Traumatic stress is a critical consideration in caring for patients and families receiving pediatric palliative care. PPC providers are also at risk of exposure to trauma in their personal and professional lives. The aim of this presentation, led by pediatric palliative care psychologists, is to enhance providers’ implementation of trauma informed care practices. Presenters will discuss common trauma symptoms seen in PPC patients and how trauma can impact coping and behaviors, as well as practical strategies and resources to provide support in this context. Evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches will be introduced to offer skills providers can draw from to maintain their own sustainability in providing this care.
1. Describe 3 common signs and symptoms of traumatic stress reactions and trauma triggers in pediatric palliative care patients
2. Integrate trauma-informed skills to effectively respond to patient and provider trauma reactions
3. Apply 3 strategies from evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches to maintain providers’ own sustainability in this context
Heather Bemis, PhD
Dr. Bemis is a pediatric psychologist with the Palliative Care team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. She conducts interdisciplinary research, provides evidence-based intervention for children and families referred to palliative care, and engages in education for interprofessional trainees, faculty, and staff at the intersection of palliative and behavioral health care.
Dr. Bemis earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt University and completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles. Her background includes pediatric oncology, consultation-liaison, NICU psychology, and trauma-informed care. She is a recent Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholar and serves on the leadership board of the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Palliative Care and End-of-Life SIG. Her work aims to advance family coping and communication support in palliative through evidence-based psychosocial interventions that are accessible and responsive to the unique needs of families and interprofessional teams.
Linda Radbill, PhD
Dr. Radbill is a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta embedded in the palliative oncology outpatient clinic (Supportive Care) and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. She joined as the Supportive Care Psychology program manager in May 2024. Dr. Radbill previously worked for 13 years as a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, spending several years as the embedded psychologist within the Comfort and Palliative Care Team, before transitioning to the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute.
Dr. Radbill received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Vassar College. She earned her doctoral degree in psychology from the University of Florida. She completed an internship at a residential facility for children with severe emotional and behavioral issues who had been exposed to significant trauma and her fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital where she worked closely with the Pain and Palliative Care services. Dr. Radbill is trained in evidence-based treatment approaches for children and families across a variety of populations and settings, with a specialization among children facing complex medical and psychological issues.
For the past decade Supported Decision-Making (SDM) has come to the forefront as more states pass legislation recognizing SDM. This session will take a deep dive on SDM covering: (1) The concept of Supported Decision-Making to enhance an individual’s decision-making abilities; (2) Supported Decision-making agreements in comparison to other decision-making tool; and the practice of SDM in everyday settings.
1. Identify and describe at least three core principles of the Supported Decision-Making (SDM) movement in the United States.
2. Compare and contrast Supported Decision-Making with at least two other decision-making instruments (e.g., Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directives) by identifying key differences in autonomy, authority, and legal implications.
3. Apply a Supported Decision-Making framework by outlining the key steps involved in implementing SDM.
Bertha S. Hayden, Esq.
Bertha Sanchez Hayden serves as Associate Vice President of Justice for Seniors and Justice for Dependent Adults at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Bet Tzedek is a nationally recognized premier legal services firm in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Hayden currently oversees the portfolio of Elder Justice, Caregiver, Senior Outreach, and Access to Justice programs. Current project highlights include launching the Leaving a Legacy program which provides complete estate planning services to residents living in the highest need areas of Los Angeles County and building a platform for self -help services designed to increase access of decision-making tools. Ms. Hayden recently served as a delegate at the World Congress on Adult Capacity. In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her to the Professional Fiduciaries Advisory Committee where she currently serves as chair. In 2023, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero appointed Ms. Hayden to the California’s Judicial Council Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee. Ms. Hayden is also stakeholder co-chair of California’s Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council (EDJCC) and chair of the EDJCC’s conservatorship workgroup.
