Compassionate Friends Bereavement Organization Recognizes 141 Compassionate Employers Nationwide

Compassionate Friends Bereavement Organization Recognizes 141 Compassionate Employers Nationwide

Employers that have shown extra sensitivity to employees that have experienced the death of a child, sibling, or grandchild are being recognited as Compassionate Employer Recognition recipients as recognized by The Compassionate Friends, the nation's largest bereavement organization with more than 600 chapters. Representing 39 states, these employers range from small companies to those with thousands of employees.

Oakbrook, IL (PRWEB) March 3, 2009 -- One hundred forty one employers, representing 39 states plus Washington DC. are being recognized by The Compassionate Friends for showing extra sensitivity to bereaved employees following the death of a child. The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is the nation's largest self-help bereavement organization with over 600 chapters serving all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Nominated by the persons they have directly helped, these employers are receiving Compassionate Employer Recognition in 2009 for going above and beyond the normal policies of most companies in helping their employees when the death of a child occurred.

    

Criteria for Compassionate Employer Recognition include, but are not limited to:

1.    Allowing additional time off without loss of benefits.

2.    Allowing flexible work schedules and assignments.

3.    Allowing leeway in job performance standards.

4.    Fostering an environment of mutual support among coworkers.

5.    Providing professional grief counseling, human resources support, or information regarding self-help bereavement organizations.

6.    Other policies and practices that go beyond what is normal in the community.

This is the ninth year for recognition of employers, with recipients jumping from three the first year, to the current 141 for 2009. Employers range from small companies with as few as four employees to large companies with many thousands of employees.

The 2009 recipients of TCF's Compassionate Employer Recognition are (by state): ALABAMA: Dynamic Contract & Consultant Services, Montgomery; ALASKA: Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Anchorage; Family Centered Services of Alaska, Fairbanks; ARKANSAS: Middleton Heat and Air, Bryant; CALIFORNIA: American Honda Finance Corporation, Torrence; Centerplate, San Diego; Employment Development Dept, Sacramento; Hegge Electrical Contractors, Indio; Hughson High School, Hughson; Huntington Hospital, Pasadena; Little Company of Mary, Torrence; Maxim Craneworks, Long Beach; MV Transportation, Fairfield; Pacific Medical Buildings, San Diego; Petrol Advertising, Inc., Burbank; Radiological Associates of Sacramento, Sacramento; Service Rock Products, Victorville; Skyway House, Chico; Victor Valley Union High School District, Victorville;

COLORADO: Century 21 Metro Alliance, Colorado Springs; Holland & Hart LLP, Denver; CONNECTICUT: Michael P. Krol & Co., CPA, PC, Stafford Springs; FLORIDA: Beach City Motors, Ft. Walton Beach; Crown Auto Group, St. Petersburg; Florida Hospital Centra Care, Winter Park; Hospice of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach; PGA Tour, Inc., Ponte Vedra Beach; St. Johns County School District, Augustine; GEORGIA: Mount Vernon Bank, Mount Vernon; Schroeder Enterprises, Inc., Atlanta; IDAHO: Kingston Companies, Idaho Falls; ILLINOIS: Kenneth B. Gore, LTD, Chicago; Outback Steakhouse, South Elgin; Quad City USA Family Restaurant, Moline; Standard Industrial and Automotive Equipment Inc, Hanover Park; Urban Retail Properties, Chicago; INDIANA: Bowen Engineering Corporation, Fishers; DRIVE Medical Consulting & Communications, Indianapolis; The Hearth at Prestwick, Avon; IOWA: Bourbon Street & Voodoo Lounge, Cedar Falls; LaJames International College, Fort Dodge; Lisbon Community School District, Lisbon; Mercy Hospital of the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Oelwein; Quality Medical Services, Mason City; Tripoli Nursing Home, Tripoli; Young Plumbing and Heating, Waterloo; KANSAS: PKM Steel Service, Salina;

