CHP Berkshires and Elizabeth Freeman Center Form One Door Project

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The partnership hopes to improve safe reporting of domestic and sexual abuse?
 
Compared with the pre-Covid era, EFC has seen a 262 percent increase in calls to its Berkshire County hotline
 
For a victim of sexual or domestic violence, trafficking, or other abuse, seeking help can be a high-risk act. For many, confiding in a medical professional may, at first, feel safer than calling a domestic abuse hotline.??
 
Health care centers where clinicians are trained in trauma-informed care can be safe and private access points for victims. Research shows that women who talked with a health care clinician about domestic abuse were four times more likely to seek out intervention help, and they were 2.6 times more likely to exit the abusive relationship.?
 
The research, data, and experience of the Elizabeth Freeman Center (EFC), along with CHP Berkshires' familiarity with trauma-informed care, has led to a unique partnership called The One Door Project: Collaborative Care for Sexual Trauma Survivors. A grant of $175,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health supports this project.?
 
The two organizations have held two initial training sessions to share mutually valuable knowledge and insight about caring for sexual trauma survivors.? Next, CHP Berkshires and EFC will work together to develop protocols for assisting at risk patients and clients in accessing care and then making safe and direct connections to EFC counselors and resources.
 
"These numbers mean many of our patients have had sexual trauma in their history – whether it was last night or years ago—so our care of patients must reflect this awareness," said Dawn Kohanski, FNP, associate medical director of CHP Berkshires. "As we provide medical attention and support, we now have a stronger link between CHP and EFC, to quickly help our patients get support and safety resources." ?
 
At EFC, survivors will receive a range of services according to their needs, such as medical appointment accompaniment to legal advocacy for protection orders, safe housing, financial advocacy, and trauma-informed psychoeducational counseling.?
 
In Berkshire County:?
  • The per capita rate of abuse protection order filings for sexual and domestic violence is 35% higher than the state average, according to FY2022 MA court reports.?
  • Compared with the pre-Covid era, EFC has seen a 262% increase in calls to its Berkshire County hotline.??
  • Immigrant communities, especially undocumented immigrants, are particularly concerned seeking help for fear of exposing their immigration status.?
 
"For our community, One Door means that both CHP and EFC speak the same language around sexual abuse, and we share each other's resources quickly and seamlessly to help people get the immediate help and support they need, whether medical or other support care," said Janis Broderick, executive director of Elizabeth Freeman Center. ?"All you need to do is walk through One Door."?
 
EFC's toll-free hotline is 866-401-2425, or email info@elizabethfreemancenter.org.
 
To find a CHP Berkshires practice location, visit chpberkshires.org/locations.?

Tags: CHP,   elizabeth freeman,   

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With 30 Berkshire Business Partners, BCArc's Recycling Center Grows

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Colonial Theater, Pittsfield Police and Fire Stations, Proprietor's Lodge, Berkshire Bank, Greylock Credit Union and dozens of more businesses rely on Berkshire County Arc's Recycling Center – The Green Redeem – to pick up their bottles and cans weekly.
 
The Green Redeem provides recycle bins for area businesses, and empties the bins as often as the business requests.
 
"The goal here is to provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities," said Maryann Hyatt, BCArc's President & CEO.  "The individuals earn a salary, paid at market rate, they learn job skills, they engage with the community, and they gain a sense of pride. They also love getting a paycheck every week, like almost everyone does. The more cans and bottles we can collect, the more people we can hire. We hope to keep growing at a rapid pace."
 
Along with area businesses, the Center is partnering with the City of Dalton to host a recycling container – donated by Casella Waste Systems -- at its transfer station. The Green Redeem hopes to duplicate this model with other area towns.
 
Once picked up, the redeemable bottles and cans are brought to the Green Redeem Operating Center at 20 Taconic Park Drive, where they are cleaned, sorted and picked up by area distributors.
 
If interested in participating, and supporting the program, contact the general manager JG Ivy at jivy@bcarc.org, or 413- 443-9071.
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