Alberta Kaichian, MSW, LCSW, CCTP, C-DBT
Alberta Kaichian Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy with a Master of Social Work from USC. Experienced in Evidence-Based Interventions, Evidence-Based Practice outcome measures, clinical case management, client risk assessment, advanced theories and clinical interventions in health care, assessment/diagnosis of mental disorders, loss/grief and bereavement.
Healthcare professionals—including social workers, nurses, and physicians—are routinely exposed to profound loss, trauma, and suffering. While the focus is often on patient and family support, the emotional toll on the caregiver is frequently overlooked. This presentation explores the complex nature of professional grief, distinguishing it from personal grief and highlighting its cumulative impact on well-being and clinical performance. Through the lens of modern grief theory, trauma stewardship, and adaptive coping, participants will deepen their understanding of grief literacy, learn to recognize signs of burnout and moral distress, and gain practical tools for emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and sustainable caregiving. Reflective exercises and evidence-informed strategies will equip attendees to integrate resilience practices into both personal and professional spheres.
1. Describe 3 types and manifestations of grief encountered by healthcare professionals, including anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, and secondary losses, and explain how they impact clinical practice.
2. Recognize 3 signs and symptoms of professional grief and trauma exposure response, and differentiate them from personal grief experiences in order to improve emotional awareness and reduce risk of burnout.
3. Apply evidence-informed strategies for trauma stewardship, emotional regulation, and adaptive countertransference to support psychological resilience in caregiving roles.
4. Develop a personalized self-care and boundary-setting plan that integrates emotional, physical, professional, and spiritual dimensions of wellness, to enhance long-term sustainability in clinical care.
Kat Hurley, LCSW, APHSW-C
Kat Hurley, LCSW, APHSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker, Advanced Grief Recovery Method Specialist, and Certified Advanced Palliative and Hospice Social Worker. After a 17-year career as a professional dancer, Kat transitioned into clinical social work following a life-changing encounter with hospice while working at Trader Joe’s. Her early volunteer work with bereavement groups led her to pursue a master’s degree at Fordham University, where she was selected for a specialized fellowship in palliative care. She later completed a second fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Kat has served as faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Columbia University, where she taught communication, ethics, and clinical skills to future physicians and interdisciplinary teams.
Kat is a sought-after educator and speaker on grief, loss, burnout, and trauma stewardship. She has lectured at Fordham University on topics including improvisation in healthcare, grief across the lifespan, and palliative care practice. She is the author of a chapter on de-escalating emotionally intense situations in the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care Social Work (2nd ed.). With a unique blend of clinical expertise, personal storytelling, and creative energy, Kat invites caregivers to explore grief literacy, build emotional resilience, and reconnect with meaning in their work. She is especially passionate about supporting pediatric palliative care teams as they navigate the emotional complexities of their roles.
Depending upon location, pediatric patients and their families electing to have their child’s end of life at home may not have access to pediatric-trained teams and/or staff. This impacts psychosocial support to families as they navigate anticipatory grief and bereavement. A small pilot program from an Indiana-based Pediatric Palliative Care Team looked to address this gap through the implementation of legacy interventions for families to do at home called a “Memory-Making Kit.” These kits, aimed to independently facilitate legacy activities at home, allowed for the creation of tangible keepsakes while also creating intangible meaning-making in the process. In sharing this pilot program, the hope is to inspire other programs (both pediatric and adult-based) to address similar gaps that may exist within their area.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
1. Share development process of instituting Memory-Making Kits for pediatrics patients enrolled in home hospice.
2. Provide context into pre-existing gaps and literature that supported the development of the Memory-Making Kit intervention.
3. Discuss 3 implications for future practice including broader implementation for both pediatric and adult-based programs
Alisha McGuire, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C
Alisha McGuire (she/her) is a Pediatric Palliative Care Social Worker and Grief Counselor with Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis. She is a Certified Advanced Palliative and Hospice Social Worker (APHSW-C) and NYU Zelda Foster Studies in Palliative and End of Life Care Leadership Fellow and Mentor. Alisha has a deep passion for working with pediatric patients and families adjusting to illness/diagnosis, anticipatory grief, and bereavement as a clinical social worker and researcher.
