mental health

Milford School District Hires Staff to Support Social Emotional Learning Goals of Strategic Plan

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 Milford School District
Jessica Huizenga, Superintendent
100 West St.
Milford, NH 03055

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Milford School District Hires Staff to Support Social Emotional Learning Goals of Strategic Plan

MILFORD— Superintendent Jessica Huizenga is pleased to announce that the district has created several positions and made new hires in an effort to facilitate its enhanced efforts support student’s social emotional well-being and growth.

The district has created three new social worker positions and a second mental health therapist position, and has also hired a new school psychologist. All five new employees will begin their new positions on Monday, Aug. 26.

The district’s new strategic plan seeks to address students’ mental health needs and support the development of their social emotional skills. Over the next five years, the district will implement curriculum and classroom expectations that will reinforce social emotional skills such as self awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Effective skills as outlined in the state adopted work-based competencies and those outlined in the district’s Portrait of a Graduate will be integrated throughout the district as well. The district will also provide staff professional development opportunities and offer wrap around services for families looking for support outside of school.

All five new hires will also take part in a district-wide and school-based tiered system of behavioral support teams, oversee behavioral interventions and assist in the development and implementation of individual and personalized behavioral support plans for students.

“Districts all over the nation are working hard to address mental health and social emotional learning,” Superintendent Huizenga said. “As we create these new positions, bring in new mental health professionals, expand our partnerships with social service agencies and put wrap around services for families in place, we’re taking a tremendous step forward in meeting the needs of our students and their families.”

The district’s newest mental health therapist, Chris Joy, will support the new Therapeutic Behavioral Program at the Jacques Memorial Elementary School and Heron Pond Elementary School.

Joy, of Mason, has counseling and peer support experience, a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Capella University and a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a focus in early childhood behavior from Kaplan University.

Beginning this school year, the district will also have a social worker assigned to each school. The district’s newest social workers include Erin Richardson, who will join staff at Milford Middle School; Stephanie Bielik, who will work at Heron Pond Elementary School; and Tracy Holland, who will support students at Jacques Memorial Elementary School.

Richardson, of Fremont, has worked since August 2017 as a project IMPACT counselor at the Youth Council in Nashua, and has a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree, both in social work from the University of New Hampshire. Bielik has worked as a district social worker at Pelham School District since May 2017, and has a master’s degree in social work from Wheelock College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Milligan College.

Over her 13 year career in social work, Holland has worked as a school social worker at Nashua School District, as a clinical coordinator at Riverbend Community Health, and as a clinic supervisor, clinic manager and clinician at various locations. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Augsburg College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport.

The district has also hired a new school psychologist, Yesenia Schuler, who will work with kindergarten and first grade students, as well as high school students.

Schuler has worked previously as a school psychologist at the Pelham, Litchfield, Newfound Area, Mascoma Valley Regional and Barrington School Districts, and as a special education teacher/case manager at Inter-Lakes Middle Tier and Laconia Middle School. She holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Manhattan College and certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational leadership and school psychology from Plymouth State University.

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Winthrop Police Sergeant Recognized for Work Supporting Community Mental Health

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Winthrop Police Department
Chief Terence M. Delehanty
3 Metcalf Square
Winthrop, MA 02152

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Winthrop Police Sergeant Recognized for Work Supporting Community Mental Health

Sgt. Sarko Gergerian (right) was presented with his award by John C. Barber, LICSW, Western Massachusetts Area Forensic Director and Statewide Coordinator of CIT-TTAC Programs with the Department of Mental Health.
(Courtesy Photo)

WINTHROP — Chief Terence M. Delehanty is pleased to announce that a Winthrop Police Sergeant was recognized last month for his work advancing mental health outreach community-wide.

Sgt. Sarko Gergarian was honored with the Exemplary Performance in Law Enforcement award on Tuesday, June 11, at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Mental Health and Law Enforcement Conference.

He was recognized at the awards ceremony for his deep commitment to providing resources for those in the Winthrop community who are suffering from mental health related issues. Sgt. Gergerian works in close partnership with the town’s Department of Public Health and Clinical Services to conduct proactive outreach and connect with those in need to overcome their personal mental health challenges.

