Winchendon Weekly News

Winchendon Public Schools partners with the Winchendon Police Department and has expanded its first responder circle to include Heywood Hospital’s Emergency Departments in Gardner and Athol to provide a school-community response to ensure that children exposed to trauma in their home, school, or community receive appropriate support to help them achieve emotionally and academically.

Winchendon Police Department Response:

• All children at the scene are identified.

• Flagged student(s) are simply handled with care.

• If a law enforcement officer encounters a child during a call, that child’s name and three words, HANDLE WITH CARE, are forwarded to the school before the next day. The school implements individual, class, and whole school trauma-sensitive curricula so that identified children are “Handled With Care”. If a child needs more intervention, on-site mental healthcare is available at the school.

• The school is provided a HWC notification.

• It is only 3 words: Handle With Care.

• It does not violate confidentiality, no details are ever given.

• Notice arrives to school before the next day.

• Need to know basis, only.

• Does not stay in child’s permanent record.

• May include other childcare service agencies.

• Does not set expectation for school staff to approach the student.

Heywood Emergency Department Response: HWC has expanded, and now offers the parent or caregiver of school age youth, ages 3 years to 18 years, an informational sheet after registering their child as a patient; below is a copy of the caregiver form that they provide. The caregiver form is a self-referral tool to refer your child to his/her school nurse, as deemed appropriate, asking to please “handle your child with care”. Trained school staff are alerted to help the child through observation and support; they are not aware of the incident that caused your child to seek medical care at the Emergency Department. Instead they provide extra support and accommodations as needed throughout the day.

Together, the HWC initiatives provide:

• Heightens trauma informed practices at the school.

• Improves cross-agency communication among first responder organizations and schools to increase support for students experiencing trauma.

• Increases training and use of trauma sensitive strategies by educators and school leaders to improve educational & life outcomes for students experiencing trauma resulting from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

• Heightens whole-school approach around Trauma Informed Care (TIC) protocols.

School is a respectful and safe environment where children can build positive relationships with adults & peers, learn to manage their emotions and behavioral responses, and find academic success. For additional information about the initiatives, please visit the Handle With Care Website.

Any questions or concerns please contact your school nurse.

Rebekah Leonard BSN, RN, NCSN

***Detach below and return to school nurse / daycare provider / primary care physician***

* HANDLE WITH CARE *

CAREGIVER FORM

Heywood Healthcare Emergency Departments: Athol & Gardner

My child is going to school after a difficult night, morning, or weekend. Heywood Healthcare wants school to be a safe and comforting place for them. I am requesting this note be turned in to the school nurse to signify an emergency issue occurred and my child may have been impacted, please “HANDLE WITH CARE”. Thank you.

Child’s first name, last initial: Child’s grade: ______________________________

Parent’s first name, last initial: Date of occurrence: _________________________

NOTE: For additional information about the initiative, please visit Heywood’s Handle With Care website.