Alisha is involved in state and national organizations including a task force working to bring grief education to Indiana schools alongside Indiana children’s grief centers, a steering committee working to adapt materials for bereaved caregivers supporting surviving children following a child loss, as well as other projects in the realm of pediatric palliative care and bereavement. She is an active member of the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN), serving as representative for the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care Pediatric Division. She was awarded the 2025 SWHPN Emerging Leader Award in recognition of her work in the field of bettering the care of serious ill children and their families.
This session will consider ways that health inequalities impact children facing serious illness and what clinicians can do to help address these inequalities. Attendees will consider the intersections of palliative care, communication, and anti-racism to advance health equity within pediatric serious illness care. Literature and narrative medicine will be used to highlight experiences of historically marginalized patients to empower attendees to serve as advocates for patients of various backgrounds and lived experiences.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
Khaliah Johnson, MD
Dr. Johnson received her medical degree at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA in 2007. She then went to train in General Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Her desire to serve children and families facing complex, life-threatening illness led her to pursue fellowship training in Pediatric Palliative Care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Upon completing fellowship in 2012, Dr. Johnson joined the Pediatric Advanced Care Team at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to help expand pediatric palliative care services available to children in Georgia. She now serves as Division Chief for Pediatric Palliative care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University’s Department of Pediatrics and spends part of her clinical time at Grady Medical Center, providing palliative care at one of the largest pediatric HIV clinics in the United States.
Dr. Johnson’s particular career interests are in community-based pediatric care, health equity, healthcare advocacy, and developing strategies to improve access to high-quality palliative care services to marginalized populations. Dr. Johnson was prestigiously named a Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholar in 2021, where her work focuses on addressing racism in pediatric serious illness. She has experience in community-based participatory research and has lobbied on Capitol Hill at the state and federal levels for health care legislation impacting children and families facing serious illness.
Arika Patneaude, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C CCLS, GC-C
Arika Patneaude is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Ethnic Minority Mental Health Specialist and Cambia Sojourn Scholar. She has worked extensively in social services since 1992, including adult mental health, housing services for unhoused people, medical social work including solid organ transplant, grief and bereavement, and pediatric palliative care. Ms. Patneaude was born into a family that not only valued but actively engaged in social justice. It was here that her deep foundation for engaging in culturally responsive care and challenging systems of oppression as a clinician was defined and solidified.
Ms. Patneaude is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, a Clinical Ethicist, and the Director of the Bioethics, Palliative Care and Journey Programs at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Ms. Patneaude provides consultation and coaching to individuals and programs on engaging in culturally responsive practice across settings. Ms. Patneaude has been an invited lecturer, keynote speaker and panel member on such topics as supporting patients and families at the end of life, cultural humility, and cultural responsiveness in healthcare, inclusive of ethics, palliative care, mental health and grief and bereavement.
Navigating the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare and other vital services represents a significant and often overwhelming challenge for youth with complex chronic conditions and their families. This process requires moving away from trusted pediatric providers into an unfamiliar adult care system. Pediatric palliative care clinicians are well positioned to support this critical transition, utilizing their core skills in care coordination, communication, and listening to guide youth and their families. In this presentation, Drs. Bower and Lotstein will describe common concerns youth with complex chronic conditions face as they age into adulthood. The presenters will then share strategies and resources that can be employed by palliative care teams at the practice, clinic and institutional level to facilitate successful health care transitions.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
Kimberly Bower, MD, FAAHPM, HMDC
Dr. Kimberly Bower is a palliative care physician, educator, and patient and family advocate. Her work has focused on building home and community based palliative care models in various settings including for hospices, home-health agencies, and health plans. She served as Chief of Palliative Medicine at Rady Children’s Health San Diego from 2014 – 2018. She holds leadership positions in both the adult and pediatric palliative care advocacy organizations in California. Dr. Bower currently cares for patients at Rady Children’s Health San Diego and serves as the Medical Director of the Pediatric team at The Elizabeth Hospice.
