E239 - Michael Mackenzie & Luke Lapas - Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities

Michael Mackenzie has worked in Developmental Services, supporting people with intellectual disabilities, for more than 35 years. His areas of focus have included person-directed employment navigation, fundraising, staff training, advocacy and rights, decision making in health care, palliative and Hospice family support, and legacy work through storytelling. Michael is also a volunteer at Bereaved Families of Ontario (Toronto), where he facilitates peer grief groups for people with intellectual disabilities and another series for direct support workers who have experienced loss of those they have supported. He is joined today with Luke Lapas, who has co-facilitated the grief group with people who have intellectual disabilities.

In this episode, we discuss their grief, developing and running a grief program for people with intellectual disabilities, support staff grief, and the grief dreams they have had (grandparents, friend, and clients).