The Light Beyond

Calling all grief and bereavement professionals

If you are a professional in the field of grief and bereavement and would like to present at the 2008 MISS Foundation Conference - September 25-28, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona, please follow the instructions below.

The MISS Foundation’s Annual Conference
Sept 25-28, 2008
Phoenix, Arizona

Intended Audience: Bereaved families, physicians, nurses, academics, counselors, social workers, psychologists, funeral directors, first responders, public health and policy makers, and more.

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Please follow the instructions carefully. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

~ You may submit no more than three proposals.
~  Deadline: DECEMBER 20, 2007
~ Word count for bios and descriptions for the program book is important; this information will be edited at our discretion.
~ Presenters receive a complimentary conference registration.
~ E-mail your complete proposal form(s) by DECEMBER 20, 2007 to Dr. Joanne Cacciatore at joanne.cacciatore@asu.edu

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL FORM
1.    Presenter Contact information - as you wish your name to appear in the program; phone numbers, email address, and home or business address;
Co-Presenter(s) – info for any co-presenters, same as above

2.    Session Title (10 words or less). This title will be used in the conference program book and on the website. It should attract attention to your session and identify the topic in an interesting way.

3.    Intended Audiences.  Whether this workshop is targeted toward professionals, bereaved families, or both.

4.    Synopsis  Prepare a synopsis (60 words or less) of your workshop for the Conference program book and website. Include the purpose and/or goal of your session and the target level of experience (beginner, intermediate, advanced); list key points that will be covered. Indicate any items participants will need to bring. This is your chance to promote and inform others about your topic.

5.    Bio Include a biography (40 words or less) This bio will appear in the program book and also please email a photograph (photo is optional).

6.    Room set-up  If you require audio/visual equipment, you will need to supply those on your own, arrange to borrow one from a colleague, or rent one from the hotel. Also indicate your preferred room set-up: theater style, U-shape, circle, etc.) If your proposal is accepted, you will be contacted for your final a/v list and room set-up. A blackboard or white erase board, chalk or markers, will be provided in each presentation room.

7.    Description/Outline Prepare a description or outline of your session for the evaluators. 400 words or less, but please address the points below.

A. Identify at least 3 specific learning objectives. These should reflect what the attendee will know or will be able to do as an outcome of your session. Example: Will be able to analyze the effects of trauma on the brain; will learn psychotherapeutic interventions for traumatized children; will explore new research in neural plasticity after trauma.

8.    Résumé Include a one-page résumé (400 words or less). BRIEFLY describe your work and/or experiences that would be of interest to the conference planning committee.

Thank you for your application!
The MISS Foundation’s 2008 Annual Conference
Sept 25-28, 2008
Phoenix, Arizona

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS – WORKSHOP PROPOSAL FORM

Please return this form no later than December 20, 2007 to

Section 1 Presenter Contact information
Name (as you wish it to appear in the program):
Address:

Daytime Phone:                                  Email:
                                          
Co-Presenter(s)
Name (as you wish it to appear in the program)
Address:

Daytime Phone:                                  Email:

Co-Presenter(s)
Name (as you wish it to appear in the program)
Address:

Daytime Phone:                                  Email:

Section 2. Workshop Title (10 words or less)

Section 3. Intended Audiences 

Professional Audience Level  [              ] 

1. Beginner   2. Intermediate   3. Advanced

NOTE: You may use additional pages for sections 6 – 12, please number your responses!

Section 6.  Synopsis (60 words or less)

Section 7.  Bio (40 words or less)

Section 8. Room set-up

Section 9. Description/Outline (400 words or less). Please address the points below.

A. Methodology: what, how, percentage of discussion, activity, and lecture

B. Specific learning objectives (at least 3)

C. Relation to conference topic (if applicable)

Section 11. Résumé (400 words or less)or attach a c.v.

E-MAIL YOUR COMPLETE PROPOSAL(S) BY DECEMBER 20, 2007 TO:
joanne.cacciatore@asu.edu

Sponsored by The MISS Foundation and Arizona State University’s College of Human Services

"Take 5" to Renew, Release and Rejuvenate ...

This post is by the inspirational Mary Robinsons Reynolds, amongst other things the creator of many inspirational movies. You can subscribe to Mary's free newsletter by going to: www.MakeADifference.com

As you know the Holiday Season is officially here. I don't know about your area, but here in New England, the Holiday Craft Fairs began last weekend and are going like crazy all week! All the more reason to pause now, and line up your intentions for a beautiful holiday season this year.

It is the season ... for bringing seemingly impossible good to pass.
- excerpt from ThanksGiving Movie

Not everyone anticipates great joy about the upcoming holidays. For some it is a time of unexpected change and / or grieving. For other's it just means more work and additional stress. For others, it's their most favorite time of the year and they had their Christmas lights up last month!

Every year, no matter what's going on in my life ... I feel it. You know what I'm talking about. It's in the air, in the parking lots of the grocery store and it's even happening on the highways as we travel to be with others.

I remember back to the first Christmas after the death of our first born son. I did not anticipate that I would end up having a miraculous holiday of my own. I was grieving hard after arriving home from work, every day.

It had been 7 months, and I couldn't seem to get a handle on it. Being a counselor myself, I scheduled myself for an appointment with a highly recommended grief counselor. I remember thinking that there really wasn't anything he would be able to say or do to ease my pain ... but miraculously, he did. He gave me an assignment. Having an assignment shifted my focus from the dark depths of despair to having a pathway of something to do. What was the assignment? To begin writing "good-bye" letters to my baby boy. I was to write as many letters as I needed to write, for as long as I needed to write them.

It only took three letters. Interestingly enough, what I wrote about was how so immensely thankful I was to have had him for the time I did, and how very, very much I loved him and would always miss him.

The third letter was written several days before Christmas. I would have never guessed it would only take three letters to move me to begin seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I began to become aware that I was floating through Christmas more softly than I expected, and I was actually enjoying my time together with my husband. We even started doing new activities together, like playing racket ball of all things! I noticed that I felt I was shifting upward in my vision of the future I intended to create. I was beginning to see and feel a future baby in my arms.

Why am I relating this story to you today? Because the simple act of Thanks and Giving has miracle power. Words and actions that express thanks release certain potent energies not otherwise tapped. Thanksgiving releases dynamic forces for good.

The miracle of that holiday was not only that I made it through in a gentle and uplifted state of mind, but that on New Year's eve, I conceived a son, who is now 22 years old!

There were miracles upon miracles during the month leading up to Christmas. One being that previously I had only been able to conceive with fertility drugs, and this time I was not using any. The other miracle was learning how to ease into a "good-bye" and a "hello" simultaneously because of the power of Thanksgiving.

So ... no matter what you are facing, no matter how stressed you feel you are, today is a great day to "take 5" ... treat yourself to visions of what this miraculous Season can bring when we simply stop, slow down and start acknowledging all of our blessings, and all that we have to be thankful for.

Nothing is anything until you call it. Call it a Success!
And above all else, be thankful for the good that is on it's way to you now.

Please watch the movie that I created for us all, about how Thanks and Giving straightens out the crooked places in our lives ... moves mountains, makes peace so we can be our very best, and sing the song we came to sing.

www.ThanksGivingMovie.com
Turn on your speakers and embrace the miracles of the season.

As always, we invite you to watch our free online movie as often as you need, and to forward it on to people who will appreciate receiving it from you.