Gardner, MASS. – In 2019, Heywood Healthcare’s Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative led the way with the implementation of the initiative called “Handle With Care” which aims to mitigate the impact of childhood trauma. Handle With Care is a collaborative model that promotes school and community partnerships to ensure that children who are exposed to trauma in their home, school, or community receive appropriate interventions to help them achieve academically at their highest levels despite any traumatic circumstances they may have endured.

Handle with Care is a regional initiative that will enhance communication, collaboration and training with law enforcement, teachers and administrators, early childhood educators and providers, and health care providers to better respond to early childhood trauma in the North Central and North Quabbin regions. The Plymouth County DA’s office provided large-scale training on Handle with Care for our local region as the Gardner Police Department and Gardner Public Schools initiated the program in 2019. Handle with Care reinforces trauma-informed care practices for youth in our schools and as law enforcement as first responders encountering children at an event. The North Central / North Quabbin region has assisted in identifying approximately 480 children with the need for trauma informed care since 2019.

Handle With Care is activated when a law enforcement officer or first responder encounters a child during a call, the child’s name, age and three words, HANDLE WITH CARE, are forwarded to the school for passive support of that child. Trauma-informed protocol is then initiated in the classroom which supports the child(ren) struggling with trauma through observation and support; they are not aware of nor approach to discuss the incident with the child; but instead provide extra support and accommodation as needed.

The Handle with Care North Central / North Quabbin initiative has expanded from our current 6 school districts and 10 police departments to now include Heywood Healthcare Emergency Room Registration Departments in Athol and Gardner. A parent or caregiver of school age youth will be given a “Handle With Care” caregiver form upon registering their child(ren) in the emergency room, to self-refer their child(ren) to the school nurse, day care provider and/or primary care physician. Handle With Care provides the school with a simple notification when a child experiences a traumatic event in their life. Having to report to school the next day can be difficult. The self-referral from the Emergency Department is one small step towards supporting our region’s youth and resilience.

The Handle with Care collaborative consists of first responders, community-based organizations, school districts and District Attorneys of ices supporting youth in the Greater Gardner area. Partners include: Ashburnham-Westminster School District * Ashburnham Police Department * Athol Police Department * Athol-Royalston School District * Boys & Girls Club * CAPs Collaborative Schools* Clinical Support & Options *Fitchburg State University * Gardner Police Department * Gardner Public Schools * Heywood Healthcare * Mahar Regional School District * MOC Early Education * Mount Wachusett Community * Narragansett Regional School District * NorthWestern County District Attorney, David Sullivan’s Of ice * Parent Professional Advocacy League * Petersham Police Department * PhillipstoPolice Department * Royalston Police Department * Templeton Police Department * Orange Police Department * Westminster Police Department * Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early’s Office

Pictured left to right: Martin F. Connors Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust; Stephen L. DiNatale, Mayor of Fitchburg.

Rollstone Bank & Trust has donated $5,000 to the Fitchburg Mayor’s Energy Fund. The fund will provide relief to Fitchburg citizens who may have difficulty in dealing with the ever-increasing cost of heating their homes.

“We are honored to support Mayor DiNatale and his continuous efforts to diminish the financial strain on our residents and keep them warm this winter,” said Martin F. Connors Jr., President & CEO of Rollstone Bank & Trust. “Rollstone Bank’s commitment to our communities dates back to 1846, and it is our mission to help our neighbors flourish. Providing such a basic necessity as heat will relieve the financial burden of local families, keeping them safe and healthy.”

The Major’s Energy Fund was established in early 2023, in the midst of rising inflation and energy costs. As the winter season was underway, Mayor DiNatale knew the importance of setting a financial safety net for those who would be struggling to pay their bills while trying to keep their homes warm.

“We are grateful for Rollstone’s generous support of the Mayor’s Energy Fund and the partnership that will significantly help our residents,” said Stephen L. DiNatale, Mayor of Fitchburg. “They have always stepped up to help with our community endeavors, and we’re fortunate to have them in our City.”

