Vicki Culling (Half-day)

Workshop Title
When a Baby Dies: Working with Bereaved Parents and Families

Purpose/ Objective of Workshop
This half-day workshop introduces health and caring professionals to aspects of perinatal and infant loss that will assist them in their practice with bereaved parents and families. The objective of the workshop is to instil the notion that through their words and behaviour, health and caring professionals are able to make a significant difference to the bereaved parents’ experience.

Brief Description
Workshop participants will explore practical aspects of working with bereaved parents and families (the effects of shock and trauma, post-mortem, physical deterioration of the body, memory making, and legalities); learn about a NZ model of care for perinatal and infant loss; examine grief reactions specific to perinatal and infant death; and conclude with the presentation of a case study which illustrates a model of family/patient-led care, good communication, informed choice, and the embracing the diversity of needs in grief.

Participants will receive handouts and be introduced to resources for families and health and caring professionals.

Target Participants (and any pre-requisite)
Health professionals (midwives, obstetricians, pediatricians, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, sonographers) and caring professionals (social workers, counselors, chaplains, support workers).
 

Facilitator Bio

Vicki Culling is a Director and the principal trainer for Vicki Culling Associates. Vicki has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Otago University, a Master of Arts (Applied) in Social Work (with distinction) from Victoria University of Wellington and a PhD in Women’s Studies from Victoria University of Wellington.
 
Vicki was a founding committee member of the national Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC) set up in 2005 and charged with collecting data on perinatal and maternal mortality and morbidity in NZ. She has been involved with the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA) since 2005 – as the New Zealand representative on the Parent Advisory Committee - and on the ISA Board since 2009. She resigned her positions on the ISA in late 2011. She was also a member of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) Lay Advisory Committee from 2007 to 2010.
 

Vicki has presented at numerous national and international conferences on grief, perinatal and infant loss.