Crash Course For Caregivers

Jewish Family Service of St. Paul (JFS), in partnership with Sholom, invites anyone searching for help with their caregiver journey to the Crash Course for Caregivers, a six-class educational series covering different aspects of caregiving. These classes will be part educational and part participatory with an opportunity for caregivers to learn from and share with each other. They are free and will all be offered from noon to 1:00PM at Sholom East Campus, 740 Kay in St. Paul.

The courses will be offered by JFS psychotherapist and Caregiver Support Group facilitator Tara Burns, MA, LPCC. Tara obtained an MA in Clinic Mental Health in 2019 from Adler Graduate School. Working with adults across the life span, her passion is providing services to individuals living with grief, loss, depression, anxiety, life changes and adjusting to illness and chronic pain. Her group experience involves facilitating support for bereavement, caregivers and healing through art workshops.

JFS Senior Services Supervisor Bonnie Jaffe, RN, will also lead Crash Course for Caregivers. Bonnie is a registered nurse with many years of hospital experience prior to joining JFS in 2008. In her role at JFS, Bonnie provides caregiver coaching, family consultations, and leads the JFS grief and caregiver support groups. She is also a certified instructor for Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Reach Community for Caregivers and Dementia Friends presenter. Bonnie is trained by Honoring Choices of MN to assist people in completing advance care directives.

The series begins on Thursday, February 22 with Working with Emotions and Emotional Wellbeing followed by Caregiver Grief and Loss on March 28. Quality Caregiving in the Home will be the topic of the May 23 meeting, followed by Improving Communication Skills on June 27, Quality Caregiving in a Facility on July 25, and finally, Caregiver Resources on August 22.

Register for one, two or all six classes, all free and open to the public. A free lunch will also be provided. Contact Ali Lilja at [email protected] or (651) 328-2258 for more information and to registration.