Anger Management

Nearly a half century of research has shown that violence is a learned behavior, often learned when a child is very young. But the skills of violence prevention can also be learned at a young age. ACT emphasizes that the early years are critical for learning and that the adults in children's lives can be the primary teachers of violence prevention. The ACT program mission is to educate communities and adults to create safe, healthy environments that protects children and youth from violence. It accomplishes its mission by disseminating research-based information and skills to adults in simple, accessible, user-friendly messages and materials.

Emerge's mission is to eliminate violence in all interpersonal relationships. In working toward this goal, Emerge seeks to educate individual abusers, prevent young people from learning to accept violence in their relationships, improve institutional responses to domestic violence, and increase public awareness about the causes and solutions to relational violence.

Girls' LEAP (Lifetime Empowerment & Awareness Program) trains at-risk girls aged 8-18 in verbal and physical safety skills and self-awareness. LEAP helps girls develop a diverse set of responses to violence, beyond the extremes of passivity and escalation. LEAP's physical skills techniques maximize girls' options and help girls to make safe decisions in spite of fear. The self-reflective skills strengthen girls' ability to say "no" in difficult situations, to create safe and constructive boundaries, and to identify and trust their own feelings.

The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center is housed at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. MARC was founded and is directed by Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a professor of Psychology at the University, and an expert in the field of bullying prevention. Its goal is to bring low- or no-cost services to K-12 education, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the area of bullying prevention, cyberbullying education and prevention, and violence prevention. The MARC website includes guides for parents and professionals.

The Needham Health Department offers a range of mental health services for citizens of the town. Public Health Nurses provide confidential counseling and referrals to all ages. Short-term home-based services for at-risk teenagers and their families are provided through Riverside Community Care's Alternative Youth Services program. The program includes family counseling, advocacy, information, and referral. Call the Health Department for more information on these free services. The town's Substance Abuse Prevention and Education program provides informational programs, educational resources, and confidential substance abuse support services for Needham youth, adults, and seniors. Contact Carol Read at the Health Department to find out more about inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling, and peer support resources regarding substance abuse, addiction and chemical dependency.

This is a town-funded department which provides professional and confidential mental health services to youth and their families in Needham. It offers support, information, and direction on issues such as peer relationships, stress, grief and loss, substance use, suicide, and other concerns. Most services are free of charge. The department collaborates regularly with civic and community organizations on a variety of projects.

SOS FIRES provides a wide range of training and resources for all disciplines involved in youth firesetting intervention and behavior management. Its website includes information on firesetting for parents, teachers, and professionals, as well as listings of assessment and treatment services across the US.