LONGMEADOW — How do you ask for help? When it comes to physical health — perhaps you twist an ankle, come down with the flu, or have trouble regulating your blood pressure — the answer is simple for most people. You call or visit a doctor, and you ask them to help you feel better. But when it comes to mental health, there is often a stigma around admitting when something isn’t right and reaching out for help.

Sara Kendall, MSW, LICSW, and Kimberley Lee, both of the Mental Health Association, will be on the Bay Path University campus to talk about how to ask for help, and also how to support others in your life who may need help, but aren’t asking for it. Their simple approach of ‘ask, support, and recommend’ is geared toward individuals who want to be able to reach out and support, but aren’t trained counselors and may not feel prepared to do so.

This free event, scheduled for March 5 at 7 p.m., is open to the public, and will be held at Breck Suite in Wright Hall, Bay Path University, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. For more information or to register, visit baypath.edu/asksupportrecommend.

HOLYOKE — Rosemarie Ansel, executive director of River Valley Counseling Center (RVCC), has announced Kelly Gloster as its senior grants director. In this new role, she will oversee all grant programs to ensure the organization’s funded programs are compliant with grant rules and regulations based on the terms and conditions set by each funding organization. Gloster is also the program director for both River Valley Counseling Center’s School-Based Health Centers and HIV/AIDS Project.

“I have a particular interest in maximizing grant dollars to both better serve clients and achieve program efficiencies,” Gloster said. “My goals are to bring transparency to the grant-compliance activities, such as chart and documentation standards, data collection, and reporting requirements. I will also be looking to increase grant funding for River Valley Counseling Center programs, as we continue to serve the mental-health needs of our community.”

Prior to joining RVCC, Gloster was an assistant vice president of Grants and Government Relations at Landmark College in Vermont. She brings more than 20 years of grant-writing and grant-administration experience, and owned her own grant consultancy. She maintains a certificate in financial research administration. She also has extensive experience in the nonprofit and mental-health sectors, having worked as a foster-care supervisor, residential case manager, and crisis hotline counselor.

“We are fortunate to have an experienced grant writer joining our team as River Valley Counseling Center continues to grow as a nonprofit behavioral-health organization serving the Pioneer Valley,” Ansel said.

Gloster received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMass Amherst and a master’s degree in social work planning, policy, and administration from Boston College.

SPRINGFIELD — Health New England has been recognized as one of the 2019 finalists of the Healthiest Employers of Massachusetts, a nationally recognized awards program powered by the Springbuk Health Intelligence Platform.

Applicants to the Healthiest Employers awards program were evaluated across six key categories, representing a holistic view of employee well-being: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communication and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics. All companies that applied to the awards program were ranked according to the proprietary Healthiest Employers Index, a 1-100 rubric for employee well-being programming.

Ranked second in the 100- to 499-employee size category in Massachusetts, Health New England was honored for its commitment to employee health and corporate health programming. As an award finalist, Health New England has demonstrated a strong commitment to the health and well-being of its team members.

“We are honored and excited that Health New England is being recognized for the work we do to empower our associates to make positive changes in their health journeys,” said Katie Bruno, Public Health and Wellness program manager at Health New England. “We strive to improve the health and lives of the people in our communities, and we bring that same mission to our worksite wellness program. My team, in collaboration with our wellness committee, implements engaging, innovative, and meaningful programs that support our associates’ health needs.”

Health New England offers traditional wellness programs that allow employees to partake in short-term programs individually or with a team, and identifies ways to encourage long-term behavior change by building a work culture that supports overall health. This includes leadership support, internal partners, mindfulness training, health coaching, flexible work hours and location, and increased benefits and rewards.

“We congratulate Health New England for their efforts to make workplace health a top priority for their organization and their team members,” said Rod Reasen, co-founder and CEO of Springbuk. “Each year, it’s our privilege at Springbuk to recognize the best of the best in corporate health through the Healthiest Employers awards program. Across the nation, we’re encouraged by the tremendous efforts of corporate health leaders proactively investing in the well-being of their employee population.”

SPRINGFIELD — The Edvocate, an online education magazine, has named American International College (AIC) among the best colleges and universities for people with disabilities.

The Edvocate highlighted institutions that have multiple programs, policies, and measures in place to help people with disabilities succeed in higher education. AIC placed in the top 10.

“The Supportive Learning Services (SLS) program at American International College provides professional tutoring services to students, as well as assistance with study skills, organization, and time management,” the magazine noted. “Students can also take advantage of the Center for Accessibility Services and Academic Accommodations (CASAA), which provides both academic and physical accommodations.”

CASAA provides resources, training, and direct services to ensure people with disabilities have a greater opportunity to achieve their goals, while SLS is a fee-based program that helps students with learning challenges achieve their dream of completing college successfully. The second of its kind in the country, SLS celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018. This comprehensive program works with the whole student academically, socially, and emotionally, by providing one-on-one tutorial assistance in addition to skills and content workshops designed to fit the unique needs of each student. In addition to helping students hone academic skills, SLS staff can assist students with organizational skills and time-management strategies that can help them modify their learning environment and maximize their strengths.

“We are pleased that the commitment of the college to provide access and opportunity for every student is recognized,” said April Voltz, AIC’s dean of Academic Success. “American International College has long appreciated that people learn differently and have varying needs in the pursuit of their education. Learning specialists in the Supportive Learning Services program provide professional tutoring and academic coaching tailored to the learning style of the individual student. The Center for Accessibility Services and Academic Accommodations collaborates with members of the institution’s diverse community to ensure that all aspects of campus life — learning, working, and living — are universally accessible.”

SOUTH HADLEY — DAISA Enterprises, a food-systems and community health strategy firm based in South Hadley, was selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to design and facilitate a convening of Healthy Children and Families grantees for 2020.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), based in Princeton, N.J., is the largest philanthropic foundation in the U.S. focused solely on health, striving to advance policy, system, and environmental changes that create the conditions to foster families’ opportunities to promote healthy child development. The Healthy Children and Families convening will be a forum for sharing lessons and leveraging insights among grantees, partners, stakeholders, and RWJF staff around strategies to achieve this goal and prioritize health equity. More than 100 health leaders are expected to attend this event this spring or summer.

DAISA Enterprises works at the intersection of food, health, and economic and community development, building cutting-edge initiatives and enterprises. It has quickly established itself as a key partner to national health-based philanthropic foundations, helping them design and implement field-building events and initiatives.

“DAISA is honored to support the work of RWJF grantees, help them connect and learn from each other, and build a greater movement for the health of children in our country,” CEO Daniel Ross said. “This is among the most powerful work we can do.”