Sboro Youth and Family Services

The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough are sponsoring a Parent Webinar Series to support families featuring panelists from the community. The first of 3 webinars was this past Tuesday evening 5/31. A recording of the webinar can be found here.

You will need a password to view the recording - AX!7vjnG

Here are the presentation slides: NSBORO Webinar May 31, 2022 Slides.pdf

Here is a list of Mental Health Resources for Families

Upcoming webinar information:

Session 1 - Tues, 5/31 at 7pm:

Mental health, suicidality, and supporting our children

Session 2 - Tues, 6/7 at 7pm:

Keeping kids safe online and preventing cyberbullying

Session 3 - Tues, 6/14 at 7pm:

Building healthy habits to improve physical and emotional health

Register for 1, 2, or all 3 sessions using one link here.

Thank you for celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with us! It was a busy month with lots of great events and community activities. We appreciate the opportunity to cosponsor events with our fellow town departments, boards, and committees and look forward to next year!

Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to be attentive to the prevalence of mental health conditions, to support those experiencing mental health challenges, to promote services and supports available, and to collectively reduce the stigma associated with mental health and seeking services.

In 2016, Laurie Sugarman-Whittier, the former Director of our department, retired after serving the Southborough community for over 30 years. In her 30 plus years in Southborough, she provided support for countless Southborough residents and she advocated for the values we promote during Mental Health Awareness Month, all year long.

This is why the Youth Commission board named the Laurie Sugarman-Whittier Wellness Award to be granted to a community member who has promoted this same mission. Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the LSW award, Cathy Wilson, the School Psychologist at the Mary Finn School.

Cathy has worked in Southborough for 11 years, and like Laurie, has provided support to so many of Southborough’s youngest residents and their families. She is a dedicated employee and, per the report of families she works with, has provided exceptional service. Her kindness, warmth, and comfort have provided reassurance to many families which has been especially valuable during the last several years of uncertainty. She is an incredible asset to our community.

Congratulations, Cathy!

June is Pride Month, when the world’s LGBTQ communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves.

Pride gatherings are rooted in the arduous history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are.

The original organizers chose this month to pay homage to the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 in New York City, which helped spark the modern gay rights movement. Most Pride events take place each year in June, although some cities hold their celebrations at other times of the year.

Pride events welcome anyone who feels like their sexual identity falls outside the mainstream – although many straight people join in, too.

LGBTQ is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQIA, to include intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don’t experience sexual attraction.

These terms may also include gender-fluid people, or those whose gender identity shifts over time or depending on the situation.

(Taken from CNN.com)

SYFS will be hosting Melissa Clark, from GSA Link, as she presents "How to be a Sensitive and Informed LGBTQ+ Ally." Founded by Melissa Clark and her son Ryan, GSA Link is a local 501c(3) organization that aims to connect, empower, and inspire LGBTQ+ youth. With LGBTQ+ youth often being subject to violence, marginalization, alienation, and rejection from a variety of sources, including their family members, peers, teachers, strangers, and the media, community and mentorship is vital. With this in mind, Melissa and Ryan decided more needed to be done, and started GSA Link to become the link that connects, in an effort to help to support and inspire LGBTQ+ youth.

Learn more about GSA link here: https://www.gsalink.org/

"How to be a Sensitive and Informed LGBTQ+ Ally"

Date: June 16th

Time: 6:30pm

Location: 21 Highland Street in Southborough. MA

Registration is encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome.

Register here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesMlFuiwLHUkFKmd2E7GUMEZL1yNfvwvRNmjl38ll1Hz592g/viewform?fbclid=IwAR37pqCr7ZCXc08OJDeGqf0oyhPbCYsTE9H9PgGRa9d3XKYvUiMY4t9_yMU

We currently have two trainings in rotation: Listen with Love and QPR. We have one training date for each in June and then will be taking a break from these trainings over the summer. We will resume offering both of these plus a few others in the fall. Stay tuned!!

Listen with L.O.V.E.: the art of communication in relationships

Positive communication is a critical element in relationship success and yet, it is something that challenges all of us. How do you support your loved one who is in distress? How do you persevere when your navigating challenging conversations with someone regularly? SYFS is offering the workshop, Listen With L.O.V.E: The art of communication in relationships to address some of these challenges and review critical elements of successful communication. If you are a parent, spouse, friend, son or daughter, or simply a human, in relationships with other humans, please consider joining us.

June Training Dates:

Saturday 6/11 9-11am

*all trainings are held at 21 Highland St in Southborough

Listen With L.O.V.E. training registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScM23X10toBnQlFX2L05MK4mSx6mfTojHDQseyg5kD5Y6GHCA/viewform

QPR Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training

QPR is an acronym for Question, Persuade, Refer. Not unlike CPR, it teaches basic skills to help a person in crisis. In this 2-hour training, you are taught how to ask the suicide Question, how to Persuade a person to tell you more, and to seek help and Refer to outside providers. These trainings are offered in a small setting of no more than 12 participants to allow for time to ask questions and try out newly learned skills through role-plays. Trainings will be offered at various days and times throughout the year.

June Training dates:

Wednesday 6/8 6:30-8:30pm

*all trainings are held at 21 Highland St in Southborough

QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper training registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlRqwQG1ZncKwrVUb46V4ALhNYK_W4tTNGsdmbrrUq_yLcZQ/viewform

SYFS provides the following mental health support services:

• Clinical Consultations- a one time consultation with one of our clinicians
• Therapy Referral Support through Interface Referral Service: https://interface.williamjames.edu/
• Assessments- 6-8 session time frame aimed at better defining and understanding a presenting issue. This includes appointments with the individual, family members, doctors, teachers, past and current providers. The assessment is completed with a formal assessment report outlining clinical recommendations.
• Short-term "bridge" counseling support- short-term support available to those needing counseling services until a longer-term therapeutic solution is identified
• Therapeutic groups and workshops

Learn more by:

• Calling us at 508-481-5676
• Utilizing our walk-in hours- Mondays 9-11am or Thursday 3-5pm
• Web inquiry- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUEYphprGT9YWPy8RGKUim_z20PLx1ppz5oj0Mkt24LbIHcw/viewform

We encourage you to reach out to our office if you have concerns about yourself or a family member. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we too, have experienced increased demand in our office and will do our best to get back to you.

If you have any questions about these services, please contact our Assistant Director, Meaghan Eiland at (508) 481-5676 ext 2 for more information.