Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said his officers routinely leave a call feeling like they could do more to help children after a traumatic incident.

A program instituted by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit has helped to fill the gap, better connecting police with school officials.

“Whether grandpa fell or the parents had an argument, we know to provide extra care,” said Amber Dean, Highlands School District’s director of student services. “We don’t dig into their personal lives. We don’t ask what happened. We just make sure they’re fed and extra cared for.”

The Handle with Care initiative is part of the intermediate unit’s Trauma Education and Response program, run by the Highlands Family Center in Tarentum. It is funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The process is fairly simple. Officers fill out a QR code so school staff is alerted to provide extra attention, food or support the following day.

“We believe that it serves as a little but sometimes much-needed nudge to get through the day,” Turack said.

Highlands was the first district in the Alle-Kiski Valley to implement the program in late 2021.

All of the district’s police departments participate, including Fawn, Harrison and Brackenridge/Tarentum.

“We are very pleased with how the TEAR program has been well-received by Highlands and the local police departments,” said Jeannie Dennis, AIU TEAR program supervisor and site director at the Highlands Family Center.

Dennis said the Handle with Care program quickly flourished. It has expanded to New Kensington-Arnold School District and is expected to begin at Woodland Hills, Steel Valley, West Mifflin and Clairton City.

New Kensington-Arnold Superintendent Chris Sefcheck said the program has had a positive impact on the learning culture in district schools.

“We are able to appropriately identify students that need that extra level of support that we may not otherwise have known existed without the program,” Sefcheck said.

“The communication chain has proven to be highly effective at reaching the right team members and leadership.”

Details of home incidents are kept private.

“What’s important is our response,” Dean said.

There have been nearly 500 notices since the program’s launch, according to Dennis.

At Highlands, there were 150 notices submitted by police since September.

Of those, 32 families received tangible help from Highlands Family Center in the form of food, clothes, diapers and formula.

“It’s heartening to know our training and programming is making a measurable difference in people’s lives,” Dennis said.

In one case, she said the program team received word of a student who was reportedly being abused at home.

“The child was removed and placed in foster care,” Dennis said. “(Everyone) collaborated to connect the foster family to services specific to the needs of that student, including therapy and getting the student involved in extracurricular activities.

“Now, the student is thriving and has shared that she hopes she can use her story to encourage others.”

Highlands Superintendent Monique Mawhinney said services have been critical in supporting students who face all types of challenges at home.

The program has strengthened the relationship between the school and local police for the betterment of district communities, she said.

“The appropriate school personnel can connect with any student who has experienced trauma to ensure they have what they need to feel safe,” Mawhinney said.

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