Faith-based organisations have long traditions of supporting the bereaved and are a significant part of the community support system. This course is intended to use the Irish bereavement community strategy (i.e. the Bereavement Pyramid Model) and the healthcare chaplaincy example of non-sectarian approach to spirituality to add additional relevancy and effectiveness to existing faith-based bereavement ministries.
Primarily, the course is intended to help those who come in contact with the bereaved to be more comfortable in themselves and more helpful to the bereaved. By achieving both of those thing, the students will be more effective in their faith-based ministries. This course is also useful for secular bereavement helpers who want to be more sensitive to the spiritual dimension of bereavement as it relates to the bereavers they support.
This course is not designed to make the students grief counsellors. However, it might, for some, be a good introduction and generate an interest to go on to acquire that training.
Results of Bereavement Accompaniment Training effectiveness presented to the 2024 European Grief Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