About Rollstone Bank & Trust

At Rollstone Bank & Trust, we deliver personalized service that goes above & beyond. Our dedication to providing our customers with superior bank and wealth management solutions, along with the support they need to prosper at work and at home, has enabled us to build one of the most trusted banks in the region. With branches located throughout central Massachusetts, customers have peace of mind knowing we are FDIC & DIF insured, and never far from home. Rollstone Bank & Trust – it’s where you matter most.

LUK, Inc. has been awarded funding to provide several Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Trainings throughout Worcester County. Funds include grants from the Reliant Foundation, Brake The Silence, and UMass Memorial Health – HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Determination of Needs (DoN).

These trainings include: Suicide Prevention 101 with QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), LivingWorks safeTALK (suicide prevention), Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth options), and Training Active Bystanders (TAB). 900 participants will learn to identify potential mental health concerns, where to receive support, and skills to help others. Trainings are available in English and Spanish for professionals, school personnel, youth serving organizations, families, and youth.

Recent community assessments prioritize mental health concerns and describe a number of barriers that people may experience when navigating mental health systems, from stigmas to culture/language and transportation barriers. Decreasing stigma and increasing awareness of the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and suicide risk helps those in need receive the support and resources they need to thrive.

Cassandra Foley, Director of Community Engagement & Support, stated that LUK is “Excited to continue to provide quality trainings to members of our communities. Our trainings help to build participants’ confidence in helping someone in need,” Foley stated.

Training will educate participants to identify signs and symptoms of mental health concerns, provide resources to refer individuals to mental health services, and inform participants about community resources.

LUK, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the safety, health, and well-being of youth, families, and adults in Central Massachusetts. As a community-based organization, LUK’s mission is to challenge and inspire youth, adults, and families to realize their unique potential through community-based prevention, intervention, education, and support services.

For more information about LUK, Inc. visit www.LUK.org, call (800) 579-0000, or find them on Facebook. Join us in building communities, family by family!

Grants distributed to 11 local agencies through two winter weather initiatives

United Way of North Central Massachusetts (UWNCM) recently distributed $93,000 to 11 local agencies to help struggling community members this winter. Grants were made through two funds addressing critical areas of need in cold weather months: the Winter Heating Initiative and Emergency Shelter Fund.

The Winter Heating Initiative is a new program that provides financial assistance for heating expenses to households that have exhausted state heating assistance or fall just short of qualifying. UWNCM has so far raised and distributed $60,000, which includes $25,000 given by the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, $5,000 given by Unitil and donations from community members.

Grants were awarded to five agencies: Athol Area YMCA, Gardner Community Action Committee, Making Opportunity Count, Spanish American Center, and the Winchendon Community Action Committee—the final of which is a first-time UWNCM grant recipient.

Shaina Cunningham, Winchendon Community Action Committee Program Manager, says, “We are so appreciative of the grant and have heard from many people what a tremendous help these funds have been. Some have even told us that without the support, they would not have had heat this winter.”

UWNCM also distributed $33,000 to six agencies through its Emergency Shelter Fund, a long-standing initiative that provides shelter for homeless individuals during extreme winter weather. This round of grants covered motel rooms for over 100 people and was made to Athol Area YMCA, Clear Path for Veterans New England, Ginny’s Helping Hands, Restoration Recovery Center, Salvation Army Athol Corps, and Spanish American Center.

UWNCM Director of Community Impact Judy Tomlinson notes that recipient agencies for both programs were selected to ensure coverage of the entire North Central Massachusetts region. In addition, many recipients are small grassroots organizations that run food pantries, enabling them to get immediate support to local community members.

“With costs for fuel, shelter and other expenses rising, the need in our community is at an all-time high,” says Tomlinson. “UWNCM is all about working with local organizations to meet basic needs such as heating and emergency shelter assistance for families dealing with this crisis.”

Community members can support both the Winter Heating Initiative and Emergency Shelter Fund by making a gift at uwncm.org/donate.

The United Way of North Central Massachusetts serves the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon.