Nonotuck Resource Associates Announces Partnership with the Grievery

NORTHAMPTON — Nonotuck Resource Associates Inc. announced a partnership with the Grievery, which has developed a grief-inclusive approach to care that promotes well-being in the workplace, headquartered in the Berkshires.

The Grievery’s workplace training offers tools to help leaders and teams connect more meaningfully through grief-informed practices in the face of loss, change, and transition. Together, they strive to create a space where employees can practice showing up for each other through life’s challenges with more skill and compassion.

This partnership is made possible by Nonotuck’s Wellness Initiative, which aims to strengthen the well-being of the Nonotuck community. The organization offers shared living, adult family care, and personalized day services for people with disabilities. Each service is inspired by the core values of mutuality of love, respect, and interdependence with choice, a voice, and the opportunity to live authentic lives. This mission is carried out by a committed and caring team of nurses, clinicians, care managers, program directors, administrative staff, direct support workers, placement specialists, community health workers, and the executive team.

Nonotuck Wellness Coordinator Jannelle Robinson helped facilitate the partnership with the Grievery’s founder, Rebecca Churt.

“Grief is an inherent part of human service work,” Robinson said. “We have been reminded of this poignantly, as we have lost many beloved members of our community in the past several years. Even though it is something we are all touched by in this field, it is not often directly addressed in the workplace. We have been reflecting on how we can strengthen our entire community so that we are able to hold grief as skillfully as possible. I see this partnership as an amazing opportunity to give our community much-needed skills and practice showing up for each other through life’s challenges with care and compassion.”

 “So much of grief support is one-on-one, tended to in isolation — by oneself, with a therapist, or even via an app — but what supporting someone through grief asks for is anchoring them with a sense of community. That’s why we have created the Grievery @ Work, a thread of connectivity for people in the workplace,” Churt added. “We help places of work stitch the fabric of connection and belonging by normalizing and humanizing grief and educating all staff about how to tend to themselves and each other in skillful ways. Our educational and experiential workshops are designed to support practices that accommodate grieving employees. We are proud to partner with Nonotuck due to their longstanding commitment to community care.”

Nonotuck CEO and President George Fleischner said the partnership is another example of the organization’s longstanding commitment to health and wellness. “Nonotuck has already put other foundational well-being practices into place to address grief in the workplace, such as offering a unique and expanding bereavement leave, as well as providing counseling services. By partnering with the Grievery, we’re further creating a supportive work environment and implementing practices that accommodate grieving employees. Trainings such as this are essential for supporting employee well-being, maintaining engagement and connectivity, and strengthening a positive organizational culture.”