Over the past four years, Sgt. Gergerian has taken on responsibilities well above and beyond his duties as a police officer by leading the department’s innovative Community Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery (CLEAR) team. He’s also obtained a master’s degree in mental health counseling and has distinguished himself through his leadership in responding to mental health crises in the community.

“Sgt. Gergerian has been a tremendous force for positive change in the way our department — and our community as a whole — addresses mental illness,” Chief Delehanty said. “He’s extremely deserving of this honor, though I know he’s motivated solely by the potential his work has to improve the lives of others.”

The Winthrop Police Department’s renewed approach to mental illness began with a meeting between Sgt. Gergerian and Chief Delehanty, where the former suggested the department use all of the data at its disposal to support those in the community struggling with mental illness. With Chief Delehanty’s blessing, he immediately got to work.

“I asked if we were doing anything other than traditional policing with the police information we have, and I asked him if, on shift, I could use that information to identify people who were having struggles and follow up,” Sgt. Gergarian said. “My chief allowed me to use police information in a radically different way, as a source of information for people who need help. It’s developed into a wraparound program with a multidisciplinary team.”

Sgt. Gergerian was nominated for the honor by Public Health Director Meredith Hurley, who praised his compassion, poise, and empathetic nature, while also noting that his commitment to mental health and law enforcement work — and the intersection of the two — is second to none.

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Medfield Public Schools Seeing Improved Mental Health Wellness with Use of INTERFACE Referral Services

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Medfield Public Schools
Jeffrey J. Marsden, Superintendent
459 Main St., Unit 3,
Medfield, MA 02052

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medfield Public Schools Seeing Improved Mental Health Wellness with Use of INTERFACE Referral Services

MEDFIELD — Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden is pleased to announce that the Medfield Public School’s use of the INTERFACE Referral Services program has continued to grow, while helping to improve the mental health and wellness of students throughout the district and beyond.

Since November 2017, over 110 Medfield students and residents have accessed the INTERFACE Referral Service Helpline. The service, provided by William James College in Newton, provides a referral helpline that parents and residents can call to assist them with navigating the mental health system by streamlining the process of finding mental health professionals in their area.

The helpline is available to all Medfield Public Schools students and residents of the town who are dealing with mental health issues.

“INTERFACE has helped ease the burden of families during what can be incredibly  stressful times,” said Medfield School Committee Chair Anna Mae O’Shea Brooke, who also serves on the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention. “It can sometimes take countless phone calls and hours on hold trying to find the right therapist that is covered by your insurance and works within your schedule. INTERFACE helps immensely to ease those burdens and streamline the process. We are so very fortunate in Medfield to have this service available to those who need it.”

Sara Drumm, the parent representative for the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention, believes that access to the referral helpline has helped introduce people to the wide variety of local resources that are available to people struggling with mental health issues.

“Since we have introduced this program in our town, we have worked to spread the word and let our community know that INTERFACE and other resources exist to support and promote mental health and wellness,” Drumm said. “Our discussions and updates have gone a long way towards reducing the stigma around this topic. What we have seen since this program has been available is that it is being heavily utilized by people of all ages, including our youth. I believe this is important to our school community as we know that many of our kids struggle to balance their many commitments during their school years and beyond, and this is understandably a difficult balance that can lead to anxiety and other health issues for many.”

Chelsea Goldstein-Walsh is the Interim Director of Medfield Youth Outreach and a member of the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention. For her, the value of the program is immense when considering that it is open to every student and resident in Medfield who is seeking assistance with issues of mental health.

“The INTERFACE program reduces barriers to access for mental health treatment, which supports the overall mental health and emotional wellness of the entire Medfield community,” Goldstein-Walsh said.

To reach the helpline, call 1-888-244-6843, ext. 1, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The INTERFACE program has made a great impact on the overall social-emotional wellness at our schools. One thing we’ve learned from the data we have received thus far, along with the people from INTERFACE telling us, is that Medfield has done a great job of spreading the word about this fantastic service and we hope that continues,” Superintendent Marsden said. “When asked where people who utilize the program heard about INTERFACE, the responses run the gamut from our schools to town employees to state organizations to local service providers and groups in town. It’s truly great to see that people are aware of this vital service and are using it to get the help they need for themselves and their loved ones.”

