PhD, MSW,
Fellow in Thanatology
MISS Foundation CEO and Founder

Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is an expert in traumatic loss and child death in families. She is also a consummate teacher, researcher, and professional public speaker. 

Dr. Cacciatore is an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University. She received her baccalaureate degree in psychology and a Masters in Social Work at Arizona State University. She received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Cacciatore was awarded a Fellowship in Thanatology from the Association for Death Education and Counseling. She is certified as a grief counselor and she is a member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

She has a long-standing history working with and counseling families after a child’s death and traumatic loss. She founded the Center for Loss and Trauma and the MISS Foundation, an international nonprofit organization, two years after the death of her newborn daughter, Cheyenne.

She initiated the first statewide multidisciplinary program on compassionate bereavement care and crisis intervention in Arizona. She currently serves on the Unexplained Infant Death Advisory Council, and she is founding member of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Foundation. She served at the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office as a Family Liaison from 1998 until 2004.

Dr. Cacciatore has taught for Glendale and Phoenix Fire Departments and at hundreds of conferences, including the National Perinatal Social Work Conference, Perinatal Bereavement Conference, National Compassionate Friends Conference, Forensic Medical Science Courses, Domestic Violence Prevention Conferences, and the Child Abuse Prevention National Conferences. She specializes in using humor and analogy to help others understand effective communication, intervention strategy, grief and bereavement, and palliative care. In 1997, she began the worldwide movement, The Kindness Project, featured on the Leeza Gibbons and Oprah Winfrey shows. 

One of her most acclaimed accomplishment came in 1999 when she spearheaded the "MISSing Angels" bill campaign, lobbying the Arizona legislature on House Bill 2416. Since then, Dr. Cacciatore has been active in lobbying other states for this important change in public health policy as well as many others. Her work has been featured in People Magazine’s December 11, 2006 issue, January 15, 2007 issue, CNN, New York Times, Boston Globe, and many national newspapers and television shows.

On a personal note, she has been a vegetarian since 1980. Having many hobbies, she has her blue belt in Tae-Kwon-Do and Aikido and loves hiking, rock climbing, riding horses, running, and writing. Her heroes include mentor, Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Mohandas Gandhi, and Käthe Kollwitz. She has been recognized with many awards including the: Hon Kachina Community Service Award, Marquis Who’s Who and Who’s Who of Amerian Women Awards, Sr Teresa McIntier Compassionate Care Award, and the Hospice Woman of Influence Award.

If you ask her how many children she has, she'll reply, "I have four who walk and one who soars."

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

In Process

Cacciatore, J. & Lietz, C. (2009). Experiences of Maternal Traumatic Bereavement:  The mitigating effects of a home visitation intervention program on attachment disorders between mothers and their babies. In progress.

Cacciatore, J., Carlson, B., & Klimek, B. (2009). Unaccompanied Refugee Minors: A call to action for trauma intervention.

Hill, T., Cacciatore, J. , & Shreffler, K. (2009). The impact of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and child death on marital dissolution. Paper accepted at the Society for the Study of Social Problems conference. In progress.

Cacciatore, J. & Kastenbaum, R. (2009). The effects of traumatic, cumulative child death. In progress.

Cacciatore, J. , Lietz, C., Fox-Kean, M., Lacasse, J., & DeFrain, J. (2009). Traumatic Experiences and Resiliency Study (TEARS). In progress.

Cacciatore, J. (2009). Historicultural Examination of Ritual after a Child’s Death: A Qualitative Study. In progress.

PUBLICATIONS

Articles in Refereed Journals

Lietz, C., Lacasse, J., & Cacciatore, J. (2009). The power of relationships: A narrative study exploring social support and successful child welfare reunification. Journal of Family Social Work. Under review.

Cacciatore, J. & Raffo, Z.  (2009). The Experiences of Gay and Lesbian Bereaved Parents. Social Work. Under review.

Cacciatore, J. et al. (2009). Crisis intervention by social workers within fire departments: An innovative role. Social Work. In print.

Cacciatore, J. (2009). Unique stories of women and their families after the death of a baby. Journal of Healthcare Social Work. In print.

