Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are invited to join the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Learning Group for its next meeting Wednesday, Dec. 18, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Tinkham Veale University Center Senior Classroom.
During these meetings, attendees share their personal and professional experiences relevant to diversity, equity and inclusion in research. The goal of these meetings is for attendees to walk away with actionable knowledge to incorporate in their work, and to build new collaborations and networks.
The Dec. 18 session is titled “Addressing Traumatic Loss and Disenfranchised Grief in Public Health Education” and will examine how we can best prepare future public health professionals for successful careers in a diverse and complex field. Participants will explore the potential and challenges of collaborative learning within public health discourse and education, with a focus on an equity-centered approach grounded in trauma-informed practices and an understanding of disenfranchised grief. Trauma-aware teaching methods can significantly improve interactions between educators and students, as well as among students themselves. This approach fosters meaningful engagement, self-compassion, and a sense of belonging among all learners, regardless of their academic standing or specialization.
Ageh Bedell, a lecturer in the Department of Music, will lead this session, expanding upon the application of trauma-informed principles in developing, implementing, and sustaining inclusive teaching and learning environments across public health education programs. The session also will address the concept of disenfranchised grief—the grief that is not socially acknowledged or validated—highlighting its impact on individuals’ wellbeing, particularly in the context of public health education and related career placements.
Participants will explore how these practices can be integrated to support students and professionals facing unacknowledged losses and trauma, and how understanding disenfranchised grief can strengthen public health responses to community health challenges.
Through interactive exercises and discussions, participants will learn how trauma-informed and grief-sensitive approaches can be systematically incorporated into higher education curricula, ensuring they align with students’ career aspirations and personal well-being post-graduation. This session serves as a call to action for the broader public health educational community to embrace trauma-informed pedagogy and to recognize the importance of addressing disenfranchised grief. By doing so, we can enrich both the educational experiences and professional development of future public health professionals, equipping them with the empathy and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of global health challenges and the emotional impacts they encounter in their work.
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