The Coalition News: 
Issue 12
AUGUST 2017
Turn it Around - Stopping the Bleed
Our Turn It Around youth group members were recently trained in the proper use of tourniquets and other life saving techniques as part Dr. David King's Stop the Bleed Program. MGH's trauma nurses Alice Gervasini, Cheryl Waldron, and Caren Harris came out to Charlestown to do the training.
 
David King is an MGH trauma surgeon who served as a combat surgeon for the United States Army in Afghanistan. Heading home after crossing the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, Dr. King was rerouted to the MGH ER to care for incoming wounded. This experience led him to realize that ordinary people are not equipped to provide proper lifesaving techniques, like tourniquet placement, following traumatic accidents. Yet, bystanders are often called upon to do so during the critical moments before professional help arrives. Dr. King has made it his mission to train teachers, youth groups, and others in the community to prepare them for these kinds of events.
 
The Turn It Around teens were able to practice compression, wound tacking, and proper tourniquet application on a dummy. The youth were excited, impressed, and full of questions for the trainers. They learned lifesaving skills that they can take back to the community, but hopefully will never need to use.
 
Family Support Circle on Pause
Our Family Support Circle clinician, Phenice Zawatsky, will be going out on maternity leave in mid-August. During her absence, the Family Support Circle program and services will be on pause. 
 
Monthly FSC Task Force meetings will continue, thanks to Chris Ellison, Youth and Family Director at the Charlestown YMCA, who will run the meetings in Phenice's absence. Meetings will continue to be on the first Tuesday of the month, but the location may change. 
 
If you or your family need support, please feel free to contact anyone on our list of community resources  or refer to the FSC Community Resource Guide. 

 
Voices of Recovery: Meet Efrain

Efrain Lozada

 

Coalition Director Presents at NOFSW 

(l-r) Sarah Coughlin and Lisa Newman-Polk


 

Charlestown Coalition Director, Sarah Coughlin, LICSW, LADC-I, recently presented along with Lisa Newman-Polk, JD, LCSW, at the National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) Annual Conference: Social Justice Rising. 

Their workshop was entitled, Advocating for Addicted Clients in the Criminal Justice System.

  


 
Straight Outta Charlestown:
Turn it Around Youth of the Month
Fatima Fontes has been chosen as our August Turn it Around Youth of the Month.
Fatima has been a member of Turn It Around since 2016. She brings a great set of skills to the group, and it has been a pleasure having her. She is passionate, dedicated, ambitious, smart, and always wears a smile. It has been amazing watching her grow and continue to succeed.
-Krista Matthews

Fatima Fontes  


 

Rosie's Place - A New Partner at Charlestown Court
There is new resource available at the Charlestown Courthouse for women who may need services.
 
Rosie's Place is a community center for poor and homeless women. They provide services to over 12,000 people a year at their location on 889 Harrison Ave in the South End of Boston.
 
Rosie's Place has started a new project to reach women who cannot easily come to the main location. In collaboration with several court houses in the Boston area, a team from Rosie's Place will come to court and provide support and resources to any woman who comes in. On two Tuesdays a month, they will be at the Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court.
  
Staff at Rosie's Place know that women come to court for a variety of reasons: as victims, as defendants, facing eviction, as a mom whose child is in the juvenile system, or someone dealing with probate issues. Compounding the issue that has brought them to court, many women are experiencing other struggles such as coping with addiction or mental illness; trying to keep their utilities on; needing more food for their family; confusion around public benefit eligibility; and, accessing public transportation to get to important appointments. Rosie's Place staff can help any woman who comes to court for these and many other types of issues. 
 
For more information about their programming, contact Court Collaborative Manager Nina Sennott at 617-530-0160 or at [email protected] .
 
September is Recovery Month
 
 
 
 
The Charlestown Coalition invites you to celebrate Recovery Month.  We have a number of events going on throughout September.  Click here for our calendar of events. We hope that you will join us!  
 
 
Have you checked out our new website?
 
Visit us at www.charlestowncoalition.org to learn about our programs, our staff, community partners, resources, upcoming events, Turn It Around, and more! 
 
 
 
Charlestown Coalition, MGH Center for Community Health Improvement  | 617-726-0059|  [email protected]
| www.charlestowncoalition.org
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