WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Final Rights: Caring for People in the Final Phases of Life (2-7 hrs)

This workshop looks at the way we care for the needs of the dying, the “rights” of the dying. Topics covered: The Right To Be In Control, The Right To Have A Sense Of Purpose, The Right To Touch And Be Touched, The Right To Have One’s Beliefs And Values Respected, The Right To Hear The Truth, The Right To Be In Denial, The Right To Reminisce, The Right To Laugh.

Different Styles of Grieving, Different Ways of Healing (2-7 hrs)

This workshop looks at differences between “intuitive grievers” (feeling oriented people) and “instrumental grievers” (cognitive/action oriented people), their different styles of grieving, their different styles of healing. Lots of practical tools for the grieving are presented. Gender differences and similarities are also examined.

Caring For Ourselves, Caring For Others (5-7 hrs)

This presentation can take the form of a workshop or a retreat. It is designed to help hospice employees exercise self-care while they are providing care for others. In its retreat form, the material is applied to the entire hospice staff: administration, support staff, and patient-care staff. Objectives: (1) Discuss how pain, suffering, shortcomings and stress can add to our lives and the lives of our patients/clients. (2) Describe how to communicate congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard with fellow staff members and patients/clients. (3) Conceptualize assessment and care plans that empower patients/families and involve efficient/effective documentation. (4) Discuss several tools to use to promote self-care within a hospice environment. (5) Employ a "virtual dream" technique which allows people to open up and share regarding their shortcomings, stress, pain and suffering.

Palliative Care: Its Benefits Throughout Healthcare (4 hrs)

This workshop is designed to generate more and earlier referrals to hospice. The workshop would be offered to healthcare providers in a hospice's service area, offering those providers continuing education credits. Objectives of workshop: (1) Define a palliative model of care to complement the medical model of care. (2) Describe ways of helping patients/clients find meaning in pain/suffering. (3) Discuss some advantages of comfort care over curative care. (4) Describe ways of diplomatically "breaking bad news" to patients/clients. (5) Discuss how "high touch" therapy can coexist with "high tech" therapy. (This workshop is often offered to hospices at a considerable discount from Doug's normal fees.)

Exploring and Enhancing Spirituality: How to Care for the Spiritual Needs of the Sick, Dying, and Bereaved (2-7 hrs)

This workshop looks at a “spiritual model of care” to complement the medical model. The medical model seeks to cure people of pain and suffering; the spiritual model seeks to help people find value in the midst of pain and suffering. This workshop also looks at various tools for assessing and addressing spiritual needs. It also examines several major spiritual traditions and their attitudes towards sickness, dying, and grieving.

Helping Our Clients and Ourselves Make Ethical Decisions (2-7 hrs)

This workshop will examine in depth four complex case studies that present moral/ethical dilemmas. We will look at ways of helping clients make decisions based upon their perceptions of what is ethical and what is not ethical. At the end of the workshop each participant will have formed guidelines for helping clients clarify their own personal perspectives. We will also look at establishing guidelines for the counselor's own personal ethics.

Continuing Education Credits and Advertising Assistance

Each workshop host site (if they wish) would be supplied with all the information they would probably need to get CEUs for nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals: a curriculum vitae, workshop objectives, workshop outline, handouts, etc.

Also, in having a workshop you’re bringing in a speaker who will provide CEUs to your entire staff for about the same price you would pay to have only two of your staff attend a national convention.

Each host site (if they wish) would be supplied with sample advertising brochures used by other host sites.

Scheduled Workshops

If you wish to know of possible additional scheduled workshops in your area or would like to schedule a workshop in your community, contact Doug at dougsmith1947@gmail.com