Coming Up at Nova Arts

Join us at Nova Arts in Keene in August for these exciting shows!

On Sunday, August 20, we've got indie rock powerhouse Slothrust! On their latest album, bandleader Leah Wellbaum pushed herself to try and understand her own spirituality on a deeper level, putting a lens on the core wound of the human experience, the idea that we're alone. With Parallel Timeline, Wellbaum explores the feeling of being trapped inside her own consciousness while simultaneously searching for a meaningful connection to the universe, and all the mysteries it contains.

Pronoun is the alias of Brooklyn based producer, performer, and songwriter Alyse Vellturo; they'll be opening this show.! The project was created in 2016 and debuting her EP There's no one new around you. The lead single "a million other things" received press from NPR, All Things Go, and peaked at #16 on the Spotify viral charts. Vellturo followed up with her debut album i'll show you stronger in 2019 receiving press from The New York Times, Pitchfork, Paper Magazine, UPROXX, and countless others.

Friday, August 25, William Tyler and the Impossible Truth will be here, with Garcia Peoples opening. This night will be a deep dive into contemporary underground jam bands, as both of these groups are famously incredible at delivering that heavy Dead inspired realm to folks usually outside of the jam circuit.

For all shows, tickets are available at novaarts.org/events or at Brewbakers / Terra Nova Coffee.

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

Massachusetts Residents Invited to Answer Survey About the State Seal

Dear Massachusetts Resident,

We are inviting you to join us in designing a new seal and motto for Massachusetts. On behalf of the Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, we asked the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston (CSR) to work with us and help us learn how residents view the seal and motto and to gather public input that represents the diversity of communities and perspectives in the Commonwealth.

Please use the link below to find a survey that asks about your familiarity with the current seal and motto of the Commonwealth and your input on the new design.

How can I help? Complete the survey and let us know what you think! It should take less than 10 minutes of your time.

https://umassboston.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cLQTE29dnADwfAy

Why this survey is important? By answering this survey, you will contribute to the creation of a more inclusive state symbol that represents all residents, regardless of background or origin. Are my answers confidential? Your answers are confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside the research team. All answers will be combined into a general report that will make recommendations for the new design of the seal and motto.

What if I have other questions? If you have any questions, please contact Ebony Haley at CSR at 617-287-7205 or email her at Ebony.Haley@umb.edu. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to our work.

Together, we can create a symbol that reflects the spirit and unity of Massachusetts!

Brian Boyles (Co-Chair), Mass Humanities
Brian Moskwetah Weeden (Co-Chair), Chairman, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Michael Comeau (Co-Vice Chair), Massachusetts Archives & Commonwealth Museum
Brittney Peauwe Wunnepog Walley (Co-Vice Chair), Representative, Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe

United Way of North Central Massachusetts Awards $90,000 in Grants to Support Youth Mental and Behavioral Health

Grants given to eight agencies to tackle rising youth mental and behavioral health issues stemming from COVID-19 pandemic

FITCHBURG, MA: August 15, 2023 — United Way of North Central Massachusetts (UWNCM) recently awarded $90,000 in grants to 8 local agencies to pilot youth mental and behavioral health initiatives. The grants are part of a new area of work for UWNCM that seeks to address challenges faced by young people arising from increased isolation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following agencies received grants: Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg/Leominster, Boys & Girls Club of Lunenburg, Girl Scouts of Central & Western Mass, LUK Crisis Center, Inc., Montachusett Community Branch YMCA, Mount Wachusett Community Foundation, Pathways for Change, Inc., and Spanish American Center, Inc.

Grants will support a variety of programs serving diverse populations from different perspectives, from providing free behavioral health services for uninsured marginalized youth, to enabling girls to discover art and nature as tools for mental well-being, and using dance movement therapy to support youth who identify as Latino, Black, and Indigenous.

UWNCM first identified a need for increased youth mental and behavioral health services after hosting a community roundtable on the topic in December 2022. Participants, including representatives from local agencies and the health field, noted that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people have become isolated and unprepared for healthy social relationships.

The grant program is a new initiative for UWNCM that seeks to begin identifying the most effective ways of delivering services to young people who are struggling with mental and behavioral health. Grants will run through June 30, 2024, and results will be used to create targeted programs going forward.

Pathways for Change, Inc., based in Worcester, received a grant to pilot Males Advocating Change (MAC), a program that will engage middle school, high school and college-aged men to address male violence, particularly sexual and dating violence against women.

