About WiSSP
Catherine A. Reiser, M.S.
Grant Awards
In 1995 the WiSSP Advisory Council directed us to make
parent and lay public education a priority. A grant
awarded to WiSSP by the Perinatal Foundation this year
will allow us to achieve this goal. The monies will fund
the production of two brochures. The first is intended to
educate the general public about stillbirth, to decrease
the uneasiness which many feel when discussing the death
of a baby and thereby hopefully increase community
support for parents of stillborns. The second is targeted
to families themselves, to provide clear and factually
accurate information about intrauterine death and its
causes — a resource which is currently nonexistent.
Look for these brochures by early 1998, the projected
completion date.
We are fortunate this year that a second WiSSP
proposal was funded by the Perinatal Foundation. This
proposal will enable WiSSP to create a Website to provide
accurate information about intrauterine death to parents
and professionals through the powerful communication
medium of the Internet. Our Website should be up and
running by early this fall. See you on the net!
Follow Up Survey
The annual follow up survey was sent out early this year.
While I have heard from most of you, gentle reminders are
need for some. Your input and suggestions are important.
Please let us hear from you.
Managed Care
This issue’s ‘Guest Corner’ and ‘In
Depth’ segments both feature discussions relevant to
managed care.
Dan Bier of the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal
Care is our ‘Guest Corner’ contributor. His
informative article about managed care provides a
framework for discussion of opportunities as well as
concerns. Dr. Pauli’s ‘In Depth’ coverage
completes the picture, with a discussion of the survival
of the Wisconsin Stillbirth Service Program in the era of
managed care.
newsletter ANNOUNCEMENTS
PREGNANCY LOSS STUDY
I am conducting a study which examines ways to help
parents through the grief process following a pregnancy
loss (ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth). My
purpose is to determine if the type and timing of events
and services offered after the loss can improve the grief
recovery process. I am including mothers, partners and
spouses. The study involves completing a short survey and
the Perinatal Grief Scale, and should take 30-40 minutes.
If you are interested in participating, or are able to
help distribute recruitment letters, please contact me
for more information: Deb Rich, M.A., Licensed
Psychologist, 1836 Iglehart Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104,
(612) 659-9715, or e-mail rich0288@gold.tc.umn.edu.
FROM THE SHARE NATIONAL OFFICE
The Circle Of Compassion. . . SHARE Celebrates 20
Years
SHARE’s National Conference will be held in St.
Louis, October 10, 11 and 12, 1997. The conference
committee has been busy planning an outstanding event for
both bereaved parents and caregivers. Some of the
sessions’ topics for parents include grief and
everyday life, recurrent miscarriage, faith and guilt
issues, difficult decisions, subsequent pregnancy, coping
with no surviving children and ways to make positive
memories. The grief issues of fathers, single parents,
grandparents and children will also be addressed.
Caregivers will have many opportunities to improve
their knowledge and skills with such topics as picture
taking, "hands-on" memory making and ways to
run a support group effectively. Other issues that will
be addressed are complicated grief, compassion fatigue,
funeral practices and creative ways to educate staff.
All attendees will be blessed by the general sessions
conducted by Darcie Sims, Paul Alexander and Fran
Rybarik. In another general session, Sr. Jane Marie, the
foundress of SHARE, Maureen Connelly, the original
coordinator of AMEND and Dr. Glen Davidson will reminisce
about the beginnings of SHARE. We are honored to have
Richard Paul Evans, the author of The Christmas Box
and Timepiece, as the keynote speaker at our
banquet celebration. His topic will be
"forgiveness." Conference activities will be
concluded on the grounds of the St. Louis Arch, a
national landmark, with ‘A Walk to Remember’
and memorial service.
The 1997 National Conference celebrating SHARE’s
20th Anniversary will be informative, helpful and
healing. Mark your calendar now to meet us in St. Louis
October 10-12! Details are available from:
National SHARE Office
St. Joseph Health Center
300 First Capitol Dr.
St. Charles, MO 63301
800-821-6819
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