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Light After Loss, Stark County Ohio.

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Located at:

The Hope & Healing Center

3751 Burrshire Dr. NW

Canton, Ohio  44709

Call or Text Us
(330) 846-3630

2023 PostVention Convention

Creating a community of support for suicide survivors in Stark County

Registration deadline!
In-person/Onsite Tuesday, August 1st | Virtual Friday, August 4th
Register Now
Friday, August 11th, 2023 9:00 A.M – 5:00 P.M.

Light After Loss 2023 Postvention Convention

Kent State University Stark Conference Center

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The Annual Light After Loss PostVention Convention is a unique event  dedicated to assisting mental health clinicians to appropriately identify trauma and grief, and provide therapeutic support to suicide loss survivors. The PostVention Convention is open to licensed mental health clinicians, students, and community members interested in learning more about supporting those that have lost someone to suicide. 

This year, the Postvention Convention will feature:

  • Keynote presentations from Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University, and Maureen Pollard, MSW, from Ontario, Canada
  • Training for community members to become volunteers with Light After Loss
  • Updates on postvention efforts in Ohio from Molly Mottram, Chief of Staff of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
  • Breakout sessions focused on supporting young survivors of suicide loss, suicide loss and counselor supervision, suicide survivors in therapy panel discussion, LGBTQ+ community needs, and postvention in K-12 schools

This is a live hybrid event. Onsite attendees will be provided with lunch, access to a resource fair, and able to network with other attendees and speakers.

Register Now

The Postvention Convention will have 5.5 CE hours for Ohio Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists. Light After Loss is an approved CE provider with the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board of Ohio. All attendees will be emailed an attendance certificate.

*The registration cost is $50 for CE’s and $10 for non-CE’s. Costs are the same for both in-person and virtual attendance.

Register Now

This event will be held at:

Kent State University at Stark Conference Center

6000 Frank Avenue NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Map of Kent State University at Stark Conference Center
Map of the Conference Center
Register Now

Attendees will be able to join the Postvention Convention virtually over Zoom. We are asking all virtual attendees to install and test Zoom prior to the day of the event. More details will be sent via email to registered attendees.

Register Now

The registration cost is $50 for CE’s and $10 for non-CE’s. Costs are the same for both in-person and virtual attendance.

Registration deadlines:

In-person/Onsite – Registration closes Tuesday, August 1st at 11:59 pm

Virtual – Registration closes on Friday, August 4th at 11:59 pm

Contact Emily “Em” Ribnik, Light After Loss Training, CE & Certification Coordinator at Training@lightafterlossstark.org or 330-990-6963

Speaker Information

About the 2023 PostVention Convention Speakers

Light After Loss' Postvention Convention

2023 Agenda

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Lobby

Sign-in and Payment

Registration for both in-person and virtual attendance is $10 for non-CE’s and $50 for Ohio counselors, social workers, & marriage and family therapists requesting CE’s. 
Click here to learn about the work you’re supporting when donating to Light After Loss
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Timken Great Hall

Opening Remarks

“Postvention as Prevention”
Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss
10:000 AM – 11:00 AM

Timken Great Hall

Morning Keynote

“Posttraumatic Growth After Suicide Loss Across the Life Span”
Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University

Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., will present research on bereavement, especially suicide bereavement, which has focused on the psychopathology of this loss. A new area of positive psychology, Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), offers another vehicle for understanding the consequences of these experiences by investigating the possibilities for personal growth within the context of any sudden and traumatic death. In this keynote, Dr. Moore will describe her experience of loss and how it led her to a career dedicated to transforming clinical training but also to an area of research that increased her appreciation for her own posttraumatic growth.

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Morning Break

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Breakout Session #1

Kristi Horner, FPS, Founder and Executive Director of Courage to Caregivers & Jenny Woodworth, LISW

  We are often not prepared to best support the survivors of suicide loss in an appropriate way. Supporting someone who has lost someone to suicide can be especially difficult. They’ve suffered a traumatic loss and are facing traumatic and likely complicated grief. Understanding the special nuances, being aware of suicide triggers in a trauma-informed way, as well as navigating a sensitive mental health conversation is essential. This is not a typical grief and loss journey, and as such, requires additional training and awareness. This workshop is meant to provide greater understanding as to what to say (and not to say), how to face the looming questions of “why” and address blame/shame, as told from a suicide loss survivor experience.  This breakout session will count as training to become a volunteer with Light After Loss. This breakout sessions does not count for CE’s.

Melissa Wolfe, MA

As young survivors of suicide loss, children and teens have additional supportive needs, which mental health clinicians must attend to. This session will present ways to appropriately discuss death by suicide with children and teens. Additionally, evidence-based interventions to support children and teens, focusing on both short- and long-term strategies, will be discussed.

