Crisis Intervention Training

On May 6, we had the privilege of speaking to the latest group of local police officers enrolled in the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program, a cooperative effort between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospitals, community agencies, consumers and family members to improve police response to people experiencing mental health crises.

Thanks to the leadership of Hartford Police Chief Philip Kasten, 13 officers and three dispatchers from Hartford, Haverhill, Concord, Hanover, Claremont, Bristol and Rutland City have received training in Hartford since November 2015.

Lt. Matt Isham of Lebanon’s police department initiated the training locally back in 2013 and has generously guided other departments as they begin to implement it. We are grateful to Lebanon’s Chief Mello as well as chiefs Dennis of Hanover, Scott of Claremont, Charles of Haverhill, and Osgood of Concord for their support of this effort. Future training is planned at the Haverhill and Hanover departments.

We applaud as well the many individuals and organizations who have generously donated time to collaborate on this training. DHMC, White River Junction VA, New Hampshire State Hospital, Mount Ascutney Hospital, Deer Creek Psychological Associates, West Central Behavioral Health and HCRS staff members have educated officers around types and symptoms of illnesses. Community organizations such as Second Growth, the HARP School, Team Two, Headrest, and NAMI, among others, have spoken about other aspects of mental health.

We owe a special thanks to Alice Ely and the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley for their leadership in bringing the police chiefs together to encourage this collective effort and to Whitney Hussong of HCRS for coordinating the Hartford training.

At a time when we hear regularly of wrenching events because of our nation’s mental health crisis, we are grateful for local providers and leaders committed to improving those outcomes.

Donna Stamper

NAMI N.H. Volunteer Family Member, Lebanon
Mental Health Court Advisory Council

Grantham

Marjorie Matthews

NAMI N.H. Volunteer Family Member

Hanover

Benefit for ‘Make-A-Wish’

On Sunday, VIVO Salon and Day Spa will hold its 3rd Annual Cut-a-thon to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation. The event is scheduled from 10 to 3 at 119 Mechanic Street in Lebanon. In lieu of payment for your haircut or nail services, the salon asks that you make a donation to Make-A-Wish. There is also a raffle with many donations from local businesses. The salon has raised more than $5,000 in the first two years!

The event is in memory of Daniel Somerville, who lost his battle to cancer in 1993 at the age of 15. Our family, including his stepsister Kristina Aldrich who owns VIVO, is very proud of this event and the difference it will make for other children and their families fighting life-threatening diseases.

Please plan to join us for this wonderful event.

Rose Smith

Lebanon