By: Elaine K. Sanchez and Alex A. Sanchez, EdD

The emotional stress of caring for persons who are aging, chronically ill or disabled can be debilitating for family members as well as professional caregivers.

Caregiver Help: Depression and Grief is a new 2-hour online video-based continuing education (CE/CEU) course that addresses caregiver depression and grief and provides a three-step process that can help develop an attitude of creative indifference toward the people, situations and events that cause emotional stress. It offers suggestions for dealing with preparatory grief, an experience shared by families and professionals as they cope with the stress of caring for someone who will never get well. In the process, it also explains the differences between reactionary depression and clinical depression. By gaining insights into the process of losing someone over an extended period of time, the mental health professional will be in a better position to understand the caregiver’s experience with depression and grief and provide both empathy and strategies for implementing a self-care plan. This course includes downloadable worksheets that you can use (on a limited basis) in your clinical practice. Course #20-92 | 2014 | 20 posttest questions

This online video streaming course provides instant access to the course video, course handout and CE test. Successful completion of the online CE test (80% required to pass, 3 chances to take) and course evaluation are required to earn a certificate of completion. You can print the test (download test from My Courses tab of your account) and mark your answers on while viewing the video. Then submit online when ready to receive credit.

CE INFORMATION:

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists; the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC ACEP #5590); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB Provider #1046, ACE Program); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA Provider #3159); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR Provider #PR001); the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (#PCE1625); the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (#BAP346), Psychology & School Psychology (#50-1635), Dietetics & Nutrition (#50-1635), and Occupational Therapy Practice (#34); the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board (#RCST100501); the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs (#193); and the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists (#114) and State Board of Social Worker Examiners (#5678).

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Elaine K. Sanchez is an author, speaker and co-founder of CaregiverHelp.com. She co-teaches “Gero 407- Caregiving” at Western Oregon University with her husband Alex, and she writes the daily blog, “Caregiver Help Word of the Day.” She is the author of four books, including Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver and contributes articles regularly to CaringTimes, Griswold Home Care’s blog.

Alex A. Sanchez, EdD, is the co-founder of CaregiverHelp.com, a video-based caregiver support program, and currently co-teaches “Gero 407- Caregiving” with Elaine at Western Oregon University. He earned his Master’s in Counseling and his Doctorate in Educational Psychology at New Mexico State University. He retired from Oregon State University in 2012, after teaching a doctoral program in Community College Leadership for 15 years. Previously he served as President of Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, NM, President of Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA, Vice President for Community and International Programs at the University of New Mexico, Academic Dean at New Mexico Military Institute, and Founding Director of Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces, NM.