Shannon Thomas
LCSW
Presenter's Bio:
Shannon Thomas, LCSW holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Hunter College and an MSSW with a clinical concentration from the University of Texas at Austin. Shannon is currently a psychotherapist at a group practice where she partners with clients in navigating various mental health diagnoses such as complex trauma, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. In her previous role at the Midtown Community Court, with the Center for Justice Innovation, Shannon provided pre-arraignment programming and short term counseling for adults arrested on low-level offenses. She also facilitated family engagement sessions with youth and families who were enrolled in the court's weapons diversion program. Previously, Shannon has provided Emergency Department social work services and conducted programming for individuals who were incarcerated on Rikers Island. She is passionate about advocating for individuals and families impacted by the justice system and examining the intersection of grief and the justice system.
Families Behind Bars: Addressing Parental Loss due to Incarceration as a form of Disenfranchised Grief and Identifying Innovative Grief Interventions
Course Summary:
Growing rates of incarceration continue to be a persistent social issue within the United States affecting many individuals, families and communities. As a result, social service professionals are encountering a growing number of children with incarcerated parents. These children are experiencing the loss of a parental presence, but unlike a parental loss due to death, this loss is often not legitimized by their environment — leading to Disenfranchised Grief. Their families are often left without support or comfort that would be otherwise available for any other loss. In addition to the stigma surrounding individuals who are incarcerated, very few interventions and support networks are available for children experiencing this type of loss. Despite the profound grief to consider when supporting children of incarcerated parents, previous research has shown that grief interventions are rarely utilized due to a focus on traditional forms of trauma-focused interventions. While generally effective, these interventions can better cater to the needs of children of incarcerated parents through an inclusion of innovative grief interventions to ensure that this population receives adequate care and resources.