KENTUCKY: Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Frankfort; Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, Ashland; LOUISIANA: HomeCare Inc, Baton Rouge; Northwestern Mutual Financial Network of Louisiana, Metairie; Northwestern State University College of Nursing, Shreveport; Salario Law Firm, Marksville; MAINE: Fidelity Investments, Marlborough; MARYLAND: American Mechanical Services, Laurel; Cecil Bank, Elkton; Southern Maryland Skin Specialists, Prince Frederick; Southwest Airlines, Baltimore; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda; Washington County Hospital, Hagerstown; MASSACHUSETTS: Au Bon Pain, Boston; Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury; City of Lowell School Health Unit, Lowell; First Electric Motor Service, Woburn; J.G. Pyne Arts Magnet School, Lowell; New Horizons CLC of Boston, Waltham; Watermark Environmental, Lowell; WJDF, Orange; MICHIGAN: Autocam Corporation, Kentwood; Hastings Surgeons, P.C., Hastings; MINNESOTA: Cambridge Isanti School District / Community Education, Cambridge; University of St. Thomas, St. Paul; USG Interiors Inc, Red Wing; MISSOURI: Century 21 Show-Me Realty, Houston; Heartland Lion's Eye Banks, Springfield; HNTB, Kansas City; MONTANA: Kringen Construction Co, Sidney; NEBRASKA: Marriott Global Sales and Customer Service Center, Omaha; NEW HAMPSHIRE: Henry Wilson School, Manchester; Londonderry School District, Londonderry; Parks-Tuttle/ New England Financial Services, Manchester; NEW JERSEY: MedQuist Inc., Laurel; NEW MEXICO: Carlisle Office Center, Albuquerque; Inland Kenworth, Albuquerque; NEW YORK: Evo Merchant Services, Melville; Miteq Inc, Hauppauge; Wegman's Food Markets, Depew; NORTH CAROLINA: A.G. Edwards, Greensboro; Hardin Construction Company, Raleigh; Jones Family Practice, Shelby; OHIO: Career Tech, Willoughby; Community Health Care, Inc, Canal Fulton; Health Care Management Group, Cincinnati; Laser Care, Batavia; Motor Carrier Service, Northwood; Tween Brands Inc., New Albany;     

OKLAHOMA: HighMount E&P, Oklahoma City; Nabholz Construction, Tulsa; Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates, Oklahoma City; OREGON: American Red Cross, Oregon Pacific Chapter, Eugene; Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Roseburg; Fred Meyer, Albany; Hanna Strader, P.C., Portland; Liberty House, Salem; PENNSYLVANIA: Faulkner-Ciocca, Quakertown; H. J. Heinz, Pittsburgh; Interim Health Care Pittsburgh Office, Pittsburgh; Sam's Club, Wilkes-Barre Twp.; Unionville Chadds Ford School District, Kennett Square; SOUTH CAROLINA: Maurice Stephens Financial Group, Myrtle Beach; McLaughlin Group Inc., Greenville; TENNESSEE: Dairy Partners, LLC, Decherd; Deloitte and Touche, Hermitage; ServiceMaster, Memphis; Town of Collierville, Collierville; TEXAS: Citigroup, San Antonio; Genecov Physician Group, PA, Dallas; Hallsville ISD, Hallsville; Keller Williams Realty, San Antonio; LakePointe Medical Center, Rowlett; Medical Center of Plano, Plano; Sign Tech International, Austin; Wylie Independent School District, Abilene; Zale Corporation- Zales North America, Irving; UTAH: Marriott Global Incentives and Gift Cards, Salt Lake City; Smart Schofield Shorter and Lunceford, Murray; VERMONT: Northeast Primary School, Rutland; The Vermont Country Store, N. Clarendon; VIRGINIA: Bon Secours Hospitals, Richmond; Doctors On Call, Virginia Beach; WASHINGTON: Mt. Baker Care Center, Bellingham; Providence Everett Medical Center, Everett; Providence St. Peter Hospital-Olympia, Olympia; W.B. Sprague, Inc., Tacoma; WISCONSIN: HJ Martin and Son, Green Bay; Luther Midelfort - Mayo Health System, Eau Claire; Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee; Rexnord Industries LLC, Milwaukee; Transport Refrigeration, Inc., De Pere; Washington, D.C.: US Capitol Police.

"So often employees who have experienced the death of a child are expected to return to work in three days, handle the same work load as before, and to leave their grief at home," says Patricia Loder, Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends. "There is oftentimes a lack of understanding by employers about the realities of grief in the workplace. These 141 employers, large and small, public and private, are being recognized for providing the compassion and understanding that is so vital to the bereavement process."

The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive. To contact The Compassionate Friends, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit the TCF national website at www.compassionatefriends.org.

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Contact Information WAYNE LODER

The Compassionate Friends

http://www.compassionatefriends.org

866-964-4000

[Via http://www.prweb.com]

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Ethics a Frequent and Necessary Topic for Professional Continuing Education

Ethics a Frequent and Necessary Topic for Professional Continuing Education

During these times when flagrant dishonesty and unbridled greed are at the forefront of political and financial news, the topic of professional ethics is front and center in the continuing professional development of many health professionals. Professional Development Resources, a nationally accredited provider of continuing education (CE) for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and occupational therapists, now features more than 15 separate ethics courses on its website. The wide range of courses is intended to provide professional clinicians with thoughtful perspectives on maintaining open, honest, and ethical relationships with their clients.