Kailey Bradley, LPCC-S, Refuge Counseling, LLC

It is a myth to suggest that mental health professionals should remain stoic in the face of disorienting loss. One profound example of disorienting loss is suicide loss. Suicide loss is highly stigmatized and when this occurs in a professional context, that stigma is amplified. Counselors often identify that losing a client to suicide is a prevalent fear and if occurs results in vicarious trauma. Counseling supervision is an important part of counselor development and can be protective for supervisees confronted with suicide loss if adequately trained and prepared. However, many counseling supervisors do not feel adequately trained to provide adequate guidance to supervisees. Overall, supervisors can normalize feelings, model appropriate grieving, and develop rituals for their supervisees who seek to move forward with their loss. This training will focus on specific ways counseling supervisors can help supervisees feel enfranchised and validated when navigating suicide loss (either professionally or personally).
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

Dining Room

Atrium and Lobby

Lunch and Resource Fair

 Available only for in person attendees
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Timken Great Hall

Afternoon Plenary

“The State of Postvention in Ohio”
Molly Mottram, Chief of Staff of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Midday Break

 
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Breakout Session #2

Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss

Suicide survivors face a unique journey of traumatic grief, and many seek professional counseling for support. However, this special population has different trauma and grief-related needs than other clients that are seeking counseling support. This presentation will provide clinicians with an overview of the needs of suicide loss survivors when they come to treatment. Additionally, suicide loss survivors that have engaged in therapy will provide a panel discussion of their experiences. Specifically, panelists will discuss when and how they engaged in counseling, what they found helpful from the counseling experience, and what things counselors did that either enhanced or hindered their healing process.

Jared Sparks, MA, LPCC

Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst young people ages 10 to 24 and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth are at significantly increased risk, being four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth seriously consider suicide each year in the United States. Understanding better ways to work with the LGBTQ+ community as well as how to better advocate for queer individuals is just one step in the direction of helping reduce and/or prevent the likelihood of queer individuals completing suicide. Through this training, clinicians will be educated on the history and statistics of suicidality and suicide loss within the LGBTQ+ community as well as increase their ability to provide safe spaces and advocacy for the queer individuals entering their office and daily life. This session will also focus on how clinicians can support those who have lost an LGBTQ+ loved on to suicide.

Elena Aslanides-Kandis, LPCC-S

While we may never feel ready, we can feel prepared. This session will help participants understand postvention at a macro-level in a school community when a loss occurs. Focusing on lessons learned in Stark County, Ohio, this session will walk you through crisis response efforts focusing on the first 24-48 hours after a loss.
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Afternoon Break

 
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Timken Great Hall

Afternoon Keynote

“Therapeutic Writing and Songwriting for Healing Grief and Trauma”
Maureen Pollard, MSW, Registered Social Worker (Ontario)


4:30PM – 5:00 PM

Timken Great Hall

Closing Remarks

Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss
About

The Annual Light After Loss PostVention Convention is a unique event  dedicated to assisting mental health clinicians to appropriately identify trauma and grief, and provide therapeutic support to suicide loss survivors. The PostVention Convention is open to licensed mental health clinicians, students, and community members interested in learning more about supporting those that have lost someone to suicide. 

This year, the Postvention Convention will feature:

  • Keynote presentations from Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University, and Maureen Pollard, MSW, from Ontario, Canada
  • Training for community members to become volunteers with Light After Loss
  • Updates on postvention efforts in Ohio from Molly Mottram, Chief of Staff of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
  • Breakout sessions focused on supporting young survivors of suicide loss, suicide loss and counselor supervision, suicide survivors in therapy panel discussion, LGBTQ+ community needs, and postvention in K-12 schools

This is a live hybrid event. Onsite attendees will be provided with lunch, access to a resource fair, and able to network with other attendees and speakers.

Register Now
CE Hours

The Postvention Convention will have 5.5 CE hours for Ohio Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists. Light After Loss is an approved CE provider with the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board of Ohio. All attendees will be emailed an attendance certificate.

*The registration cost is $50 for CE’s and $10 for non-CE’s. Costs are the same for both in-person and virtual attendance.

Register Now
Attending in Person

This event will be held at:

Kent State University at Stark Conference Center

6000 Frank Avenue NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Map of Kent State University at Stark Conference Center
Map of the Conference Center
Register Now
Attending Virtually

Attendees will be able to join the Postvention Convention virtually over Zoom. We are asking all virtual attendees to install and test Zoom prior to the day of the event. More details will be sent via email to registered attendees.

Register Now
Cost

The registration cost is $50 for CE’s and $10 for non-CE’s. Costs are the same for both in-person and virtual attendance.