For those who would like to donate to the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention, please visit www.medfieldfoundation.org/give.

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P.A.A.R.I. Receives $930,000 Grant from South Shore Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

P.A.A.R.I. Receives $930,000 Grant from South Shore Health

Funding will Support Access to Behavioral Health Services in Plymouth County

PLYMOUTH — Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) Executive Director Allie Hunter is pleased to announce that P.A.A.R.I. has been awarded a $930,000 Integrative Behavioral Health grant by South Shore Health.

South Shore Health awarded $2.4 million to nonprofit groups this spring to support behavioral healthcare in Plymouth and Norfolk counties. P.A.A.R.I. was one of two nonprofit groups selected to receive a five-year grant for $930,000 this cycle.

The grant will support a new partnership between P.A.A.R.I. and Plymouth County Outreach (PCO), a collaborative of 28 police departments throughout the region. Over the next five years, P.A.A.R.I. will work with PCO to implement a “hub model” throughout the county to expand the behavioral health services available to the community, and coordinate outreach visits for individuals identified as being at acutely elevated risk due to substance use and/or mental health issues.

“This first-of-its-kind grant program through South Shore Health reflects our organization’s deep commitment to promoting good health within the community and by removing barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare for the most vulnerable among us,” said Gene E. Green, president and CEO of South Shore Health. “Congratulations to P.A.A.R.I. for being named a grantee. We are excited to see the impact this initiative will have in our communities.”

“P.A.A.R.I. has had many successful partnerships with PCO, and we are thrilled to embark on this latest initiative to support our local law enforcement partners to address behavioral health needs in Plymouth County,” Hunter said. “We are incredibly thankful that South Shore Health has chosen to support our plan to improve access to behavioral health services on the South Shore.”

“Behavioral health issues are a huge concern, and not just in Plymouth county– these issues are affecting communities everywhere,” said Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri, a member of the P.A.A.R.I. Law Enforcement Council. “We’re fortunate that this grant has been awarded to support behavioral health programming locally to help those who are struggling.”

The “hub model” aims to assist those struggling before they reach a crisis point, and to connect the community to a variety of much needed behavioral health services.

“We’ve seen great success with the hub model in communities like Chelsea, Lawrence and Boston, and are looking forward to putting in place a system that will connect those in need to additional services and support,” Hunter said. “This grant will allow us to address a wide umbrella of behavioral health issues in addition to substance use, including mental health concerns.”

“This is monumental as it will allow for PCO to spearhead an innovative Public Health 3.0 initiative –a first in the U.S.,” said Dr. Nate Horwitz-Willis, director of public health for the town of Plymouth. “This grant will help us address complex substance use challenges seen across our law enforcement, healthcare, and public health communities. We collaboratively look forward to addressing these challenges with best practices and scholarly evidence from all three fields that use primary, secondary, and tertiary equitable prevention approaches with a dynamic team of experts and leaders.”

“The time has come where we need to closer examine the crossover between drug addiction and mental health,” said Scituate Police Chief Michael Stewart. “We are all concerned with the rise in mental health cases.”

The grant will fund the hiring of a full time P.A.A.R.I. hub coordinator who will be based in Plymouth County for the next five years, and will oversee the program.

“Plymouth County Outreach is so fortunate and appreciative to partner with P.A.A.R.I. on expanding our county collaboration, bringing an Integrated Behavioral Health approach to our existing model,” said East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen, a member of the P.A.A.R.I. Law Enforcement Council. “We can’t address substance use and mental health disorders in separate silos.”

About P.A.A.R.I.

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery. Founded alongside the groundbreaking Gloucester Police Department Angel Initiative in June 2015, P.A.A.R.I. has been a driving force behind this rapidly expanding community policing movement. We provide technical assistance, coaching, grants, and other capacity-building resources to more than 465 police departments in 33 states.

We currently work with more than 120 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. P.A.A.R.I. and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Our programs and partners have saved thousands of lives, changed police culture, and reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic. Learn more at www.paariusa.org.

 

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