Jacksonville, FL (Vocus) March 3, 2009 -- Professional Development Resources PDResourcesPromo (http://www.pdresources.org/promo/prweb5) has recently increased its curriculum in professional ethics courses. Many psychologists, social workers, counselors, and occupational therapists are required – as part of their periodic relicensure process – to complete CE courses related to ethics in the practice of their specialties.

The company’s website, PDResources (http://www.pdresources.org) now offers over 150 accredited healthcare and mental health CE courses. Of this catalog, more than 15 relate to multiple aspects of ethics in clinical practice. The courses include modules on privacy and confidentiality, maintenance of professional boundaries, multicultural competency, use of internet technologies, management of high-risk clients, professional codes of ethics, and state and national practice laws and rules.

“It is hard to envision having too many ethics courses,” says Leo Christie, PhD, CEO of Professional Development Resources. “With so many examples of unethical behavior and abuse of power in the news nearly every day, the conduct of health professionals is under scrutiny as well. We want to be sure that the clinicians who take our courses have access to training in the many facets of ethical conduct in practice, whatever their specialties. They need to be equipped to assure their clients of compliance with the highest and most recent standards of ethical behavior.”

Among the most important issues in healthcare ethics is the concern for privacy in handling clients’ personal information. If individuals are to benefit from health and mental health services, they must be assured that their personal information will be protected. This is far more challenging today than it was even a decade ago. The pervasive use of electronic communication technologies like cell phones, laptops, email, and the Internet has created an environment in which new protections must be implemented. All professionals need to be trained in the most current procedures for safeguarding their clients’ protected health information in the recording, storage, and transmission of electronic records.

The point of mandated continuing education (CE) for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and occupational therapists is to assure the public that the licensed professionals they consult are trained in the use of up-to-date procedures and technologies. For many clinicians who have been in practice for 20 years or more, today’s electronic communication technologies did not even exist when they completed their post-graduate training. CE is their opportunity to be sure they are maintaining state-of-the-art compliance with current best practices and privacy regulations.

Users who have taken ethics courses from Professional Development Resources have appreciated the ability to stay current in the many aspects of ethics. One counselor sent this email: “I really appreciated the ethics information. I learned about areas important to clients like boundary violations, spirituality, and conflicted custody suits. It will also keep me informed and knowledgeable about areas in which I might be vulnerable in a court of law.” A psychologist wrote “it is daunting to keep abreast of the many regulations and guidelines coming from HIPAA and my state and national associations. It really helps to have instant access to online ethics courses that offer training in the newest privacy and security procedures.”

A wide variety of online ethics course topics are available, including: Ethics & Boundaries in Psychotherapy (https://www.pdresources.org/CourseDetail.aspx?Category=Online&PageNumber=5&Profession=Other&Sort=CourseName&Text=&courseid=861), Ethics Desk Reference for Psychologists (https://www.pdresources.org/CourseDetail.aspx?Category=Ethics&PageNumber=1&Profession=Other&Sort=CourseName&Text=&courseid=979), Ethics in Psychotherapy: Practical Tips I (https://www.pdresources.org/CourseDetail.aspx?Category=Ethics&PageNumber=2&Profession=Other&Sort=CourseName&Text=&courseid=865), Ethics for Mental Health Professionals (https://www.pdresources.org/CourseDetail.aspx?Category=Ethics&PageNumber=1&Profession=Other&Sort=CourseName&Text=&courseid=853), Ethics for Occupational Therapists (https://www.pdresources.org/CourseDetail.aspx?Category=Ethics&PageNumber=1&Profession=Other&Sort=CourseName&Text=&courseid=1001), and many more.

About Professional Development Resources, Inc.

Professional Development Resources is a Florida nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1992 by licensed marriage and family therapist Leo Christie, PhD. The company, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) – as well as many other national and state boards – has focused its efforts on making continuing education courses more efficient and widely accessible to health professionals by offering online home study coursework. Its current expanded curriculum includes a wide variety of ethics courses and other clinical topics intended to equip health professionals to offer state-of-the art services to their clients.

Contact:

Leo Christie, PhD, CEO

Professional Development Resources, Inc.

904-645-3456

http://www.pdresources.org/promo/prweb5

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Contact Information Leo Christie, PhD

Professional Development Resources

http://www.pdresources.org/

(904) 645-3456

[Via http://www.prweb.com]

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