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Seven wellness categories at the high school level were identified in which the district could be doing better: Physical Education, Substance Use, Mental Health, Commitment to School, Bullying, Diversity and Inclusion, Absenteeism and Commitment and Planning.
“The Brien Center is all about possibility. Anyone can recover, anyone can make a change in their lives."
-- Brien Center Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Michaels
Salisbury Bank’s 14 branches in Berkshire, Litchfield, Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster counties will collect nonperishable food items, household supplies and cash donations to be distributed directly to food pantries serving each area.
The Brien Center has been awarded a total of $357,480 in state grants to fund a first-of-its-kind program designed to reduce risky behaviors such as smoking, vaping, drinking and substance misuse that could compromise students’ futures.
“I think some people can acknowledge depression and talk about it. But for some people, they don't even know what's going on. And they’re having all these symptoms, but they don't know what it’s from, and they feel like no one else is feeling like they are."
-- Miranda Hastings
On Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Lenox Town Hall, the Maimonides Society of the Berkshires will present “Opioid Crisis in the Berkshires,” a forum exploring the local impact of the opioid addiction crisis.
The Edge recently sat down with Hinds in his Pittsfield office to discuss his proudest accomplishments, how to align workforce development needs with the education system, and his hopes and concerns about the rollout of recreational marijuana in the state, among other things.
The Mental Health Co-Responder Program is designed to increase earlier identification and intervention for citizens with mental illness who have contact with law enforcement.
In Berkshire County, poverty, the lack of transportation, rural isolation and other factors contribute to high rates of domestic and sexual violence.
-- Elizabeth Freeman Center Executive Director Janis Broderick
Four years ago, 70 percent of South Berkshire 12th-graders reported having used marijuana at least once, and 41 percent reported use within the past month. In 2019, those numbers are 52 percent and 36 percent respectively.