BRPC Awarded Grant to Launch Mental Health Program at PHS

10:31AM / Tuesday, October 21, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) announced it has been awarded a $10,000 Community Impact Grant from Fallon Health.

This one-time award will fund the pilot of the Active Minds Curriculum at Pittsfield High School.

"We're pleased to award grant funding to Berkshire Regional Planning and the SPARK initiative to help support early intervention programs for children and youth,” said Cheryl Schmaltz, Community Engagement Manager. “By focusing on teen mental health and substance use prevention, we can eliminate barriers to health care for this important population and enhance outcomes.""

The Active Minds Curriculum is a national peer-to-peer mental health program designed to foster mental health awareness among students by empowering them to connect and support one another. This initiative aligns with recent 2025 student data, which identifies increased mental health awareness as a critical factor in preventing substance use among youth, stated a press release.

Upon the completion of the 13-lesson curriculum, BRPC anticipates that at least 80 percent of the 19 participating students will serve as peer mental health supports for the Pittsfield High School student body.

"Our goal is to empower young people in our community with the knowledge and tools to support one another effectively, and to recognize when professional help is needed," Noe Gonzalez Ortiz, Public Health Planner with BRPC said.

The long-term goal is to establish an official national Active Minds chapter at Pittsfield High School by the end of the academic year, with plans to expand the model to Taconic High School .

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Demonstrators in Park Square Urge Voting; Polls Close at 8 p.m.

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:33PM / Tuesday, November 03, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Community members stood in Park Square on midterm election day urging everyone to use their voices at the polls.

The standout was organized by Indivisible Pittsfield, and accompanied by a demonstration the previous day and another on election day at the Woodlawn Avenue rotary.

"It's very important to vote, especially historically. Women didn't always have the vote. Minorities didn't always have the vote, so it's so incredibly important for everybody to go out and vote," said Rose Fiscella, with Indivisible Pittsfield.

"Not just men, not just women, not just minorities. Everybody. No matter who you want to vote for — red, blue, purple — anybody."

As a 20-year-old, Fiscella emphasized the importance of young people exercising their civic duty. Her sign read "Don't let America's 250th be our last."

iBerkshires spoke to attendees at the beginning of the rally in downtown Pittsfield, down the street from polling locations at the Berkshire Athenaeum and Providence Court.

"To me it feels more important than ever to vote and vote blue specifically," said Lois Prew.

"I'm encouraged that people are turning out in high numbers to vote. I feel like there's a blue wave going on, so I'm encouraged by that."

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