Monarch Grief Center is a nonprofit organization in Northwest Ohio specializing in professional grief services. Our mission is to provide those who are grieving with a place to turn so they feel less alone in their grief journey. We offer individual counseling, specialized support groups, and community outreach and education. Through generous community support, we are able to offset the costs of our professional-level services. We value all grief services in our community and seek to collaborate with all of them to provide the most grief-friendly community possible.
Cofounder, Executive Director,
& Grief Counselor
About Tim:
Tim has wanted to be a social worker since he was 12 years old – a calling long in the making. Fast forwarding, prior to cofounding the center, Tim worked in hospice for 10 years – seven of those years were in a clinical supervisory role for 30+ social workers, chaplains, and bereavement counselors. Tim earned his Masters in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan in 2011. He is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory Designation in the State of Ohio. Tim is certified as an Advanced Hospice and Palliative Care Social Worker from the National Social Work Association. He also teaches a course, Grief, Loss, and Trauma, to graduate-level social work students at Bowling Green State University. Tim is working towards his Masters in Business Administration (MBA), which should be completed in 2024. The combination of his passion for leadership and helping those through death, dying, and grief has culminated in what is the Monarch Grief Center.
Interesting facts about Tim include that he was a Fulbright Scholar as a English Teaching Assistant in South Korea, has travelled to more than 40 countries, enjoys boating and wake surfing, has twin daughters that were born in 2017, and enjoys eating potatoes in any form.
Tim's Approach:
"Therapy is more about building new associations, making new, healthier default pathways. It is almost as if therapy is taking your two-lane dirt road and building a four-lane freeway alongside it. The old road stays, but you don't use it much anymore. Therapy is building a better alternative, a new default." - Dr. Bruce Perry
This quote is the basis for Tim's approach to counseling. While grief counseling is different than other forms of mental health counseling, there are still always new associations to be made. Through deeper-level listening, discussion, reflection and questioning, he enjoys helping people figure out the best way for them to continue to carry their grief forward. In the depths of grief, it is impossible to imagine any relief, but it is possible, even for you. Tim hopes to be able to instill some of that hope in you.
567-331-8601
Cofounder, Outreach Director,
& Grief Counselor
About Amy:
Amy formally came to her calling in social work a bit later in life when she earned her Masters in Social Work (MSW) in 2021. Previously, Amy worked in various non-profits including a national service organization and a church. Immediately prior to Monarch, Amy worked as an inpatient hospice social worker where she and Tim met. Amy was humbled by the sacred work of sitting at the bedside of the dying – listening to their stories, holding their hands, and helping them transition to what is next after this life. Equally important and sacred was talking to their loved ones, explaining what was happening, and processing their grief with them. She is honored to be doing similar work in her new capacity at Monarch Grief Center.
Some interesting facts about Amy include that she once wrote and performed a piece for an off-Broadway show, has filled too much of her memory with 80s pop music lyrics, has a long-time dream of finding a hidden treasure in a historic home, and has a sweet golden retriever, Emmy (who will occasionally accompany her in the office.)
Amy's Approach:
“Every story matters … We are all worthy of telling our stories and having them heard. We all need to be seen and honored in the same way that we all need to breathe.” - Brene Brown, PhD
Your life is your story. Sharing your story is a gift to the listener. While listening without judgement or blame is a gift to the teller of the story. Amy believes in the value of listening with empathy and considers it an honor to help tease out the pain and negative feelings of grief that often get entangled with your ability to heal. Amy will draw on your inner strengths and guide you in creating new meanings and new perspectives as you go through you grief journey.
567-331-8601
Amy Rowe, LSW, is under the supervision of Tim Polakowski, LISW-S, I.1502338-SUPV, and Barb Reszko, LISW-S, I.1430070-SUPV.
The idea for Monarch Grief Center was born out of the shared vision of Tim and Amy, both social workers, while they were working together at a local hospice. Amy recalled the idea that one of her friends and mentors shared years ago about a stand-alone, nonprofit grief center. Tim and Amy agreed that while there are some local resources available, most of those resources provide grief support as an ancillary service. Both Tim and Amy believe there is nothing ancillary about grief and decided to explore the development of a stand-alone center that would give the community access to specialized, professional grief services.
The process actually came together rather easily and speedily. Tim used the knowledge he had acquired from pursuing his MBA to develop a business plan and apply for the necessary IRS documentation. Within a few weeks, a process -- that often takes several months -- was complete, and our 501c3 status was approved.
Within 10 short months, the Monarch Grief Center went through its own metamorphosis. From an idea to a change in job focus to a full-fledged non-profit that is supported by the community, Monarch began seeing clients in February of 2023. Amy and Tim donated their first couple months' salaries to get the center off the ground. It’s an exciting adventure, and we are excited to make the Monarch Grief Center everything we dream it to be and more. As we continue to grow, we are committed to collaboration with other local organizations to build connections and provide the most comprehensive grief services to our area.
Why the Monarch?
Because the "Black Swallowtail Grief Center" just doesn't quite have the same ring to it. No, but really, the name for the center was Amy’s idea. She liked the wide variety of symbolism that butterflies evoke, especially Monarchs. After finalizing Monarch as the name, Tim recalled the work of local artist Rob Vanitvelt who had been commissioned to create an immersive exhibit made up of wooden cut-outs of monarch butterflies. We are so fortunate to have these stunning pieces displayed in our office.
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