St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
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Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Brien Center Willing to Take Up Caseload From MSPCC
By Noah Hoffenberg iBerkshires Correspondent 04:01AM / Saturday, April 04, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Brien Center is willing to pick up an entire 450-child caseload that will be let go by a statewide mental health agency when it closes its Pittsfield branch come July.
However, no final decision on the caseload transfer has been reached, said James Mucia, central division director of child adolescent services for the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
"We're working very closely together. There's a lot of details to work out, but I'm fairly confident that we'll do well by all the clients," said Mucia. "We're extremely willing to take on the full 450."
The center met with representatives from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on Thursday to begin negotiations, which will carry over to Monday with a site visit of the MSPCC's office at 53 Eagle St. That site, as well as locations in Greenfield and Brockton, are slated for closure.
The MSPCC, a nearly 131-year-old organization, ended its fiscal 2008 year with a $1.8 million deficit, according to the society's annual report. Among its many programs, it provides mental health services for upwards of 16,000 children and adults annually.
Gail Bass, MSPCC site director, and society spokeswoman Mary McGeown were not immediately available for comment.
The MSPCC office in Pittsfield aids children with mental health and behavioral issues, often stemming from abuse, which Mucia's division of the Brien Center is able to address.
Mucia said the Brien Center could handle the influx of so many new clients, but that additions to staff and infrastructure would be likely. He couldn't speculate on how many positions or additional space would be needed. Most of the patients' costs would be covered by public or private health insurance, Mucia said, which would not present a new strain on the center's budget.
Beyond budgets and space, Mucia said the Brien Center's main goal was making sure all of the young MSPCC clients are taken care of.
"We want to make sure that the clients don't end up on a waiting list — and ideally that [they] can keep their therapist," said Mucia.
Mucia also expressed his sympathies for the local MSPCC site workers, reported numbering about 27 full- and part-time employees, which he said have been working hard for years at easing the burdens of young people. "All of us feel very very bad for the staff," he said.
Mucia stressed that the talks are ongoing, and that no exact plans have been drawn up.
"We've met once, and we have more meeting to do," Mucia said.
How will the Brien Center afford to care for these new cases? Existing grants or new ones? Will they hire those employees that lost their jobs? I'm sure this isn't a gesture based only on altruism; there must be some dollars attached for the Brien Center. Can we have a follow up to these questions?
from: jennnnnnnn
on: 04-04-2009
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