Page 53 - BusinessWest April 14, 2021
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‘Friday Focus’ Panel
April 9: The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) master of business administration (MBA) program will present a free virtual panel at noon on entrepreneurship and small business in the time of COVID-19, as part of its “Friday Focus” panel series examining the pandemic’s impact on business and economic development. Moderated by MCLA Direc- tor of Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partner- ships Joshua Mendel, this series features local busi- ness leaders, MBA program alumni, and faculty from MCLA’s Business Department. To register, visit mcla. edu/mba. All events will take place virtually and are free and open to the public. This event will also be streamed to the MCLA Facebook page and will be archived on the MCLA YouTube channel for later viewing. MCLA’s MBA program is a part-time, accel- erated program designed to meet the needs of the working adult learner. Most courses meet through
a combination of online and face-to-face instruc- tion and blend classroom experience with practi- cal, hands-on fieldwork. In addition, the program offers diverse academic programming and provides a high return on investment. MCLA’s MBA program accepts applications throughout the year, and new students may begin the program in the fall, spring, and summer.
‘National Security Priorities in Biden’s First 100 Days’
April 15: “National Security Priorities in Biden’s
First 100 Days” will be the topic of a discussion by Western New England University (WNEU) School
of Law Dean Sudha Setty on Thursday, April 15 at noon. The cost for this virtual event, presented by the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, is $10 (free for students). Setty will discuss various national-security priorities of the Biden administra- tion, including investigations into domestic terror- ism, anticipated policy changes regarding targeted killings, and foreign-policy priorities. Setty became dean of the School of Law in 2018 and has served on the faculty since 2006. She is the author of National Security Secrecy: Comparative Effects on Democ- racy and the Rule of Law, the editor of Constitutions, Security, and the Rule of Law), and has written doz- ens of articles on national-security law and policy. The April 15 event is sponsored by Glenmeadow, Sir Speedy, and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. For more information and to register, visit the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts website at www.wacwestma.org.
Alumni Achievement Award Nominations
Through April 23: When BusinessWest launched its 40 Under Forty program in 2007, it did so to iden- tify rising stars across our region — individuals who were excelling in business and through involve- ment within the community — and celebrate their accomplishments. In 2015, BusinessWest announced a new award, one that builds on the foundation upon which 40 Under Forty was created. It’s called the Alumni Achievement Award (formerly the Con- tinued Excellence Award). As the name suggests,
it is presented to the 40 Under Forty honoree who,
in the eyes of an independent panel of judges, has most impressively continued and built upon his or her track record of accomplishment. To nominate someone for this award, visit BusinessWest.com/40- under-forty/40-under-forty-alumni-achievement- award. The deadline is Friday, April 23 at 5 p.m., no exceptions. The 2020 honoree will be announced at the 40 Under Forty gala in June. Candidates must be from 40 Under Forty classes prior to the year of the award — in this case, classes 2007 to 2020. A list of 40 Under Forty Alumni can be found at BusinessWest. com/40-under-forty/40-under-forty.
Springfield Partners for Community Action Scholarships
Through April 23: Springfield Partners for Com- munity Action announced it will award a number
of $1,000 scholarships that can help recipients with tuition and alleviate the cost of going back to school and investing in bettering themselves. All applicants must be Springfield residents, and income-eligibility guidelines may apply. Scholarships will be awarded to those attending accredited/licensed schools in Massachusetts. Applications must be received by April 23. Late entries will not be considered. If select- ed, recipients must be available to attend an awards event (most likely virtual) in June. Visit www.spring- fieldpartnersinc.com/whatwedo/scholarshipsprogram for the application form and information on how to apply.
