Research

Jeff’s Place is a pioneer of evidence-based best practices for bereaved children and teens.  The Inventory of Youth Adaptation to Loss (IYAL), the doctoral work of our Founding Director, Dr. Jenny Kaplan, and unique to Jeff’s Place, is the only tool created to measure outcomes associated with grief support services by measuring changes over time-related to a youth’s communication, sense of social support, sense of connection, and social and emotional experiences of loss and resilience. For more than 10 years, Dr. Kaplan has worked in partnership with dozens of childhood bereavement service providers and the National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) in refining the IYAL. Since 2018, ALEX CARES has been a key partner with Jeff’s Place in piloting the IYAL, culminating in a groundbreaking 2-year research study that launched in September 2022. In September 2023, William James College joined this exciting partnership. In June 2024, Dr. Kaplan, Dr. Matt Carper of William James College and Amy Liebman Rapp, M.S. Ed., CT will be presenting this research at the NACG Annual Symposium.

Conceptual and theoretical influences on bereaved youth’s coping and social support relationships

The Inventory of Youth Adaptation to Loss: a 27-item strength-based measurement tool 

• Jeff’s Place is continuing to validate the IYAL within bereavement programs through a new collaboration with William James College.
• Jeff’s Place and William James College are grateful for the ongoing support, partnership, and generosity of ALEX CARES to offer a $1000 grant to every organization that completes study procedures.
• This initiative will inform program development and implementation, policy development, and standards of prevention and care for youth experiencing traumatic loss. 
• Interested providers of bereavement services must confirm via email to [email protected] that you agree that use of the IYAL is solely for the purpose of pre and post assessment of your intervention and that you will provide all data collected to Jeff’s Place anytime the instrument is used.

To learn more about the psychometric properties of the IYAL:

Kaplan, J., Block, R., Gillard, A., & Putnam, M. (2020). Inventory of Youth Adaptation to Loss (IYAL): Psychometric testing of a new instrument for bereaved youth to assess social support and coping. OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820976299