Cacciatore, J. , Schnebly, S., & Froen, F. (2009). The effects of social support on maternal anxiety and depression after the death of a child. Health and Social Care in the Community, 17(2), 167-176.

Cacciatore, J. (2009). The silent birth: A commentary. Social Work, 54(1), 91-94.

Cacciatore, J. (2009). Appropriate bereavement practice after the death of a Native American child. Families in Society, 90 (1), 46-50.

Cacciatore, J. , DeFrain, J., Jones, K., Jones, H. (2008). The couple and the death of a baby. Journal of Family Social Work, 11(4), 351-370.

Cacciatore, J. , DeFrain, J., & Jones, K. (2008). Boundary ambiguity and the death of a child. Marriage and Family Review, 44(4), 439-454.

Cacciatore, J. , Froen, F., Radestad, I. (2008). Effects of contact with their stillborn babies on maternal anxiety and depression. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 35(4), 313-320.

Cacciatore, J. (2008). Stillbirth: A sociopolitical issue: Affilia, 23(4), 378-387.

Barr, P., & Cacciatore, J. (2008). Personal fear of death and grief in bereaved mothers. Death Studies, 32(5), 445-460. 445-460.

Cacciatore, J. (2007). Effects of support groups on post traumatic stress responses in women experiencing stillbirth. Omega Journal of Death and Dying, 55(1), 71-91.

Barr, P., & Cacciatore, J. (2007). Problematic emotions and maternal grief. Omega Journal of Death and Dying, 56 (4), 329-346.

Cacciatore, J. , & Bushfield, S. (2007). Stillbirth: The mother’s experience and implications for improving care. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 3(3), 59-79.

Book Chapters and Reviews

Cacciatore, J. (2009). Content Editor for Western School. Course in Grief, Trauma, & Bereavement.

Cacciatore, J. (2009). Reviewer for International Journal of Stress Management.

Cacciatore, J. (2008). Reviewer for Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Cacciatore, J. (2008). Olson, D. H., DeFrain, J., & Skogrand, L. (2008). Marriages and families: Intimacy, diversity and strengths (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

DeFrain, J., Cacciatore, J. , & DeFrain, A. (2005). Death. New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Charles Scribner and Sons. Thomson Gale Publishing.

Government and Foundation Reports

Cacciatore, J. (2007). MISS Foundation Annual Report, presented to the Executive Board of Directors.

Cacciatore, J. (2006). Emergency Medical Technician and First Responder Guidelines: SIDS And Other Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths. Arizona Department of Health Services. Unexplained Infant Death Advisory Council.

Cacciatore, J. (2005). MISS Foundation. Annual Conference Report. Submitted to the Executive Board of Directors for end of year review.

Cacciatore, J. (2005). MISS Foundation. The Case for Elisabeth’s House: A Community Needs Assessment. Presented to the Executive Finance Board of Directors for project review and approval.

Cacciatore, Joanne. (2003). Contributor: A Phenomenological Approach to Child Death. Manuscript submitted to the National Academies of Science, Institute of Medicine, 2002 as a report for When Children Die: Improving Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Children and their Families. Institute of Medicine: National Academies of Science Press. Washington D.C.

Funded Research and Grants

Shafer, M.,Cacciatore, J. (2008). ADES Child Fatality Citizen's Review Panel. Grant proposal, pending decision for $143,648.00.

Cacciatore, J. (2007). Effects of Social Support on Maternal Depression following Stillbirth. Daniel’s Star Foundation. Award: $12,000.00

Cacciatore, J. , Froen, J.F., et al. (2005). MOMStudy. Collected data on 5,000 women experiencing live or stillbirth. Norweigan Institute of Public Health, MISS Foundation. Award: $10,000.00.

Barr, P., & Cacciatore, J. (2004-2005). Maternal Grief and Fear of Death Study. Collected data on 400 women who had experienced the death of a child. Award: $7500.00.

Cacciatore, J. (2003). Post Traumatic Stress Responses and Social Support. Mixed- Collected data on 47 bereaved mothers. Award: $2500.00