August 7, 2018
Providence, RI- In the aftermath of the shooting death of a Central High School student on Wednesday, Providence Public School District, Mayor Jorge Elorza, and Governor Gina Raimondo have arranged for trauma support professionals to be available for students, Monday-Wednesday next week at a number of Providence recreation centers and community locations. No appointments are necessary.
“Providence Schools are committed to the well-being of our students in the wake of this tragedy, and have provided students with access to mental health and emotional services during school hours,” said Superintendent Christopher N. Maher. “However, with schools closed Monday-Wednesday next week, we wanted to make sure that they continue to have access to supports. We are tremendously grateful to our partners in the community and government for coordinating this effort with us, opening their doors and providing support to the children we serve in a time of need.”
Due to the Rosh Hashanah and Primary Day, schools are scheduled to be closed Monday-Wednesday, September 10th-12th.
“Providence will continue to support our youth by coming together as a community to begin the healing process in the wake of this terrible tragedy,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “I encourage our student community to seek assistance from any of the service providers made available during this difficult time.”
All Providence Recreation Centers will be open during those days except Joslin Recreation Center and Neutaconkanut Recreation Center, which will be used as polling locations. Only the centers outlined below will have trauma support on site.
“As Governor and as a mom, I know how critical it is to support students’ mental health, especially in times of tragedy,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “After the terrible evets of this week we need to come together as a community and support our students as they grieve. I’ve directed BHDDH to provide trauma counseling services at various locations throughout the city while schools are closed for Rosh Hashanah and the primary election.”
Bilingual (Spanish-speaking) counselors will be available at the below recreation centers as indicated by an asterisk. The following locations will host trauma support professionals, made available through the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals and their network of providers.
· Armand E. Batastini Jr. Recreation Center, 50 Obediah Brown Rd., 12:00PM – 5:00PM Monday-Wednesday*
· College Visions, 131 Washington St, Suite 205, 3:00PM-6:00PM, Monday-Wednesday
· Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, 265 Oxford St., 10:00AM-6:00PM, Monday-Wednesday
· New Urban Arts, 705 Westminster St., 1:00PM-6:00PM, Monday-Wednesday
· A Sweet Creation, Unified Solutions at Roger Williams University, One Empire St., 10:00AM-1:00PM, Monday and Tuesday
· Vincent Brown Recreation Center, 438 Hope St., 12:00PM – 5:00PM, Monday-Wednesday*
· West End Recreation Center, 109 Bucklin St., 12:00PM-5:00PM, Monday-Wednesday*
· Youth in Action, 672 Broad St. (call for times), Monday-Wednesday
For guidance from the National Association of School Psychologists visit the Providence Public School Districts website<https://www.providence