Episode 53: When a Child Goes Missing: Navigating the Void
In this Bell Work Talk, Dr. Clements discusses what happens to the families of people who go missing and are never found. How can anyone manage to “carry on”, when they have no idea what has happened to their child? When your child has disappeared and you are not even sure if they are just missing, somewhere alone and suffering, or already dead, how do you cope? As heartless as it may seem, life and the lives of others must go on -- for the good of both individuals and families. Everyone involved will find that there is no such thing as “normal”. life as they once knew it has changed forever. However, it is possible to place this nightmare of loss into ones life trajectory, and reinvest in a productive life, whether you choose to never stop looking, keep up hope, or ultimately accept that your child will never return. Paul Thomas Clements is a Board Certified Advanced Forensic Nurse, a Certified Gang Specialist, and Certified in Danger Assessment. Practicing in the forensic nursing arena for over 30 years, Clements has provided consultation for hospital systems, EMTs, Child Protective Agency personnel, trauma/emergency nurses, psychiatric providers, academic and corporate settings – each regarding vulnerability risk assessment, target-hardening, and decreasing the number of violent incidents in the workplace, as well as bullying and the subsequent sequelae. Clements has provided consultation to public school systems and other child-related agencies related to child abuse assessment and also related to the aftermath of violence and/or violent death (including homicide of a child and gang-related deaths) for teachers and other classmates. Clements has three upcoming textbooks: Gender Violence Across the Spectrum: A Trauma-Informed Approach, Mental Health Issues in Child Maltreatment: A New Perspective, and Violence Against Women: Contemporary Examination of Domestic Violence. Additionally, he has numerous peer-reviewed publications, and a significant number of conference presentations – nationally and internationally – that address assessment and intervention related to the neurobiology of trauma, interpersonal violence and aggression, coping after a violent death, safety assessment, and exposure to interpersonal violence and crime. His work in the field of grief and bereavement spans over thirty years, including being co-director of the homicide bereavement center at the Medical Examiner’s Officer at the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health, which then expanded to provide free grief services to all families of sudden traumatic death in the City. Dr. Clements was a grief therapist in private practice as well as a Critical Incident Stress Debriefer during the 9/11 tragedy. Dr. Clements has worked closely with a wide variety of cultures, both in the United States and internationally. Clements works as a Professor at the Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing at Texas A&M University. Resources: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2024). Is your child missing? https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/isyourchildmissing Download this checklist of actions to be taken by families in the initial stages of a missing child. https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/publications/nc198.pdf For questions call the NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678). National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: A Child Is Missing: Providing Support for Families of Missing Children Available from: https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/publications/nc172.pdf Office of Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Delinquency Prevention: OJJDP Report: When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide Personal and Family Considerations. https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/pubs/childismissing/ch7.html#:~:text=Keep%20the%20lines%20of%20communication,wedge%20into%20your%20family%20life.