Registration deadlines:

In-person/Onsite – Registration closes Tuesday, August 1st at 11:59 pm

Virtual – Registration closes on Friday, August 4th at 11:59 pm

Contact Us

Contact Emily “Em” Ribnik, Light After Loss Training, CE & Certification Coordinator at Training@lightafterlossstark.org or 330-990-6963

Speakers

Speaker Information

About the 2023 PostVention Convention Speakers

Agenda & Session Details

Light After Loss' Postvention Convention

2023 Agenda

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Lobby

Sign-in and Payment

Registration for both in-person and virtual attendance is $10 for non-CE’s and $50 for Ohio counselors, social workers, & marriage and family therapists requesting CE’s. 
Click here to learn about the work you’re supporting when donating to Light After Loss
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Timken Great Hall

Opening Remarks

“Postvention as Prevention”
Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss
10:000 AM – 11:00 AM

Timken Great Hall

Morning Keynote

“Posttraumatic Growth After Suicide Loss Across the Life Span”
Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., Eastern Kentucky University

Dr. Melinda Moore, Ph.D., will present research on bereavement, especially suicide bereavement, which has focused on the psychopathology of this loss. A new area of positive psychology, Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), offers another vehicle for understanding the consequences of these experiences by investigating the possibilities for personal growth within the context of any sudden and traumatic death. In this keynote, Dr. Moore will describe her experience of loss and how it led her to a career dedicated to transforming clinical training but also to an area of research that increased her appreciation for her own posttraumatic growth.

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Morning Break

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Breakout Session #1

Kristi Horner, FPS, Founder and Executive Director of Courage to Caregivers & Jenny Woodworth, LISW

  We are often not prepared to best support the survivors of suicide loss in an appropriate way. Supporting someone who has lost someone to suicide can be especially difficult. They’ve suffered a traumatic loss and are facing traumatic and likely complicated grief. Understanding the special nuances, being aware of suicide triggers in a trauma-informed way, as well as navigating a sensitive mental health conversation is essential. This is not a typical grief and loss journey, and as such, requires additional training and awareness. This workshop is meant to provide greater understanding as to what to say (and not to say), how to face the looming questions of “why” and address blame/shame, as told from a suicide loss survivor experience.  This breakout session will count as training to become a volunteer with Light After Loss. This breakout sessions does not count for CE’s.

Melissa Wolfe, MA

As young survivors of suicide loss, children and teens have additional supportive needs, which mental health clinicians must attend to. This session will present ways to appropriately discuss death by suicide with children and teens. Additionally, evidence-based interventions to support children and teens, focusing on both short- and long-term strategies, will be discussed.

Kailey Bradley, LPCC-S, Refuge Counseling, LLC

It is a myth to suggest that mental health professionals should remain stoic in the face of disorienting loss. One profound example of disorienting loss is suicide loss. Suicide loss is highly stigmatized and when this occurs in a professional context, that stigma is amplified. Counselors often identify that losing a client to suicide is a prevalent fear and if occurs results in vicarious trauma. Counseling supervision is an important part of counselor development and can be protective for supervisees confronted with suicide loss if adequately trained and prepared. However, many counseling supervisors do not feel adequately trained to provide adequate guidance to supervisees. Overall, supervisors can normalize feelings, model appropriate grieving, and develop rituals for their supervisees who seek to move forward with their loss. This training will focus on specific ways counseling supervisors can help supervisees feel enfranchised and validated when navigating suicide loss (either professionally or personally).
12:15 PM – 1:30 PM

Dining Room

Atrium and Lobby

Lunch and Resource Fair

 Available only for in person attendees
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Timken Great Hall

Afternoon Plenary

“The State of Postvention in Ohio”
Molly Mottram, Chief of Staff of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Midday Break

 
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Breakout Session #2

Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss

Suicide survivors face a unique journey of traumatic grief, and many seek professional counseling for support. However, this special population has different trauma and grief-related needs than other clients that are seeking counseling support. This presentation will provide clinicians with an overview of the needs of suicide loss survivors when they come to treatment. Additionally, suicide loss survivors that have engaged in therapy will provide a panel discussion of their experiences. Specifically, panelists will discuss when and how they engaged in counseling, what they found helpful from the counseling experience, and what things counselors did that either enhanced or hindered their healing process.

Jared Sparks, MA, LPCC

Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst young people ages 10 to 24 and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth are at significantly increased risk, being four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth seriously consider suicide each year in the United States. Understanding better ways to work with the LGBTQ+ community as well as how to better advocate for queer individuals is just one step in the direction of helping reduce and/or prevent the likelihood of queer individuals completing suicide. Through this training, clinicians will be educated on the history and statistics of suicidality and suicide loss within the LGBTQ+ community as well as increase their ability to provide safe spaces and advocacy for the queer individuals entering their office and daily life. This session will also focus on how clinicians can support those who have lost an LGBTQ+ loved on to suicide.

Elena Aslanides-Kandis, LPCC-S

While we may never feel ready, we can feel prepared. This session will help participants understand postvention at a macro-level in a school community when a loss occurs. Focusing on lessons learned in Stark County, Ohio, this session will walk you through crisis response efforts focusing on the first 24-48 hours after a loss.
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Afternoon Break

 
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Timken Great Hall

Afternoon Keynote

“Therapeutic Writing and Songwriting for Healing Grief and Trauma”
Maureen Pollard, MSW, Registered Social Worker (Ontario)


4:30PM – 5:00 PM

Timken Great Hall

Closing Remarks

Shannon Ortiz, LPCC-S, CEO and Founder of Light After Loss