Taking a Deeper Dive into Death by Suicide or Overdose
Save the Date!
Thursday, November 13, 2025
8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
15 LaSalle Square, Providence
FRIENDS WAY invites you to our annual professional development conference. FRIENDS WAY is a unique organization that provides peer support bereavement groups for children and teens who have experienced the death of a significant person in their lives.
Suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death overall in the US in 2023. It was the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10 to 34. In order to best support children and teens affected by a suicide, overdose, or a substance misuse death, we need to confront our own biases and create a brave space for sharing. The grieving process is impacted significantly with stigmatized deaths for adults, and certainly for the children and teens left behind.
Practical tools will be discussed, as well as sharing about FRIENDS WAY’s specialized night dedicated to families affected by a suicide, overdose, or substance misuse death.
Following the presentation, true and honest information will be shared about mental health by members of a panel. They will also reflect on lessons learned in school settings, from trauma respeonse teams, and in the community, including how stigmatized deaths have had an impact on the grieving process.
Presenter
Ryan Loiselle, LICSW, has been the program director for FRIENDS WAY since September 2011, where he manages the program’s day-to-day operations, including intake, referrals, trainings, and community outreach. He has trained and supervised hundreds of volunteers who facilitate the bereavement groups. In 2001, he began his tenure at FRIENDS WAY as a volunteer group facilitator.
Prior to joining FRIENDS WAY, Ryan worked at Merrimack Valley Hospice with a concentration in pediatric palliative care and children’s bereavement. He studied at the University of Rhode Island and received his degree in Human Development and Family Studies, with a minor in Thanatology (the study of death, loss, grief, and bereavement). He went on to Simmons College in Boston, MA and received his master’s degree in social work.
Ryan has presented both locally and nationally on children’s bereavement. He joined the board of directors for the National Alliance for Children’s Grief in January 2022. He started RI Grief Counseling in July 2020 and has been involved in grief camps since 2023.
Ryan Loiselle, LICSW
Registration
The fee for this conference is $75 for each individual. Groups of four or more can register for $65 per person. If you would like to register a group of more than four, please call 401-667-6792 to register by phone.
CEUs applications are in process for NASW.
