This Week at Nova Arts

On Saturday, April 15, two amazing trios take to our stage! Kicking off the show is the Danny Fox Trio as they celebrate their 15th anniversary playing as a band.They play unpredictable music, switching and improvising effortlessly. This trio takes their audience on a musical ride with just a piano, a bass, and some drums. Following is the sensational David William Ross Trio. This group blends both jazz and contemporary classical music. Their music is spontaneous, playful, and filled with stillness and excitement. Doors open at 7:00, Music by 8:00! The show is $15; tickets can be bought online, at our website or at the door!

Nova Arts is supported by and under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive, and is supported by the Putnam Foundation and the Osier Fund. Events take place at 48 Emerald St, within Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee. novaarts.org

Mount Wachusett Community College April Events

All events are open to the community, free of charge.

Mardi Fuller Documentary & Discussion
Thursday, April 20, 2023
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Theater at the Mount
Details: Mardi Fuller will take us on a journey through her life of adventures as a Black outdoors woman who has grown in her liberation-focused identity. We'll discuss barriers marginalized people face in accessing the outdoors and how exclusion, a form of oppression, is detrimental to all people. More about Mardi is at her website outdoorafro.org

Reflections on Climate Change
Thursday, April 20, 2023
12:30 - 1:30 pm
Room H171
Details: Jason Elliott, Directory, Hydrologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service Northeast River Forecast Center explores how the NSW utilizes data to measure the impacts of climate change.

Kevin Hines, Suicide Prevention Speaker
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
1:00 - 3:30 pm
South Café
Details: Hines' personal story includes his own suicide attempt in 2000 by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. After his remarkable survival, he has dedicated his life to sharing his story and teaching people the importance of wellness.

Nonprofit CSO Opens Free 'Family Resource Center' in Gardner

Clinical & Support Options' new FRC provides families with parent support groups, social activities, educational support, basic needs resources, and more

GARDNER--On the heels of having been named the new "Community Behavioral Health Center" (CBHC) provider of urgent behavioral health care for residents in the towns of Gardner, Ashburnham, Westminster, Winchendon, Hubbardston, and Templeton, nonprofit Clinical & Support Options (CSO) is doubling down on its support of families in the North County region.

While its new CBHC designation enables the community behavioral health agency to offer open, same-day access to integrated mental health and addiction treatments as well as community-based crisis evaluation and support services, the co-located "Family Resource Center" (FRC) at 205 School Street in Gardner adds an additional layer of support--one that does not require insurance and is absolutely free to any family with children (0–18).

"CSO has served the North County region from our outpatient clinic in Gardner for more than seven years now," CSO President & CEO Karin Jeffers said. "In that time, we've seen the need for local services grow. Families aren't always able to drive long distances to access services. We're thrilled to be able to expand here--first as a CBHC and crisis provider, and now with a Family Resource Center in the same building. Families will be able to receive a wide range of holistic, wraparound supports in one location."

Massachusetts Family Resource Centers (frcma.org) are the brainchild of the Mass. Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Mass. Department of Children and Families (DCF). FRCs are awarded through a competitive application process and contracted to local nonprofit providers. Since their inception in 2015, more than 30 FRCs have been created across all 14 counties in the Commonwealth. For CSO, Gardner marks its third FRC (with two others in Amherst and Great Barrington).

"I really like the Family Resource Center model," Jeffers said. "There's no long intake process. There's no insurance requirement. It's just a well-staffed, family-friendly environment waiting to help people. Families can just walk in, meet with staff, and get support for a wide range of challenges--or just enjoy meeting other parents and families and sharing their journey."

Leading the new FRC staff will be Paula Spivey, a longtime clinical supervisor and Family Support Services provider for CSO.

"North County families mean so much to me," Spivey said. "I've been working with families here for nearly a decade, and it's just so rewarding to now bring them this robust, free solution. For busy parents juggling a wide range of responsibilities and challenges, the FRC represents a drop-in problem-solver and support center. It's also a place where families can meet each other, share ideas and experiences, and make friends."

WHAT YOU'LL FIND AT THE FRC
Family Resource Centers, like CSO's new School Street location, are designed to be accessible solutions for families seeking health, safety, educational and employment services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all of these services continue, but many are available remotely.

CSO's team at the Gardner FRC are trained and ready to help local families with a broad range of concerns, including:

• Career--Find help looking for employment, exploring career options, and discovering which jobs are a good fit.
• Child Care--Attend parenting groups with onsite child care.
• Early Childhood--Develop positive parenting skills that will improve a child's growth and development. Participate in playgroups and activities.
• Education--Get study support for adult GED testing.
• Family Support--Obtain direct assistance or referrals to groups that promote family unity and successful life skills.
• Financial--Attend workshops and consultations to manage a budget, save for the future, or repair credit.
• Housing--Navigate the system to find ways of meeting housing needs.
• Legal--Get help working with local juvenile courts to identify services for youth.
• LGBTQ--Join supportive, social networking groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer teens and families.
• Medical--Identify potential medical services.
• Mental Health--Engage in an atmosphere of support and wellness, with clinical referrals available.
• Peer Support--Connect and learn from other parents/guardians, grandparents, and youth.
• School Services, Homework Help & Special Ed--Ensure children receive the support and resources they need with homework, school plans, and more.
• Recovery Resources--Access local support groups. Connect with outpatient and/or residential treatment programs.

