# Event Details - **Event Name**: TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 05 Nov, 2026 at 08:00 am – Fri, 06 Nov, 2026 at 05:00 pm (-06:00) - **Event Description**: TEND is a professional conference focused on grief, hospice, palliative care, and compassionate end-of-life support.About this EventThrough keynote presentations, clinical education, interdisciplinary dialogue, creative experiences, and networking opportunities, attendees will explore how we care for ourselves and one another through life's most profound transitions at Tennessee's premier and comprehensive end-of-life conference.Attend in-person or virtually via our livestream!Continuing Education Credit Available: 6 NBCC credit hoursAlive Hospice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 8043. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Alive Hospice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.If you need special accommodations or have questions, please contact us. institute@alivehospice.org or 615.963.4732.1718 Patterson St. Nashville, TN 37203 www.alivehospice.orgNo partial credit will be awarded.Agenda🕑: 08:00 AMDay 1 - Thursday, November 5, 2026Info: Doors Open and Registration🕑: 08:35 AM - 08:45 AMWelcome and Opening Remarks by Alive's President/CEO, Amir Hamad🕑: 08:45 AM - 10:00 AMKeynote: Palliative Care Futurist: Matching Care to Our Patient's NeedsHost: Dr. Diane Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPMInfo: Join nationally recognized palliative care leader Dr. Diane E. Meier as she explores the future of serious illness care and the growing need to better align healthcare services with patient needs and goals. This keynote will examine current gaps in access to palliative care, identify who can benefit from these services, and highlight key components of community-based palliative care models that improve quality of life, patient outcomes, and value across the healthcare continuum. Attendees will gain practical insights into advancing equitable, person-centered care for individuals living with serious illness. (No Ce credit for this session)🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AMBreak 🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:00 AMThe Heart of Hospice: Supporting Patients and Families at End of LifeHost: Jessie Turley, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, ACHPN, Alive, Vice PresInfo: Panelists include, Dr. Martha Prestley, CMO, Alive, Dr. David Barton, Co-Founder of Alive, Jessie Turley. (No CE credit for this session)🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AMBreak🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:00 PMGrief in Color, Loss in Song: Creative Arts Therapy in Hospice CareHost: Rebekah Near, LCAT, CAGS , Alive, Grief Counselor Info: How do we give voice to experiences that often leave us without words? This experiential workshop introduces participants to the roll of creative arts therapy in hospice and palliative care settings, highlighting the unique contribution of visual arts, music, movement, poetry, drama and other creative practices in supporting individuals and their families at end of life. Whether you are new to the creative arts or looking to deepen your understanding, this session offers an opportunity to explore how creativity can foster connection, ease suffering, and create space for reflection. (No Ce credit for this session)🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:25 PMLunch 🕑: 01:25 PM - 02:10 PMMany Traditions, One Humanity: Interfaith Perspectives on End-of-Life CareHost: Dr. Lynn Barton, Co-Founder of Alive Info: This panel discussion will be facilitated by Abby Lemons, Alive's Chief Strategy and Communications Officer. Join faith leaders from diverse religious traditions for a thoughtful conversation exploring how different beliefs and practices shape experiences of serious illness, death, grief, and healing. Through shared perspectives and open dialogue, this panel will foster greater cultural understanding and provide practical insights for anyone caring for individuals and families at the end of life. Panelists include: Pastor Catina Parrish-Clark, Associate Pastor, Congregational Care at Mt. Zion, Imam Ossama Bahloul PhD at Islamic Center of Nashville, and Dr. Lynn Barton, Co-founder of Alive. (No Ccredit for this session)🕑: 02:10 PM - 02:25 PMBreak and Ice Cream Social🕑: 02:25 PM - 03:15 PMIntegrating End-of-Life Doulas into Hospice CareHost: Anna Adams, International Doula Life Movement Institute Info: As hospice care continues to evolve, organizations are exploring innovative ways to enhance patient and family support while addressing challenges such as staff burnout, family distress, and community misconceptions about hospice services. This presentation examines the emerging role of End-of-Life Doulas as non-clinical members of the interdisciplinary care team and their potential impact on communication, emotional support, family education, and overall hospice experience. Participants will gain insight into hospice-aligned doula training models, integration strategies, and the ways doulas can complement clinical teams to support compassionate, holistic end-of-life care. (No Ce credit for this session)🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PMBreak and Art Unveiling🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:20 PMGrief and Dying in Pr*son: Giving an AccountHost: Barbara Yontz, Independent artist and educatorInfo: In this talk departing from the film, Stitch and Time, I will speak about my experiences working for 13 years in various prisons in New York and Nashville. I taught an art class at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution to men on Death Row and also developed a college art program at St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York, taught in the program and taught college level classes at Sullivan Correctional Institution in NY, Turney Center Industrial Complex, Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Debra Johnson Rehabilitation Center and DeBerry Special Needs Facility all in Tennessee. I plan to speak about is the overwhelming and continuing effects of grief I witness in the lives of individuals living their lives in Pr*son, in addition to using their own reflections on this as I am in contact with several individuals formerly and actively incarcerated. (No Ce credit for this session)🕑: 04:20 PM - 04:30 PMDoor Prizes and Meet the Speakers🕑: 05:00 PM - 07:30 PMOptional Add-On: Death Over Dinner, At The Venue Info: Most of us will do almost anything to avoid talking about death. But what happens when we do? About Death Over Dinner - Conversations about how we want to live at the end of life are among the most important and often the most difficult to initiate. Alive’s Death Over Dinner brings community members together in a welcoming, supportive setting to explore these topics with honesty, curiosity, and care. Guided by thoughtful prompts and shared discussion, this interactive experience transforms a traditionally difficult subject into one of connection, reflection, and empowerment, helping participants feel more informed, less alone, and more confident in having conversations about end-of-life wishes with the people who matter most. Dinner provided. (No Ce credit for this session)🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:30 AMDay 2 - Friday, November 6, 2026Info: Doors Open and Registration 🕑: 08:30 AMOpening Remarks by Dr. Karen Hyden, CNO 🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:15 AMKeynote: The Body is the First Responder: Developing Somatic AwarenessHost: Claudia Coenen, GTMR, FT, CGC Info: The body is the first responder to emotion even before we are conscious of it. Since grief is a holistic experience, affecting us in many realms of being, somatic awareness helps integrate these realms in our response to loss. When working with bereaved people, we often pick up physical cues that speak, sometimes louder than words. By attending to our own non-verbal and expressive language, we can become compassionate with the people we serve. (1. 