Melrose and Wakefield Health and Human Services Regional Collaboration on School Violence Prevention

The STOP Violence grant will be utilized collaboratively in three Massachusetts communities (Melrose, Wakefield and Stoneham) to form a school violence-focused Coalition that will bring professional development to counselors and teachers. The grant will also bring an evidence-based healthy relationships program to students and a standardized evidence-based program for students involved in violence. This grant will also fund an adjustment counselor for each district who is trained in restorative justice, trauma-informed care, as well as de-escalation and conflict resolution training. The adjustment counselor will ease the workload of the current counseling staff and assist in violence-related prevention within the schools. 

These grant activities will increase staff’s capacity to foster positive improvements in school climate and work toward the following goals and objectives of this grant: 

Increase schools’ capacity to intervene and prevent school violence.

Hire an adjustment counselor for each school district involved within two months of receiving the grant funding.   

By the end of FY23, the City of Melrose will establish a School Violence Coalition with a mission of improving school climate that will include the superintendents of each school and relevant staff.  

By the end of FY24, the Coalition will expand to include local youth serving organizations with a growth of 100%. 

Each year of funding, 80% of counseling staff will participate in 3- 4 professional develop trainings pertaining to school violence.  

Each year of funding, 70% of teachers will participate in 1-2 professional development trainings pertaining to school violence, including de-escalation and conflict resolution training.  

Reduce online electornic by 10 %. 

By the end of FY24, each school district will have a standard evidence-based program for students involved in school violence.  

By the end of FY25, 75% of 8th students will be trained in an evidence based healthy relationships program.  

By the end of FY26, 75% of 7th students will receive training on violence prevention in technology (i.e. cyber/online bullying).