Grief Support at the Front Lines: Training Day Hab and Group Home Staff to Support Adults with IDD Through Bereavement

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) remain among the most underserved when it comes to bereavement support. Barriers limit access to traditional grief services for individuals living in community settings. For many adults with IDD, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in group homes and day habilitation programs may be the most consistent — and often only — source of support following a death loss. This presentation will explore barriers to grief support, the critical role of frontline staff, the benefits of DSP training, and key content areas for an effective grief training curriculum.

1. 1Learning Objectives 1. Participants will identify at least three barriers that limit access to traditional grief support for adults with IDD living in community settings
2. 22. Participants will explain why direct service providers are critical in providing care after a death loss
3. 33. Participants will identify benefits of training direct service providers to support adults with IDD after a death loss
4. 44. Participants will identify content areas that should be included in trainings to direct support staff