Assignment: Models of Grieving
The death of a loved one is a significant event experienced by everyone at some point in their lives. Thus, it is important for social workers to understand how grief affects surviving friends and family. Models of grieving establish the general stages or process through which an individual progresses; however, these stages do not necessarily occur in lockstep order. People who experience grief may do so in a different sequence or revisit earlier stages. Additionally, individuals’ social environments, including diversity and cultural factors, influence how they approach their own death or grieve the loss of others. Understanding the various ways people cope helps social workers anticipate their responses and assist them.
Grief work is challenging. Addressing the needs of grieving family members can diminish social workers’ emotional, mental, and physical resources. In addition to developing strategies to assist grieving individuals in crisis, then, you must develop strategies that support your own self-care.
In this Assignment, you apply a grieving model to work with families in a hospice environment, address how diversity affects grieving, and suggest strategies you can use for self-care.
To Prepare:
- Review the Learning Resources on models of grieving, and select one model to use for this Assignment.
- Also review the Newell (2019) article on professional resilience and self-care.
By Day 01/15/2022
Submit a 3- to 4-page paper in which you do the following:
- Explain how you would apply the grieving model you selected to social work with families in a hospice environment. Explain why you chose this grieving model versus others.
- Identify elements of the grieving model that might be difficult to apply to your social work practice. Explain why you anticipate these challenges.
- Analyze how diversity might impact the grieving process. How would this inform your application of the grieving model?
- Identify strategies you would use for your own self-care as a social worker providing grief counseling. Explain why these strategies might be effective.
Use the Learning Resources to support your application of the grieving model. Make sure to provide APA 7 edition format citations and a reference list.
Follow Rubric Detail
Submit a 3- to 4-page paper in which you do the following: Explain how you would apply the grieving model you selected to social work with families in a hospice environment. Explain why you chose this grieving model versus others.
15.75 (22.5%) – 17.5 (25%) Response meets expectations and deepens explanation through details and examples from the Learning Resources, peer-reviewed research, or other relevant sources. Two or more scholarly resources are used to support the response.
Identify elements of the grieving model that might be difficult to apply to your social work practice. Explain why you anticipate these challenges.
12.6 (18%) – 14 (20%)
Response meets expectations and deepens explanation through details and examples from the Learning Resources, peer-reviewed research, or other relevant sources. Two or more scholarly resources are used to support the response.
Analyze how diversity might impact the grieving process. How would this inform your application of the grieving model?
12.6 (18%) – 14 (20%)
Response meets expectations and deepens explanation through details and examples from the Learning Resources, peer-reviewed research, or other relevant sources. Two or more scholarly resources are used to support the response.
Identify strategies you would use for your own self-care as a social worker providing grief counseling. Explain why these strategies might be effective.
12.6 (18%) – 14 (20%)
Response meets expectations and exceeds through insightful connections between grief counseling and the need for self-care. Explanation shows an in-depth and sophisticated understanding of the demands of social work practice.
Writing
9.45 (13.5%) – 10.5 (15%)
Paper meets length requirements, meets expectations, is generally error free (two or fewer), and further exceeds by showcasing an exemplary scholarly voice to develop its message or communicate ideas. Paper appropriately paraphrases sources, using one or less quotes. Presents polished APA Style. Citations, reference list, and paper formatting are generally error free (two or fewer).
Tone and presentation of ideas are free from bias and objective, unless otherwise directed in the prompt.
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Interactive Tutorial Transcript: Models of Grieving
Though grief may manifest differently from person to person, the experience can follow a similar pattern. Several models and frameworks have been developed to attempt to explain the common process and tasks associated with grieving. Social workers should draw on these models when helping clients navigate a loss. This interactive tutorial presents five models of grieving and directs to further resources.
Kübler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief Kübler-Ross’s model involves five key stages through which a person passes toward acknowledgement of the loss and restoration of life. As they are progressing, those who are grieving may move backward and then forward again throughout the stages; it is not always a linear process.
