Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said his officers routinely leave a call feeling like they could do more to help children after a traumatic incident.
A program instituted through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit helped fill this gap, better linking police with officers.
“Whether grandpa has fallen or parents have argued, we know extra attention needs to be provided,” said Amber Dean, director of students for the Highlands School District. “We’re not interested in their private lives. We didn’t ask what happened. “. We just make sure they get extra food and care.
The Handle with Care initiative is part of the intermediate unit’s Trauma Education and Response program, run by the Highlands Family Center in Tarentum. It is funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
The procedure is quite simple. Officers fill out a QR code so that school staff are alerted to provide further care, food, or the next day.
“We think it’s a small but much-needed boost to get through the day,” Turack said.
Highlands is the first district in the Alle-Kiski Valley to implement the program at the end of 2021.
All of the district’s police departments participate, including Fawn, Harrison and Brackenridge/Tarentum.
“We are very pleased with how well the TEAR program has won through Highlands and local police departments,” said Jeannie Dennis, IAU’s TEAR program manager and director of the Highlands Family Center.
Dennis said the Handle with Care program temporarily flourished. It has expanded to the New Kensington-Arnold School District and is expected to begin in Woodland Hills, Steel Valley, West Mifflin and Clairton City.
Kensington-Arnold’s new superintendent, Chris Sefcheck, said the program has had a positive effect on the culture of learning in the district’s schools.
“We can identify academics who want that extra point of help that we might not have been aware of without the program,” Sefcheck said.
“The communication chain has proven to be highly effective at reaching the right team members and leadership.”
Details of the incidents at the house are confidential.
“What’s our response?” said Dean.
According to Dennis, there have been about 500 reviews since the program launched.
In Highlands, notifications have been sent through the police since September.
Of those, 32 families received tangible help from Highlands Family Center in the form of food, clothes, diapers and formula.
“It’s comforting to know that our systems are making a measurable difference in people’s lives,” Dennis said.
In one case, she said, the program team realized a student had been abused in his home.
“The child was removed and placed in foster care,” Dennis said. “(Everyone) collaborated to bring the circle of foster family members together to express the student’s needs, adding treatment and involving the student in extracurricular activities.
“Now the student is thriving and said she hopes to be able to use her story to inspire others. “
Highlands Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said services have been critical in supporting students who face all types of challenges at home.
The program has strengthened the link between local police and police for the well-being of the district’s communities, he said.
“The right school can help any student who has experienced trauma make sure they have what they want to feel safe,” Mawhinney said.
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