Montachusett Suicide Prevention Task Force

Providing Hope to Our Community

Heywood Hospital established the Suicide Prevention Task Force servicing the City of Gardner and surrounding towns including: Ashburnham, Athol, Barre, Erving, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Lunenburg, Hardwick, Hubbardston, New Braintree, New Salem, Oakham, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Templeton, Warwick, Wendell, Westminster, Winchendon with the assistance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Suicide Prevention Program.

The mission of the Montachusett Suicide Prevention Task Force is to prevent suicide, and to provide education and resources to help those who struggle with depression, survivors of suicide, and those who have lost loved ones to suicide.

The Montachusett Suicide Prevention Task Force is sponsored by Heywood Hospital and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health's Suicide Prevention Program.

Meeting Schedule

  • First Monday of the month
  • Heywood Hospital Kenneth & Doris Pierce Board Room (adjacent to Gift Shop)
  • 8:00am-10:00am

Steering Committee Members

Task Force is led by Heywood Hospital Leadership

  • Barbara Nealon
  • Rev. David Cote
  • Chief Richard Braks
  • John Salovardos

Membership

  • Aging Services of North Central Mass
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Athol Hospital
  • Care Central 
  • Community Health Foundation
  • Community Health Link 
  • Family Practice Physicians
  • Fitchburg State University 
  • Gardner Police Dept 
  • Gardner Public Schools
  • Greater Gardner Religious Council
  • GVNA Healthcare
  • Heywood Medical Group
  • Heywood Hospital
  • Higher Ground Ministries
  • Joint Coalition on Health
  • Life Path 
  • LUK, Inc
  • Mass Coalition for Suicide Prevention
  • Mass Dept of Veteran’s Services
  • Mass DPH’s Suicide Prevention Program
  • Mass DMH’s Area Office
  • MOC, Inc.
  • Montachusett Home Care
  • Montachusett Regional Vocational High School
  • Mount Wachusett Community College 
  • NAMI
  • Narragansett Regional School District 
  • North Central Mass Minority Coalition
  • On-Site Academy
  • Ralph C. Mahar Regional School 
  • Riverside Trauma Center
  • Samaritans
  • Spanish American Center
  • Three Pyramids Inc.
  • United Hmong of Massachusetts
  • Winchendon Public Schools

Supporting Organizations

  • Heywood Healthcare
  • Department of Public Health's Suicide Prevention Program
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Mass Suicide Prevention Coalition
  • North Central Mass Minority Coalition