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Community Education

Our Community Education programs facilitate constructive conversations in the community about serious illness, caregiving challenges, end-of-life and grief. 

CaringMatters strives to develop community knowledge and skills around serious illness, caregiving challenges, end-of-life and grief-related topics that can be applied to daily life. Our meaningful educational events and discussions help build a caring and compassionate community.

For information on Community Education, please contact

Leigh Bluestein, leighb@caringmatters.org or 301-990-7927

Thank you to our Community Education funding partner!

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 Upcoming Webinar

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Caring Through Loss: Supporting Grieving Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 2:00 pm 

Presenter: Arlen Gaines, PhD, MSW, LCSW-C, APHSW-C

 

Please join us for a webinar exploring how children with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience grief and bereavement—an often overlooked topic in research and practice. Designed for professionals, educators, families, and volunteers, this session will present key findings from a recent study and introduce the Caring Connections model, a new framework for developmentally inclusive grief support.

 

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how children with ID, including those with different communication styles, cope with loss, and come away with practical, evidence-based tools for grief support.

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Dr. Arlen Gaines is the Director of Social Work for palliative care at MedStar Health. She has extensive experience leading psychosocial teams in supporting individuals with serious illnesses and their families. Over nearly two decades of clinical practice, Dr. Gaines developed a specialized focus on supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in their grief and speaks nationally on this subject. She is the co-author of the award-winning I Have a Question series, which helps children, including those with developmental disabilities, understand complex topics like death and cancer. She earned her doctorate in palliative care from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she focused her research on the grief and bereavement experiences of children with intellectual disabilities.

Past Community Education Presentations Include:

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  • Webinar: Loss of a Lifetime: Acknowledging the Significance of Sibling Loss

  • Webinar: Beyond Facetime: Video Options for Staying Connected with Loved Ones

  • Webinar: Grief Allies: A Practical Guide for Friends, Family, Colleagues, & Neighbors of Grieving People

  • Webinar: Disaster Preparedness: Simple Steps for Senior Adults, Individuals with Serious Illness, & Caregivers

  • Webinar: Mortality in Popular Culture

  • Webinar: Death Cleaning & Decluttering: Why It Matters & How To Do It

  • Webinar: Live Well to Die Well

  • Webinar: Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Extending Compassion and Whole Person Healing

  • Webinar: Cognitive Change: Understanding, Connecting, and Creating Moments of Joy 

  • Webinar - Prepare for the Inevitable: Financial Planning to Prepare for the Death of a Family Member

  • Webinar - Seniors and Social Isolation

  • Webinar - Suffocated Grief and Black Youth Coping with Loss

  • Webinar - How to Support Grieving People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

  • Webinar - Caregiver Stress in Asian American Communities

  • Webinar - Providing Inclusive and Affirming Care for the LGBTQ+ Community

  • Webinar - Caring for the Caregiver

  • Webinar - The End-of-Life Doulas: A Collaborative Approach to End-of-Life Care

  • Webinar - Grief Support for the Black Community: Understanding the Culture of Trauma and Developing an Empathy-Driven Mindset

  • Webinar: Grief: Support for Yourself and Those You Care About

  • Webinar - Grief in the Workplace: Guidance for Employees and Employers

  • Webinar - ​Voice Your Choice: Preparing for Health Care Emergencies

  • Webinar - Speaking Grief Film Discussion

  • Webinar - LGBTQ+ Seriously Ill Seniors: Opportunities for Better Care

  • Webinar - Grief and Self-Care in the Time of COVID-19

  • Webinar - Supporting Grieving Students After a Death: How We Can Help Them Build Resilience in a Time of Physical Distancing

  • Navigating Transitions for Your Loved One's Care

  • Nine To Ninety Film Screening & Discussion

  • Caregivers' Toolkit: Community Resources for Patients & Families Facing Serious Illness

  • Voices of Grief Film Screening & Discussion

  • Managing Grief in the Age of 24-Hour News & Social Media

CaringMatters

518 S. Frederick Ave.

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

301-869-HOPE (4673)
301-990-4909 (fax)

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CaringMatters is a 501(c)(3) non-profi­t organization registered with the State of Maryland, and our EIN is 52-1591455. A copy of our current ­financial statement is available by contacting CaringMatters, Inc. at 518 South Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 or at 301-869-4673. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary.

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