Participants in the School Community Partnership met together with representatives of the Youth CHOICES coalition, that Partners sponsors, for a first-time combined meeting on June 5, 2013 held at the Tradewinds at BMC Durfee High School. Fall River Youth Services Coordinator and CHOICES Co-chair Christian McCloskey began by describing the purposes of the collaborations and then asked participants to give examples of the successes, challenges and gaps that exist in the current system of services to students in the Fall River Public Schools. Participants from more than a dozen human service organizations were joined by school adjustment and guidance staff as well as five school resource officers and representatives of the courts. The group concluded the hour-long meeting by highlighting the value of working together and suggesting that they meet together again during the next school year. The two groups look forward to continuing this collaboration in order to identify available services, work toward addressing gaps in our community, contributing to the Fall River Youth Violence Prevention Master Plan, and creating stronger relationships to ultimately service the health, safety, education, and overall development of our youth. Click here for a 35-minute video of the meeting. For more information, contact Christian McCloskey at 508-679-0922.

(Top row, left) Gary Marden of the UMassD Leduc Center for Civic Engagement describes a project he is working on as Barbara Allard of the Fall River Schools Parent Information Center, Lynda Sampson of CFC Family Planning, and Tim Burke of the Fall River Housing Authority listen. (Top row, center) Sara Rodrigues of Family Service Association listens as Allison Fanning, also from FSA, suggests resources. (Top row, right) B.M.C. Durfee School Adjustment Counselor Michaela Hetzler listens as Fall River Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey moderates the meeting. (Row two) Durfee School Adjustment Counselor Gretchen Creesy describes how staff work with kids in need of services as Fall River Police School Resource Officers Warren Francis and James Riley listen. (Row three) Fall River Youth Court Coordinator Nina Sousa listens as School Resource Officers Marybeth Buglio and Debi Jackson describe the work that they do. (Bottom row) Sara Rodrigues describes the work that Family Service staff do in the schools, and United Neighbors Executive Director Wendy-Garf Lipp offers suggestions on community resources that students can access.