25 CE hours)🕑: 10:15 AM - 10:30 AMBreak 🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:45 AMGrief C.A.R.E.: Engaging Approaches to Companioning Grief in ChildHost: Stephanie Larson, LMSW, Alive Info: This highly interactive session invites participants to step into a child’s world of grief by actively engaging in the same movement, play-based, and expressive activities we use with children. As we explore how grief is understood across developmental stages, participants will learn how these understandings shape children's behavior, emotions, and everyday functioning in grief. Rather than simply hearing about these concepts, participants will engage in facilitated activities that reflect how we support children in processing grief—using developmentally responsive approaches grounded in play, movement, and expression. Together, we’ll lean into creativity, uncertainty, and the “messiness” that often reflects a child’s grief experience, while practicing tangible ways to foster connection and expression. (1. 25 CE hours)🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:45 PMLunch 🕑: 12:45 PM - 02:00 PMGrief, Community, & Culturally Responsive Care, Adolescent Homicide Host: Dr. Patricia Bamwine, PhD, MA, MASWInfo: Holding the Aftermath: Grief, Community, & Culturally Responsive Care for Adolescent Homicide Survivors of African Descent - Knowledge of the subtle communication of body language and non-verbal expression will sensitize us to our clients, allowing us to pay closer attention to all aspects of their grief. This attunement can help them develop deeper insights into their own experience. (1. 25 CE hours)🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:15 PMBreak 🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:30 PMHolding Grief with Self-Leadership: An Internal Family Systems Approach Host: Elizabeth Nunley, LCSWInfo: This experiential presentation introduces Internal Family Systems Therapy as a framework for understanding and working with grief. Participants will explore how to identify and be present with their own parts around grief while also learning practical applications of IFS to support grieving clients with greater compassion, clarity and attunement. (1. 25 CE hours)🕑: 03:30 PM - 03:45 PMBreak 🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:45 PMReflections on Grief: Core Competencies for Effective PracticeHost: Dr. Gina Frieden, PhDInfo: Facilitated by: Gin Frieden, PhD, psychology 🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PMClosing Remarks, Evaluations and Door Prizes🕑: 05:15 PM - 07:00 PM Optional Add On: Tend What You Cannot Bury, A Grief Terrarium WorkshopHost: Tonia Nadeau, A-LPCInfo: Using the creation of a terrarium as a living metaphor, participants will gently build a contained ecosystem that reflects their internal world after loss. Each layer—stone, soil, plant, and personal object—becomes a reflection of the grief process: grounding, cleansing, holding, remembering, and allowing new life. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348 - **Event Categories**: nonprofit, business, art, workshops, conferences, entertainment, performances, theatre, literary-art, virtual - **Slot details of has slots**: - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 9 hours - Location: 146 McGavock Pk - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 39.19, max: 295.29, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Nashville - **state**: TN - **country**: United States - **location**: 146 McGavock Pk - **lat**: 36.171247 - **long**: -86.6808212 - **full address**: 146 McGavock Pk, 146 McGavock Pike, Nashville, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/31677b8431b049bb80d998afd5d18d0c6fe51166f6f1e96f5122cf32c0afb620-rimg-w1200-h600-dcffffff-gmir.jpg?v=1783426809 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care being held? - **A:** TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care takes place on Thu, 05 Nov, 2026 at 08:00 am to Fri, 06 Nov, 2026 at 05:00 pm at 146 McGavock Pk, 146 McGavock Pike, Nashville, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care? - **A:** TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care is organized by Alive. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care is ideal for professionals, entrepreneurs, startup founders, and networking enthusiasts eager to grow their connections. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Nashville, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "TEND 2026 - Tennessee's Conference on Grief, Hospice, and End-of-Life Care", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/31677b8431b049bb80d998afd5d18d0c6fe51166f6f1e96f5122cf32c0afb620-rimg-w1200-h600-dcffffff-gmir.jpg?v=1783426809", "startDate": "2026-11-05T08:00:00-06:00", "endDate": "2026-11-06T17:00:00-06:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "146 McGavock Pk", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "146 McGavock Pike", "postalCode": "37214", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "36.171247", "longitude": "-86.6808212" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "TEND is a professional conference focused on grief, hospice, palliative care, and compassionate end-of-life support.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "2026-11-06T17:00:00-06:00", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "lowPrice": "39.19", "highPrice": "295.29", "price": "39.19", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "price": "295.29", "name": "2 Day In-Person" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "price": "177.91", "name": "Single Day In-Person" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "price": "124.56", "name": "2 Day Livestream" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "price": "39.19", "name": "Death Over Dinner" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-07-07", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-07-07", "url": "https://allevents.in/nashville/tend-2026-tennessees-conference-on-grief-hospice-and-end-of-life-care/100001990983200348", "price": "39.19", "name": "Tend What You Cannot Bury: Grief Terrarium Ritual" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Alive", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/alive/22506363", "description": "Website: https://www.alivehospice.org/organizer/alive/" } ] } ] ```