Series on Workplace Violence Prevention
April 27, May 26, June 30: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) and its training partners from Protective Advanced Safety Services (PASS), will pres-
ent a three-part training series at EANE’s Agawam training center for regional employers on workplace violence prevention. The first workshop is slated for 3 to 5 p.m. Session topics include “Who’s Coming to Work,” “CALM: De-escalation Strategies,” and “Hire Right, Fire Smart.” All three sessions are designed to equip employers with the tools and knowledge they need to keep their workplaces safe from violence, including microaggressions, employee-relations escalations, and the worst-case scenario: an active shooter. Space in this training series is limited to 10 participants as EANE is following state guidelines on social distancing and capacity limits. The cost for the program is $331.50 for all three sessions. Interested parties can reach out to Allison Ebner at aebner@ eane.org or call (413) 789-6400 for more information.
Agenda
VA Healthcare Virtual Summit
May 24-26: The Institute for Defense and Govern- ment Advancement (IDGA) announced plans for the IDGA VA Healthcare Summit. BusinessWest is spon- soring this event, at which attendees will have the opportunity to meet with the leaders positioned to provide substantive change across the department, with a particular focus on advancing patient advo- cacy and experience, digital transformation, com- munity and vendor engagement, e-learning, the VA’s innovation ecosystem, and more. IDGA’s summit will highlight these areas across the agenda, as well as include enabling VA initiatives currently underway to advance the most critical needs for veterans across the U.S. This year’s agenda, developed through indepth research by IDGA, covers a range of topics, including VHA innovation ecosystem initiatives, VA telehealth capabilities, financial management and business-transformation efforts, and a deep dive into clinical delivery. For more information and to view the agenda, visit www.idga.org/events-veteransaf- fairshealthcare-spring. To join and receive a 20% discount, register at bit.ly/3sts2FV and quote code VAH_HCN. All federal, state, and local government, as well as military and law enforcement, can attend at no cost.
   Kids
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ent can do during these times is open a dialogue with their children and allow kids to have open communication,” she said. “What are they thinking? What are they feeling? Then we can guide them and help them through their own resiliency and make adjustments.”
Families can help combat their kids’ isolation, she said, by planning quality family time, even if it’s just having din- ner together, around the table, every night, or scheduling a family game night every week. Those moments, she noted, can naturally help kids let their guards down.
“You want to have that quality time, that open communication to talk and listen to your kids and ask, ‘how are you feeling? What’s going on? What can
I do to help make things easier?’ Some- times, as a parent, we’re not able to
say ‘yes’ to everything, but we can look for compromises and help kids make some of the decisions.”
The problem in identifying signs of distress, Crenshaw said, is that teenag- ers, even on their best days, often pre- fer to be isolated, or present a sullen demeanor. So how can parents sepa- rate normal teen ‘attitude’ from real warning signs?
“Are they communicating as much with you, or are they isolating in their rooms moreso than normal? Are they eating normally?” she asked. “Even prior to COVID, parents would say, ‘I didn’t know there was a problem — I thought that’s how kids are.’”
It doesn’t hurt for parents to simply
ask their kids, directly, how they’re feel- ing, what’s working or not working in their lives, how school is going, and if they’re feeling more anxiety than usual. “If a teen is isolated in their room, that could be typical teen behavior, but maybe not.”
Physical signs may be visible, too, Crenshaw said, noting that cutting — what’s referred to in her field as ‘self- injurious behavior’ — and eating dis- orders are more common than some parents think.
But more often, the signs are sub- tler. “It’s just really knowing their dispo- sition and what they’re involved in.”
Burgess said it’s important for par- ents not to go it alone if their gut tells them something is truly wrong.
“If you notice your kid struggling
with severe signs of depression — real- ly isolating, really struggling — defi- nitely seek professional help. If your kid is talking about suicide or even just having a hard time getting back into interacting or adjusting, seeking pro- fessional help is always key.”
In the end, coming out on the other side mentally healthy — and that goes for parents and children alike — will take patience and resilience, Burgess added.
“There’s no guidebook for this. There’s no ‘COVID for Dummies’ book. We’re all doing the best we can to adapt. We’re all just going through an unprecedented time.” u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
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