Tapestries: A Creative & Inclusive Approach to Grief Support for Youth & Communities (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781491210123)

Alesia K. Alexander, MSW, LCSW, CT is the founder and Executive Director of Project KARMA, Inc. Project KARMA Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization created to support at-risk young people aged 5-18, facing loss and possible gang involvement. The work of Project KARMA Inc. seeks to empower and celebrate the potential of young people in a positive and affirming way that promotes self-esteem, validates the impact of loss on social development, and offers an alternative to gang involvement and activity. Moved by the dedicated and unswerving care provided to her family by the local hospice in her hometown during the illness and subsequent death of her father when she was 24, Ms. Alexander Layne's work over the last decade has focused on at-risk children and teens in the school setting, specifically with children and teens that have lost a loved one to death. Her educational background includes a B.A. degree in Political Science from Hampton University in Hampton Virginia, and a Master's degree in Social Work from Florida State University. Certified in Arts and Community Practice from Florida State University, Mrs. Alexander Layne is the author of three resources for grieving children. Her first book Sunflowers & Rainbows for Tia: Saying Goodbye to Daddy (1999) reflects the African American grief experience as seen through the eyes of a little girl. Her second book, Un Mural Para Mamita/A Mural for Mamita (2001), is the bi-lingual story of a little girl that wants to find a way to honor the memory of her grandmother with her community. The third, and most recent offering is Dream Clouds (2011), the engaging story of Adam, a young boy living with the loss of his mother, and their connection through poetry. Tapestries: A Creative & Inclusive Approach to Grief Support for Youth & Communities (2013) is her fourth book. A licensed clinical social worker in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, she is the former Coordinator of The Caring Tree Program of Big Bend Hospice, Inc. in Tallahassee, FL., and has served as consultant to grief and loss centers across the nation. She is a former member of the board of directors for The National Alliance for Grieving Children. Mrs. Alexander Layne is a regular presenter and trainer regionally and nationally on grief, loss, inclusion, and at-risk youth development.