Accredited Continuing Education                  

OFSA is dedicated to providing funeral professionals with continuing education annually.



There are 3 ways you can earn Your Education through the OFSA:

1. Work for a OFSA Funeral Home establishment Member

2. Become an individual Associate member

3. Pay as you go (see below) 

WEDNESDAY Webinars

JANUARY

17, 2024 - Employee Engagement - How to Foster Motivation
24, 2024 - HR Solutions for Funeral Homes

FEBRUARY

21, 2024 - Managing Employee Terminations in the Work Place

MARCH

6, 2024 - Building your Resiliency Tool Kit - Part 1
20, 2024 - Building your Resiliency Tool Kit - Part 2
27, 2024 - Support Strategies Following Suicide Death Loss 

APRIL

24, 2024 - MAID - Discussion Dying with Dignity
TDB, 2024 - Embalming

MAy

15, 2024 - OFSA Spring Meeting

june

26, 2024 - Pregnancy and Infant Loss: Awareness Matters

september

16 & 17, 2024 - OFSA AGM & Education Conference

october

TBD, 2024 - Cremation Practices
30, 2024 - Trillium Gift of Life Network (Ontario Health)

upcoming webinar education Sessions

building your resillience toolkit
March 20, 2024 - sESSION 2 OF 2
Category b - 1 cec

In the unique role you play as a funeral director, you're not only tasked with managing your own emotions amid the ebbs and flows of grief but also with supporting families through one of the most difficult times in their lives. "Building Your Resilience Toolkit" is a workshop crafted with your dual roles in mind, offering strategies to fortify your emotional resilience both at work and at home. Throughout two one-hour sessions, we'll explore coping skills and self-care practices that not only sustain you but can also be shared with the families you guide, creating a ripple effect of healing and understanding. By learning to navigate your personal experiences of loss and stress with mindfulness and compassion, you develop a deeper well of resources to draw upon—not just for yourself but in the support and advice you offer to those in mourning.
 

Session 2: Self-Care For Resilience and Wellbeing

In our second session, we turn our focus to self-care for resilience. Tending to your body, mind, and spirit is not just an act of personal wellness; it's an essential tool for sustaining your ability to serve others. We'll cover the fundamentals—hydration, nutrition, rest, and connection—and introduce ways to incorporate self-care into your routine that specifically address the unique stresses of your work. From scheduling days without screens to embracing the therapeutic power of the outdoors, these practices provide a foundation on which to build a resilient, compassionate presence for the families relying on your guidance during their most challenging moments.

Heather Stang, MA, C-IAYT, is the author of Living With Grief (formally Mindfulness & Griefand the guided journal, From Grief To Peace. She holds a Master's Degree in Thanatology from Hood College, and is a Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist. Her 8-step Mindfulness & Grief System that is featured in the Handbook of Grief Therapies, and is the foundation of a self-care focused online grief support group, Awaken. Heather also hosts the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast, and offers private sessions and professional training through her organization, the Mindfulness & Grief Institute.

  

support strategies following suicide death loss
March 27, 2024
Category a - 1 cec

As an ongoing public health crisis and prevalent cause of death, millions of people are bereaved
following suicide death loss worldwide every year. Families who lose a loved one to suicide frequently do not receive the support or communication they need, even from helping professionals. This session will assist attendees (1) in differentiating between myths and realities of suicide; (2) in understanding unique grief experiences and complication risks following suicide death loss; (3) in developing helpful and empathic responses to suicide survivor families; and (4) in employing new communication strategies when carrying out funeral service arrangements following a suicide death loss. Time will be allotted for questions from
participants to ensure that they receive needed and targeted information to put into practice immediately in their businesses.

Sara Murphy, PhD, CT is a death educator, Certified Thanatologist (Association for Death Education and Counseling), and suicidologist with over fifteen years of scholarly, pedagogical, and professional experience in the field. She has been a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island for fourteen years, where she has developed and taught over fifty interdisciplinary courses on thanatological theory; death, dying, and bereavement; biopsychosocial grief experiences; disenfranchised grief; and stigmatized means of death. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the Thanatology Graduate Program at Marian University, where she is teaches courses on suicide, addiction loss, and social justice thanatology.
Publicly, Dr. Murphy conducts diverse and dynamic professional development and educational workshops and seminars on specialized topics of death, dying, and bereavement nationwide for businesses, schools, and professional organizations.
Dr. Murphy is also a suicide and bereavement consultant; a contributing writer at Remembering a Life; an expert witness on suicide and on disenfranchised grief; and the author of the booklet, “Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” a free resource for helping professionals and individuals published by the Funeral Service Foundation.

  

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAid)
April 24, 2024
Category a - 1 cec

This presentation will provide information about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada, including eligibility criteria, procedural safeguards and a brief overview of the court challenges that led to MAID being a legal option. Insights into the patient and family perspectives will be shared, as will a discussion of where MAID generally takes place and what one should consider when it comes to a person-centred approach to MAID. 

Kelsey Goforth is the Director of Programs at Dying With Dignity Canada and has been a staff member with the organization since 2015.

  

IN PERSON NETWORKING Events

2024 SPRING MEETING
May 14-15, 2024 - Hilton Garden Inn/West Mississagua
Hotel Reservation Link
REGISTRATION coming soon


2024 OFSA AGM & Conference
Sept 16-17, 2024 -
the Westin Trillium house, Blue Mountain
HOTEL RESERVATION LINK
REGISTRATION coming soon

Dedicated to the passionate pursuit of excellence in funeral service.