Superintendent Armand Pires, Police Chief William Kingsbury and ‘SUP Medway Coalition Coordinator Stephanie Simeon are pleased to share that Medway Public Schools and the Medway Police Department are partnering to implement the Handle With Care program.

Handle With Care enables police to notify schools when they encounter children at a traumatic scene so schools can provide adequate support immediately.

According to Handle With Care, a national survey of the incidence and prevalence of children’s exposure to violence and trauma revealed that 60% of American children have been exposed to violence, crime, or abuse.

Prolonged exposure to violence and trauma can seriously undermine children’s ability to focus, behave appropriately, and learn. Such exposure often leads to school failure, truancy, suspension or expulsion, dropping out, or involvement in the juvenile justice system.

The Handle With Care model allows first responders to collaborate with their school partners to address the needs of children who may have experienced trauma so that they are “Handled with Care.”

The model has been adopted in more than 100 districts across the country, bolstering communication among local law enforcement, schools, and mental health services.

The adoption of this program in Medway was initiated by ‘SUP (Substance Use Prevention) Medway, a coalition of town personnel, students, parents and community professionals from various industries. The coalition’s mission is to engage in collaborative community work focused on the reduction and prevention of youth substance misuse. Its work is intended to be a broad and long-term look at aspects and influences within the community, and changes that could be made community-wide to further prevention work.

As a Drug Free Communities-funded coalition, 'SUP Medway's first goal is to increase community collaboration in order to be positioned to make positive changes that decrease the likelihood of drug use. Implementing Handle With Care helps support the immediate needs of the child and can prevent negative outcomes in the future since trauma can impact substance use and other behavioral outcomes later in life.

"Medway is well-positioned to adopt this program as there is already a great relationship between police and schools, as well as systems and supports within the district for connecting students with mental health and social services when the need arises," Simeon said.

Through Handle With Care, when first responders respond to an incident where a school-age child may have been a victim or a witness, they notify the school of the child’s name and advise the school to “handle with care.” No further information is shared. Staff are able to monitor the affected child and prepare to offer additional support or referrals for additional services, as needed.

The Handle With Care Notification includes the following statement: “The child referenced below was on the scene of a police action in the last 24 hours and could exhibit academic, emotional and/or behavioral problems as a result of exposure to a traumatic event.”

Once a school district, school, or childcare agency receives the notification from police, the notification will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member to observe the student’s behavior and academic performance and be prepared to provide trauma-sensitive support as needed.

-"We are thrilled to be partnering with the schools, building upon our relationship and diving deeper into this important work," said Medway Police Department School Resource Officer Paul McLaughlin. "Our children spend significant time at school and it is important that these systems are in place to safeguard their mental well-being."