Debra Lotstein, MD, MPH, FAAP, FAAHPM
Dr. Debra Lotstein, MD, MPH, is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the USC Keck School of Medicine and serves as the Medical Director of the Center for Healthy Adolescent Transition (CHAT) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). She served as Chief of the Division of Comfort and Palliative Care at CHLA from 2014 to 2023. Her clinical, research and advocacy efforts are dedicated to improving access to coordinated, high-quality healthcare for children and youth with serious illness, focused specifically on care across settings and through the transition into adulthood. Dr. Lotstein is also a Steering Committee Member of the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition of California.
This webinar will equip attendees with crucial tools in supporting and working with adolescent patients facing serious illness. Adolescence is a complex in-between time - no longer a child but not yet an adult - which makes it hard to know how much information to share, what questions to ask, and what authority to recognize. By tracing the evolution of thinking about adolescence over time, identifying relevant legal decisions and neurodevelopmental research, and analyzing relevant cases, this presentation will help clinicians understand the unique aspects of adolescence in order to provide optimal care to this important group of patients.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
Robert C. Macauley, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM
Robert Macauley is a pediatric palliative care physician, Episcopal priest, and writer. After fifteen years at the University of Vermont—where he directed the Department of Clinical Ethics as well as the Pediatric Advanced Care Team—in 2017 he became the Cambia Health Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care at Oregon Health & Science University. He is the author of Ethics in Palliative Care: A Complete Guide (Oxford University Press, 2018) as well as Because I Knew You: How Some Remarkable Sick Kids Healed a Doctor’s Soul (Chehalem Press, 2025). He lives with his wife, four kids, and two rescue dogs in Portland, Oregon.
While “active” or “hot” storming in children with SNI is frequently managed by pediatric palliative care teams, there can be less comfort around the management of “cold” or “quiet” storming. We will review some of the pathophysiology of this symptom and use a couple cases to walk through a couple different branching pathways in evaluation. Then, zooming out, we will think about dynamic goals assessment for this problem, and describe how partnership with a child’s community can inform management.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
1. Describe “cold storming” and hypothermia in children with severe neurological impairment
2. Apply 3 core pediatric palliative care principles to the management of hypothermia
3. Brainstorm how we can partner with caregivers and community supports to manage symptoms in a child’s preferred setting
Jaxon Vallely, DO
Dr. Vallely is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh and an early-career attending physician at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, practicing both palliative medicine and complex care pediatrics through the division of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care. Practicing in inpatient and outpatient settings in both of these specialties, he has a particular interest in the care of children with severe neurological impairment. His teaching and growing research focus is on providing dignity-preserving and asset-based care for this population.
Pediatric palliative medical providers care for patients and families facing stressful and emotionally overwhelming illnesses, treatments and prognosis. This session explores methods for communicating with compassion while cushioning the emotional and spiritual well-being of medical providers. Through interactive methods of self-reflection, participants will examine their reflexive responses to suffering. They will practice utilizing self-awareness to offer authentic and connecting verbal and non-verbal responses to those in their care.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
1. Understand the emotional, physical and spiritual impact of actively listening to other people’s concerns and challenges.
2. Develop strategies for deeper and more effective compassionate communication
3. Support sustainable professional practice and well being for pediatric palliative caregivers.
Allison Kestenbaum, BCC-PCHAC, ACPE
Allison Kestenbaum is the Supervisor of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at UC San Diego Health. She is an Associate Clinical Professor in Health Sciences in the Department of Medicine and Affiliate Faculty at the Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion at UCSD. She is a Board Certified Chaplain (NAJC and APC) with Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care (PCHAC). She is also a Certified Pastoral Educator (ACPE). Allison conducts research about palliative and spiritual care education and is founding faculty at SpiritualAIM.org. She has worked at UC San Francisco Health, Jewish Theological Seminary and UJA-Federation of New York. She was the first chaplain to receive a Sojourns Scholar Award for palliative care leaders. She is a mom of two school aged children.
Addressing shifting goals of care near the end of life is a challenge that is significantly complicated by the prognostic uncertainty inherent to neonatal neurologic injuries. Despite best efforts to prepare families for a range of possible outcomes, patients often surprise us, and families’ beliefs about their illness and goals of care may evolve over time. In this presentation, we will utilize an impactful clinical case to demonstrate the importance of ongoing assessment of a family’s understanding and goals of care. We will additionally describe strategies to address family distress in the face of unclear prognostic information and to navigate shifting goals of care as patients near end of life.
Registration for the live event is closed. Click HERE to purchase a recording of the Webinar.
1. To explore the challenges of prognostic uncertainty in neonatal neurologic conditions.
2. To discuss the importance of and strategies for continual re-evaluation of goals of care over time, to ensure alignment of the treatment plan with potentially shifting goals of care.
3. To discuss tools for addressing family distress in the setting of uncertainty.
Kari Kendall, MD
Dr. Kendall is a Pediatric Palliative Care physician at Riley Hospital for Children and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her special interests within Pediatric Palliative Care include ethics and shared decision-making in Palliative Care and education. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, live music, and exploring new restaurants.
Dominic Nardi, MD
Dr. Nardi received his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He then went on to complete his Pediatrics residency at Washington University in St. Louis and Palliative Care fellowship at the University of Utah. He is a Pediatric Palliative Care physician at Riley Hospital for Children and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. His special interests within Palliative Care include clinical ethics and symptom management in children with severe neurologic impairment.
Jessica Zavadil, MD, PhD
Dr. Zavadil is a Pediatric Palliative Care physician at Riley Hospital for Children and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Her special interests within Pediatric Palliative Care include pediatric hospice access and the shared decision-making process. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, hiking.
2026 PPC Webinar Series
Thurs, January 22, 2026
Shifting Goals of Care When Prognosis is Uncertain in Pediatric Palliative Care
Jessica Zavadil, MD, PhD / Dominic Nardi, MD / Kari Kendall, MD
Thurs, February 19, 2026
Sorry/Not Sorry: Identifying Emotions in Ourselves to Deepen Compassionate Communication with Others
Allison Kestenbaum, BCC-PCHAC, ACPE
Tues, March 17, 2026
The Calm and the Storm: Hypothermic Dysautonomia through a Palliative Care Lens
Jaxon Vallely, DO
Thurs, April 23, 2026
Adolescent Palliative Care: Who decides?
Robert C. Macauley, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM
Tues, May 19, 2026
Empowering Youth and Families for Complex Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Care: A Palliative Care Lens
Debra Lotstein, MD, MPH, FAAP, FAAHPM / Kim Bower, MD, FAAHPM, HMDC
Tues, June 16, 2026
Anti-racism and Health Equity in Pediatric Serious Illness: Next Steps in Maintaining Commitment
Khaliah Johnson, MD / Arika Patneaude, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C
Thurs, August 20, 2026
Improving Pediatric End of Life Legacy Building at Home
Alisha McGuire, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C
Tues, September 15, 2026
Emotional Toll: Caring for the Caregiver
Kat Hurley, LCSW, APHSW-C
Tues, October 13 , 2026 - NEW DATE!
The Promise of Supported Decision-Making: From Practice to Legal Instrument
Bertha S. Hayden, Esq / Alberta Kaichian, MSW, LCSW, CCTP, C-DBT
Tues, November 17, 2026
Integrating Trauma-Informed Practices: Compassionate Care for Others and Ourselves
Heather Bemis, PhD / Linda Radbill, PhD
384 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 | Contact Betsy Hawley at: betsy@ppcc-pa.org
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