By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
Can you see her in your mind’s eye – the little girl from the third grade class? Her clothes are tattered, and her cardigan sweater has holes in places that weren’t supposed to have holes. Her hair is matted, and the skin on her hands is cracked and dry. She lives in the gray house, but not painted gray – gray because all the paint had chipped away. She’s shy but not unfriendly. Who lives there with her, and what is her family like? You never see her parents at any school function or out in the yard doing lawn work. She conjures up a slight smile most days – it’s her brave face. Today, she’s hiding in the corner – no eye contact. If defeat had a face, you see it. What happened to the little girl with the ragged clothes and unbrushed hair who lives in the unpainted house? The police officer on the scene doesn’t know the entire story, but she knows this little one needs to be handled with care.
When Adams County Prosecutor’s Office Chief Investigator Kenny Dick ran into Susie McFarland, a retired teacher, in the Tractor Supply Company parking lot over a year ago, they had a casual catching up conversation that led to the subject they both are passionate about – caring for the youth in Adams County. McFarland asked Dick if he was familiar with the Handle With Care program and briefly explained the plan she had helped start in Brown County in 2018. Dick was intrigued and considered whether Adams County had such a program in place. Months later, the conversation led to action.
Ohio Handle with Care is a collaborative product of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Hopewell Health Centers. McFarland and Dick reached out to Ohio’s Handle with Care lead, Robyn Venoy, to determine the status of Adams County with the program. Venoy reported that Adams County was inactive. The Adams County Health Department, which spearheads many positive programs for the county, had initiated the program. Still, in the throes of COVID and with loss and changes in personnel, it had stopped. Dick and McFarland decided to pick up the program and became Co-Coordinators for Adams County’s Handle with Care. The Adams County Prosecutor’s Office is sponsoring the program. Dick said, “Prosecutor Aaron Haslam has been very supportive.”
Handle with Care (HWC) is designed as a simple program to enrich the communication of law enforcement, schools, and mental health services when a student is exposed to a traumatic event. According to HWC, it aims “At ensuring that students who are exposed to crime, violence, and abuse receive appropriate interventions so they can succeed in school to the best of their ability.”
The program started in West Virginia and is now active in 35 of Ohio’s counties. Lt. Chad Napier, retired Metro Drug Unit officer and Acting West Virginia State Coordinator for Appalachia HIDTA, presents an excellent TED Talk on the subject explaining the simplicity of the process. He highlighted one crucial element, “Put passionate people over the program that like to help kids.”
When a first responder (law enforcement or otherwise) becomes aware of a child experiencing trauma (it does not need to be a criminal event), they obtain basic information of name, grade or age, address, and school. They then notify the school (only three selected individuals) with the message, “Handle with Care.” There is no need for further information or description, and no confidence is broken. The school representatives now know to contact any applicable staff to handle this child with care.
What does handling a child with care look like? It’s empathy and giving that child the space they need. Feed them if hungry, allow them to fall asleep if tired, and give them extra time for schoolwork. NO QUESTIONS ASKED, and don’t bring up the situation with the student – handle them with care. Studies have shown that the process works well with the cooperation of school staff. Still, there is a percentage of children who will need continuing mental health services.
Dick and McFarland scheduled a meeting on October 31 to explain the program and offer training for those interested in being trainers themselves. The meeting included several representatives from law enforcement, local school districts, the health department, mental health, and concerned community members. Dick said, “It was a great success, and we are moving forward with it.” McFarland echoed his response, saying, “We’re already scheduling training sessions and moving forward.”
We are all stakeholders of the future of our most precious assets – the children of Adams County. Such a simple program can have an enormous impact. Let’s mitigate the negative impacts of childhood trauma. Fragile and beautiful – handle with care.