David J. Roberts, LMSW, CASAC, became a bereaved parent after his daughter Jeannine died of cancer on 3/1/03 at the age of 18. He has been employed in the addictions field for 25 years and is also an adjunct professor in the psychology and psychology-child life departments at Utica College, Utica, New York.  Mr. Roberts also developed a topics course on Parental Bereavement issues, and teaches a Death, Dying and Bereavement course for Utica College.  He is a volunteer for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc, in New Hartford, New York and a member of the All Inclusive Care for Children Coalition.

Dave  presented trainings to members of the Greater Upstate New York Chapter of the Association for Death and Education Counseling in both 2007 and 2009. Dave  also presented workshops at national conferences of The Compassionate Friends, from 2008 through 2011 and at the 2009 and 2011 national gatherings of the Bereaved Parents of The USA. Dave was also the opening keynote speaker at the 2011 national gathering of the Bereaved Parents of the USA.

Dave has published articles in Living With Loss Magazine ,Hello Grief, Journal of Humanitarian Affairs, We Need Not Walk Alone, the national magazine of  The Compassionate Friends,and Recovering the Self journal. He has co-authored two books with Linda Findlay of Mourning Discoveries(www.mourningdiscoveries.com). One is on navigating grief during the holidays and the other is on pet loss.  

Dave is also a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation(http://www.opentohope.com)  One of Dave's articles"My Daughter is Never Far Away" can also be found in the recently published Open to Hope: Inspirational Stories of Healing and Loss.   Dave has also appeared on Healing the Grieving Heart and the Ron Villano show.

Dave lives in Whitesboro, New York with his wife of 29 years, Cheri and Jeannine's two cats, Bootsy and Angel. They have two great sons Dan and Matt,as well.