Page 27 - Healthcare News May/June 2022

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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONT’D
program originated with a team coming together and realizing that there were many therapeutic needs in the Square One building. As everyday life was chang- ing because of the pandemic, Colly and her peers hit the ground running and had programming in place for when students were able to return to Square One and the Cornerstone Therapy room.
“Trauma knows no boundaries. The pandemic was traumatic regardless of their family’s income, the home they live in, or their circumstances at home; it elevated the need for trauma therapy to a new level.”
Square One students use the Cornerstone Therapy room alone, with peers, and sometimes with a teacher. All senses are used when children are in the room, which is outfitted with books, blocks, quiet corners, and LEGO, with a focus on critical thinking. Unlike regular classroom learning, the Cornerstone Therapy program allows students to recognize and discuss the emotions they are feeling in real time. Every lesson ties in emotion and how the situation makes the student feel.
The teacher then gets to work with their students
Dawn DiStefano, left, and Kristine Allard say COVID has dramatically increased the need for mental health programs and facilities like the Cornerstone Therapy Room.
and help them take that practice from the Corner- stone Therapy Room and bring it into the classroom — and beyond.
“As needs changed right before our eyes, we’ve seen dramatic changes with our kids and their ability to manage their emotions, to be calm, to be emo- tionally literate,” said Colly. “We teach all the kids
in this building to do this at younger ages because they won’t forget how to control their bodies as they
get older — it’s something that, once you know, you know. I’ve seen the kids, teachers, and parents benefit from it.”
Programs like Cornerstone are critically important in communities like Greater Springfield, which have large minority populations, said DiStefano.
Indeed, statistics show that Black and Hispanic children are 14% less likely to receive the mental health services they need compared to white children