Kim Dawkins, CEO/President of Pathways for Change, says, "We are grateful to UWNCM for our recent Youth Mental/Behavioral Health grant. The role of MAC is to raise awareness of the myths about masculinity and play a part in building and expanding young males' understanding of healthy, non-violent masculinity. These funds will provide critical resources needed to continue our work to engage young males and train them to be leaders in our effort to end sexual violence in North Central Massachusetts."

Judy Tomlinson, Director of Community Impact at UWNCM, adds, "Youth mental and behavioral health problems are reaching crisis levels in our region. With our new grant program, UWNCM is dipping our toes in the water of a larger issue and learning as we go. We are excited to support a wide variety of initiatives that will use creative methods to support our youth."

The United Way of North Central Massachusetts serves the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon.

Rep. Domb, Sen. Comerford Applaud Plumbing Board Approval of Gender-Neutral Bathrooms

(Boston, MA) August 15, 2023 - Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) and Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) praised the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, which unanimously signaled support for a change in the State Plumbing Code to permit all-gender, multi-user restrooms in public facilities, without the need for a variance. The action, taken at a board meeting on August 2, will now be considered at a public hearing in the coming weeks to advance the regulatory process before becoming official.

Until now, proposals for all-gender bathrooms have needed one-off permission or variances, which are individual requests and approval processes for all-gender restrooms on a project-by-project basis. This new regulation would allow the installation of gender-neutral facilities without special permission and will align our state code with international standards and consistent with the Commonwealth's values of inclusion and safety.

Senator Comerford and Representative Mindy Domb (D-Amherst) have filed bills (S.1978/H.3019) for the past three legislative sessions to require this change.

"Representative Domb and I have been inspired by students at UMass Amherst, who worked with the University to ensure all-gender restrooms were approved in residence halls and academic buildings," said Senator Comerford. "Students reported increased feelings of safety and reduced anxiety using the gender-inclusive bathrooms. It's been my honor to work with the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Rep. Domb, and tireless advocates in pushing forward on all-gender bathrooms."

"I'm grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their partnership in making this change happen," said Representative Domb. "I'm excited--and I appreciate--that the Board has advanced this measure, to update the plumbing code and respond to contemporary preferences and needs. UMass Amherst students and administration officials brought this matter to our attention soon after we were elected, requesting our support for the variance they needed in order to create an all-gender bathroom on campus. The variance application process was an unnecessary barrier to the creation of all-gender bathrooms and removing it was clearly warranted. It's been my honor to partner with advocates, student groups like Green Tape on the UMass campus, public higher education officials, and of course my legislative partner, Senator Comerford, to update this code and bring it into the 21st century."

Senator Comerford and Representative Domb thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration, in particular Secretary of Economic Development, Yvonne Hao; Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Layla R. D'Emilia; and Sarah R. Wilkinson, Commissioner of the Division of Occupational Licensure for their work in support of this regulatory change.

The process to change the building code now advances to a public hearing which will be followed by an official vote by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters. The public hearing will be scheduled in the coming weeks. For more information on how to participate in the hearing, contact Rep. Domb's office at Lily.Stowe-Alekman@mahouse.gov or Sen. Comerford's office at Jo.Comerford@masenate.gov.

Nurse Assistant Exams To Be Offered in Languages Other Than English, Opening Career Pathways

"The Demand Is Immediate," Senator Says of Need For Multilingual CNAs

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, AUG. 16, 2023.....Hundreds of aspiring nurse aides can start taking their certification exams in Spanish and Chinese next year, the start of a multilingual policy that advocates and lawmakers say will tackle a major workforce shortage in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

The English-only exam for certified nurse aides (CNAs) has prevented non-native speakers -- including those with years of nursing experience in other countries -- from accessing the entry level health care role here. The new language options were included in a policy section within the fiscal 2024 budget that Gov. Maura Healey signed into law last week, but lawmakers say it is only the first step in breaking down barriers for immigrant CNAs and improving care for nursing home residents who don't speak English.

"Just before the pandemic, we turned away probably three dozen applicants that wanted to become nurse aides because we knew they couldn't pass the test in English, so this is going to be a huge help for us, and I think it's going to benefit other populations, as well," said Bill Graves, president and CEO of the South Cove Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Quincy where the vast majority of residents are native Chinese speakers. "We could hire another dozen tomorrow and put them to work right away if they could pass the test."

An influx of new CNAs -- who provide care for daily tasks like bathing, eating and dressing -- would improve staffing ratios and help staunch burnout among current staffers who must work overtime, Graves said.

