CPD listing

Working with Families with Physical Illness: A Systemic Approach (CPD57)

The care and support of children and adults affected by serious physical illness, disability and treatment regimes falls largely to their families. Familial relationships are affected by and can affect the development, treatment and prognosis for serious illness.

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This course is designed to assist professionals in engaging with families and working across the many different professional agencies that may be involved.

The NSF Commissioning childrens and young peoples palliative care services recommends offering psychological support and therapy to families. NICE guidelines for long term chronic illness also recommend emotional and psychological support for children, parents and carers.

Aims

The aim of the course is to enable professionals to reflect on the psychosocial aspects of their work with illness and disability using a systemic framework, thinking about families as a resource and a context for change. Seminars will offer participants a theoretical understanding of the systemic model, and skills needed to apply this when working with the physically ill. 

The course will draw on participants' own experiences and the experiences of the facilitators in both hospital and community based adult and child health. 

The course will include a variety of teaching methods: seminar; group and experiential work; clinical reflection and consultation and presentations from external speakers.
 

Programme

Themes to be explored include:
• An introduction to a systemic approach to illness
• The fit between the family, the professional and the health care system
• Cultural perspectives and diversity
• The meaning of illness for children and adolescents
• Addressing the implications for adults as couples and parents
• Systemic work with pain and other symptoms
• Importance of transgenerational meanings in illness and disability
• Loss and hope in work with illness
• Personal-professional boundaries: the personal implications for professionals and agencies
 

Dates and Times

Tuesdays, 10.00am - 5.00pm.

September to October 2012 or January to Feburary 2013
 

Applicants

This course invites applications from professionals working with people affected by physical illness. They can be medically trained such as nurses, doctors, occupational therapists. Applications are also welcomed from non-medical professionals including social workers, psychologists, counsellors, teachers and spiritual carers.

A maximum of 16 places are available.

Closing Date

Places are limited so early booking is advised.

Further Information:

Details of dates and the fees will be published here in due course. To register your interest in the course, please contact Gurjit Matharu at gmatharu@tavi-port.ac.uk