Allyson Tufts

A celebrated honour’s graduate with the Social Service Worker Program at Loyalist College in 2011, Allyson Tufts has been a dedicated champion for mental health and non-profit care provision in the community. In her remarkable career in service to others, she has untaken various roles such as Campaign Manager for United Way, and Hospice Quinte, where she became a Palliative Care Coordinator, providing support for people suffering life-threatening illnesses.

As part of her role with Hospice, Allyson spent endless hours at the bedsides of palliative patients as they transitioned through the end of their journey. In part of this challenging role, she facilitated several grief support groups for children, youth and adults left to cope in the wake of tragic loss. To further her skill sets and experience, she continued her education with training as a facilitator for Safetalk – (Suicide Awareness for Everyone,) and ASSIST – (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.)

In addition to these pivotal focal points, she also assumed the role of a Co-Facilitator for Canadian Mental Health's Grief program for families who have suffered a loss by suicide. Her passion for helping others continued to thrive as she delved into the world of publishing to share her wisdom and experience. The creative product that emerged from this experience was her children’s book on grief, “Korah’s Butterfly.” Only the beginning of a planned series, this book brings messages of healing and guidance for children through traumatic loss. “Korah’s Butterfly” has a message of hope and healing for all ages.