The Gardner FRC, a program of CSO, is located at 205 School Street in Gardner. It is open for appointment and walk-in service weekdays (and some weekends). Call 978 730-1275 or send an email to Director Paula Spivey at paula.spivey@csoinc.org.

To learn more about CSO's urgent-access mental health and crisis services in the area, visit CSOInc.org/help. To find your nearest CSO location and contact information, visit CSOInc.org/locations.

Sen. Comerford Nominates ServiceNet's Shawn Robinson for Black Excellence on the Hill Award

ServiceNet Director of Vocational Services honored by Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for Exceptional Leadership

(NORTHAMPTON, MA) - Senator Jo Comerford has nominated Shawn Robinson, Director of Vocational Services at ServiceNet, for the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus' annual Black Excellence on the Hill Award.

For the past 21 years, Shawn Robinson has dedicated his career to working with individuals living with chronic mental illness, developmental disabilities, and autism with a special passion for making programming more accessible, equitable, and meaningful for all.

Since 2011, Shawn has served as the founding director of ServiceNet's Prospect Meadow Farm. This therapeutic vocational farming program provides meaningful employment opportunities for over 80 individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, or brain injury. Shawn has implemented various initiatives to remove access barriers during his tenure, including a ServiceNet-run transportation program, subsidized farm shares, and more. Shawn currently serves as Director of Vocational Services for ServiceNet, overseeing social enterprises and vocational programming for disabled individuals residing in Franklin, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Hampden counties.

Shawn began his career as a summer employee of the Department of Developmental Services, where he was responsible for planning activities for individuals living in a residential group home. Shawn then worked in direct care roles with Department of Mental Health-funded programs serving children and adults with chronic mental illness before becoming a manager of a community-based mental health outreach team.

"By actively addressing barriers to our farm-based vocational program we have bridged the racial divide that typically exists in agricultural work," said Robinson. "More than 15% of our program participants are people of color, and all are learning skills which enable them to take an active part in the local food economy. As we see it, expanded access to vocational programs for disabled individuals of all income levels and all racial and cultural backgrounds is central to assuring greater employment equity and food security throughout the Pioneer Valley."

In 2015, the Department of Developmental Services Central/West Region and the Massachusetts House of Representatives awarded Shawn a certificate of appreciation and recognition for his "vision, creativity, and outstanding leadership at ServiceNet's Prospect Meadow Farm." In 2017, BusinessWest magazine named Shawn as one of their "40 Under Forty" in recognition of his community leadership. Shawn is an active member of the community, currently serving as a member of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Ethics Committee, Chair of the Hatfield Council on Aging, and Chair of the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) Board of Directors.

"In his role as Director of Vocational Services, Shawn is leading western Massachusetts and the Commonwealth in a bold and necessary effort to expand the diversity of those actively taking part in the local food economy through farm-based vocational programs," said Sen. Comerford. "This award is well-deserved by Shawn, who has long had an unparalleled and inspired commitment to food security for all."

Black Excellence on the Hill will take place in person on Friday, April 14, at 11:00 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House.

Treasurer Goldberg Announces Legislative Agenda to Promote Economic Prosperity and Growth

BOSTON--State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg announced her legislative agenda for the 2023-2024 session. It focuses on protecting and enhancing Massachusetts' strong financial standing, championing policies that promote long-term economic needs of working families and retirees and advocating for equitable access to capital. In addition, the Treasurer once again co-filed legislation that addresses the use of firearms for civilian purposes.

These recommendations, prepared and filed in collaboration with state senators and representatives, highlight the Treasurer's commitment this session. This includes divesting public pension funds from gun and ammunition manufacturers, requiring schools to incorporate financial education into the curriculum, establishing a Baby Bonds program to help break down wealth inequality and provide opportunity for children when they reach 18 years old or later, and removing restrictions to retirement savings plans.

"At the Treasurer's Office, we believe in partnership, collaboration, and creative approaches to help us better serve our entire state," said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "We look to build upon our work with our partners to ensure that everyone in Massachusetts has equal opportunities to achieve economic stability and security."

Comprised of new and refiled legislation, Treasurer Goldberg additionally seeks to modernize outdated provisions within the state's retirement systems, codify the Treasurer's Office of Economic Empowerment, improve the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission's premises review process, streamline various operations within the state's lottery commission; and design, implement, and regulate an online Lottery, with consumer protection safeguards in place.

Continuing to support and diversify Massachusetts' economy, thereby building a state that works for all, is foundational to the work the Treasurer's Office does. These proposals serve to empower the office to meet the financial needs of every resident.

For a full list and summaries of the Treasurer's legislation filed this session, visit the Treasury website.