Asani Furaha, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a former longtime nurse for Doctors Without Borders, said at a July committee hearing that she failed the written part of the CNA exam three times due to language barriers. Yet she passed the clinical component on the first try, calling it "simple."

The policy to expand language offerings for the CNA written exam made it to former Gov. Charlie Baker's desk last year as part of a broader economic development bill, and he returned it to lawmakers with an amendment asking for an implementation date and tacked on other initiatives for mental health exams for incarcerated people. The Legislature didn't take up Baker's proposed changes, though Sens. Jo Comerford and John Keenan and Rep. Tackey Chan revived the issue with similar legislation (H 3609 / S 1336) this session.

Under the budget signed by Healey, the Department of Public Health must offer the CNA exam in a language other than English by Oct. 1, 2024, though Keenan said he intends to urge officials to target a faster timeline. The CNA exam used to be available in Chinese before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the state used a different exam provider, Keenan and Chan said.

"The demand is immediate -- it's now, and I think we have to respond as quickly as possible," Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, told the News Service. "It's long overdue. I can't imagine how isolating it must be when somebody is in a room and unable to communicate with a nurse, CNA or anyone that comes in."

At the committee hearing last month, Keenan lamented the disconnect between the CNA exams being offered in just English, compared to the learner's permit exam in more than 30 languages.

Tara Gregorio, president of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, also called on DPH to implement the policy "as soon as practical" to grow the volume of CNAs, who she said deliver the majority of direct care and provide "vital companionship" to residents at nursing facilities.

There are 3,240 vacant CNA positions, Gregorio said, citing a July 2023 workforce survey from the association. That translates into a 20 percent vacancy rate, she said.

"Quality of care and quality of life for individuals living in nursing facilities is directly dependent upon an adequate number of caregivers at a time when demand critically outpaces supply," Gregorio said in a statement to the News Service. "As demand for nursing home services continues to grow, it is critical that we continue to work together to adopt policies, like this new provision, that embraces our direct care workforce and aging population and allows nursing facilities to continue to recruit and retain a more stable and skilled workforce."

At South Cove Manor, Graves said CNAs who can only speak English sometimes need to ask a bilingual colleague for help translating on behalf of residents, who could be expressing that they're in pain or need another meal. Hiring CNAs who are fluent in Chinese would be a "huge benefit" for his facility, said Graves, the former chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators.

"For us to hire all English-speaking nursing aides doesn't make sense," Graves said.

The related Senate bill that's pending on Beacon Hill calls for the CNA exam to be in a "language other than English, including but not limited to Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish and Chinese." Meanwhile, the policy approved through the budget only invokes Spanish and Chinese, while likewise allowing DPH to determine which other languages are needed.

A DPH official told the News Service the department will make future decisions about providing additional choices without specifying what other languages could be under consideration.

DPH is working with the state's CNA testing provider to ensure exam guides are developed, translated and made available to applicants, the official said. There will be a public comment period, as well as a public hearing, as DPH modifies nurse aide regulations, the official said.

The language policy in the budget falls short of the legislation that Comerford said she will still pursue "without question" this session -- including "commonsense measures" aimed at making the CNA exam more comprehensible to non-native speakers, who struggle with the phrasing of certain multiple choice questions.

Comerford said the budget leaves DPH with a "good deal of latitude" for crafting rules and regulations to implement the exam policy.

"It's a wonderful first step honestly, and it's an acknowledgement of what it's going to really take to break down barriers to access for those who would like to become certified nurse aides," the Northampton Democrat said of the budget. "I have faith in DPH that they're going to want to make this test as accessible as possible within the limits of the law."

The current CNA exam is not "straightforward," said Laurie Millman, executive director of the Northampton-based Center for New Americans, which offers training for students preparing for the CNA exam. Millman said immigrants view the CNA role as an opportunity to strengthen their English vocabulary before they continue their education and pursue other health care positions, such as medical assistants or phlebotomists, that allow them to save up for a house and car, among other expenses.

Yet due to the language barrier, only 60 percent of students who are learning English at the center pass the written exam, compared to 80 percent who pass the clinical exam, according to Millman. She said she regularly fields "frantic" calls from long-term care facilities who are searching to hire CNAs.

"We end up taking so much time decoding the exam rather than measuring what students know," she said. "We are receiving a lot of immigrants; the smart money figures out who's highly qualified and removes the barriers. If you have the lens that says Americans are not the only people who are qualified -- there are highly qualified people all over the world -- figure out how to make these pathways more accessible."