities, self-care, professional boundaries, and referrals. The training equips Pastoral Care Workers to provide compassionate, informed grief support in school communities, with practical strategies to support students, educators, parents, and families, fostering safe, supportive environments that promote healing, wellbeing, and connection across the whole school community.


Important
: Certain activities must be completed and marked. As a result, the course completion percentage will not reach 100% until these activities are marked.


Topics

Hours

Comprehensive Exploration

  • 4 Main Topics
  • Quizzes
  • Videos
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • 1 Course Evaluation
  • 1 Certification

Topic 1

Definitions and Context of Grief

Topic 2

How Grief Impacts Different Developmental Stages

Topic 3

Grieving in communities and a school response

Topic 4

Making Referrals and Self Care

Jacob Mangelsdorf

Key Learning Outcomes 

Understand grief and loss

Knowledge of impact of grief and loss on different developmental stages

How to support children and their families during times of grief and loss

Meet the instructor

Jacob Mangelsdorf

I’m Jacob Mangelsdorf, I am a former employee (within a training and educator role) and friend of SMG.  I have been a professional counsellor since 2008 and clinically registered with PACFA specialising in grief and trauma. I support families, couples, children, and young people, I also have experience working with people who struggle with mental health and addiction barriers.   Throughout my professional career I have developed various training and information sessions with a practical and useful focus.