Suicide Prevention Group Gives Leadership Award To Berkshire President

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) has selected Brian Berkel to receive the Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award this year.
 
Berkel, a retired Lieutenant with the State Police, currently serves as President of the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention (BCSP). In his role as President, Berkel has created a bridge between BCSP and first responders, the District Attorney's office, local community mental health providers, minority organizations, and other area mental health and suicide prevention advocates.
 
In his role, Berkel led a group of suicide loss survivors and volunteers to form and launch a Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) team in Berkshire County. LOSS teams are made up of trained first responders and survivors of suicide loss who go to the scene of a suicide to provide support, information about available resources, and hope to the newly bereaved. The goal of the LOSS model is to make sure survivors do not wait years to get the help they need to cope with this devastating and traumatic loss.
 
Without postvention, the average length of time that survivors of suicide loss take to reach out for help is 4.5 years; research shows that people bereaved by a suicide loss are at increased risk for dying by suicide themselves. The Berkshire County LOSS team will work in conjunction with the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office.
 
In addition to the LOSS team, Berkel supported a media campaign to promote the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential emotional support to people in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress. He also arranged for Board members to receive various trainings such as Talk Saves Lives, Mental Health First Aid, and Signs of Suicide (SOS). He is also a strong advocate for gun safety.
 
In addition to his long-term affiliation with BCSP, Berkel also serves as Treasurer on the board of Berkshire HorseWorks and for the Pittsfield Lions Club, as well as serving as a Board Member for the Non-Profit Center of the Berkshires. Past community involvement incudes volunteering as a mentor to at-risk youth through Big Brothers of Berkshire County and 18 Degrees.
 
"I have worked with Brian [Berkel] on the Coalition for about nine years. I have always respected him as a board member, but his leadership is inspiring. His ability to form positive relationships across the community is exactly what the coalition needs in order to connect those who struggle and provide support programs for those who have lost a loved on to suicide," he said.
 
The Leadership in Suicide Prevention Award award will be presented to Berkel on March 4, 2023, at the annual MCSP State House Day.
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Dalton Green Committee Recommends Consultant for Action Plan

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Green Committee overwhelmingly recommended having Blue Strike Environmental as the town's consultant for its Climate Action Plan during its meeting on Monday. 
 
The town issued a request for proposals on March 27 and received two responses: one from Blue Strike Environmental, a Monterey, Calif., company, and the other from Capsus, an international firm based in Mexico. 
 
The committee wants to develop a climate action plan to achieve net zero by 2050 by seeking strategies to decrease the town's dependence on fossil fuels for homes, businesses, municipal facilities, and vehicles. 
 
The plan should be detailed enough, so the town knows what it needs to do and the timing to complete each subproject on time, the request for proposals said. 
 
During the meeting, committee members numerically rated the consulting firms based on the following categories: relevant experience, staffing plan and methodology, ability to complete projects on time, and proposed plan evaluation. Bluestrike's rating was four times higher across all criteria. 
 
Now that the committee has rated the second part of the bidding process, the bidders will submit the estimated cost of the project. 
 
The contract will be awarded to the firm offering the most "advantageous proposal" that takes into consideration all evaluation criteria and price. 
 
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