• Stage 1: Denial o Denying that the loss has occurred; experiencing shock
• Stage 2: Rage and anger o Directing anger at others or at a higher power; raging at the unfairness of
the loss
• Stage 3: Bargaining o Attempting to negotiate a restoration of the loss
• Stage 4: Depression o Feeling intense sadness related to the loss
• Stage 5: Acceptance o Acknowledging the loss and its impact on one’s life; seeking coping
strategies to adjust to the new reality Learn More Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• p. 694 Moglia, P. (2019). Death and dying. In Magill’s medical guide (online edition). Salem Press.
Westberg Model of the Grieving Process Similar to Kübler-Ross, the Westberg model includes stages through which a person progresses in their grief. However, Westberg includes additional stages and nuances.
• Shock and denial o Upon experiencing a loss, a state of numbness occurs.
• Emotions erupt
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o Realization sets in, and the pain of the loss is expressed through the releasing of emotion (crying, wailing, whimpering, screaming).
• Anger o Anger is directed at others, the person who has died, or a higher power.
There is a sense of powerlessness.
• Illness o Sickness may arise due to the stress of the loss and associated grief.
• Panic o Overwhelming emotions and worry contribute to a feeling of panic about
one’s mental state and what the future holds.
• Guilt o Guilt surfaces as the individual reflects on what they could have done
differently to prevent the loss.
• Depression and loneliness o The individual experiences deep sadness about the loss and a sense of
isolation from others who do not understand.
• Reentry difficulties o Challenges arise as the individual attempts to re-enter the world and
resume activities.
• Hope o The individual may experience flickers of hope and progress toward
healing.
• Affirming reality o The loss is accepted, and a new life is constructed. A sense of control
returns to the individual. Learn More Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• pp. 694–695
Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement
According to Stroebe and Schut (2010), two simultaneous processes occur following a loss: loss-oriented coping and restoration-oriented coping. This model posits that people move back and forth, oscillating between these two processes, as they navigate their grief and build a new life.
• Loss-oriented coping o Thoughts, emotions, and actions directly related to grieving and the lost
person
• Restoration-oriented coping
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o Processing the new reality; incorporating new tasks, roles, or identities as a result of the death; engaging in distractions from grief; avoiding loneliness
Learn More Stroebe, M., & Schut, H. (2010). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: A decade on. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 61(4), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.61.4.b
Tonkin’s Growing Around Grief Framework
The central idea described by Tonkin (1996) is that grief is never resolved. It is ever- present, but one’s life steadily grows up and around the grief, encompassing it. In this way, individuals never “get over” a loss; rather, they “live with loss.” Learn More Tonkin, L. (1996). Growing around grief—another way of looking at grief and recovery. Bereavement Care, 15(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1080/02682629608657376
Worden’s Four Tasks of Mourning Worden set forth specific tasks to accomplish in order to mourn and process a loss.
• Task 1: To accept the reality of the loss o Believing that the loss has happened, on both cognitive and emotional
levels.
• Task 2: To process the pain of the grief o Feeling and acknowledging the range of emotions surrounding a loss.
Emotions may be more complex depending on the type of loss and the circumstances.
• Task 3: To adjust to a world without the deceased o Adapting externally, internally, and spiritually to the loss. External
adjustments include performing day-to-day activities for which the deceased had been responsible and assuming the deceased’s role; internal adjustments refer to the effect of the loss on one’s identity and self-esteem; and spiritual adjustments include the way in which the loss has changed one’s worldview and beliefs.
• Task 4: To find an enduring connection with the deceased in the midst of embarking on a new life
o Keeping the deceased’s memory alive without becoming stuck in the past. Learn More
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Worden, J. W., & Winokuer, H. R. (2011). A task-based approach for counseling the bereaved. In R. A. Neimeyer, D. L. Harris, H. R. Winokuer, & G. F. Thornton (Eds.), Grief and bereavement in contemporary society: Bridging research and practice (pp. 57–67). Routledge.
Yousuf-Abramson, S. (2020). Worden’s tasks of mourning through a social work lens. Journal of Social Work Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2020.1843146
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