June 16, 2006

City Council recognizes MGH Chelsea's partnership

Members of the Police Action Counseling Team (PACT) recently were honored by the Chelsea City Council at a special recognition ceremony held May 22 at Chelsea City Hall. The PACT program is a partnership between the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center and the Chelsea Police Department that provides immediate intervention to children who have witnessed violence or experienced other traumatic events.

PACT is funded by MGH Community Benefits. When PACT members are called to the scene of an emergency, their primary goal is to help the children feel safe and give them an opportunity to express their feelings, often using age-appropriate materials such as puppets and crayons as an aid. Providing this type of intervention can help reduce the short-term effects of trauma. PACT social workers also work with parents to educate them about the short- and long-term consequences of violence and help families access ongoing medical and mental health care. Ultimately, PACT's goal is to interrupt the devastating cycle of family violence. Above, PACT members at Chelsea City Hall

PACT members include MGH Chelsea clinical social workers, Chelsea police officers, a domestic violence advocate, a representative of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and a consulting physician from MGH Chelsea. Since PACT was founded in 1998, more than 900 children have benefited from its services.