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Queen of peace

As an undergraduate, Erin Collins was committed to social justice, whether it was delivering food to people with HIV/AIDS or volunteering to assist poverty-stricken families in Appalachia.

But aseries of heart-wrenching tragedies diverted her outreach efforts. While working with an at-riskyouth program in Washington, D.C., two boys died after becoming victims of gun violence; one of them was shot over an argument about a bicycle. That same year, her friend also was shot and killed. "It was all so painful," she says, "After that, I moved away from volunteer work."

Collins took an administrative job with the Government of Puerto Rico. But after a few years, she felt unfulfilled, so she steeled herself and went back into outreach, working with homeless men in a medical recovery facility. It was here that her dedication to helping others was reignited, and she moved to Boston to get her master's degree in Social Work. Degree in hand, Collins came to Children's Hospital Boston's Inpatient Psychiatry Service, where she honed her clinical skills and became known for developing creative treatment plans.

In 2004, Collins took a position with the Children's Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships (CHNP) program, which aims to increase access to mental health services, deliver early intervention and prevention programming and build the capacity of community organizations to address mental health. Collins is part of the 33-member CHNP team that provides culturally appropriate counseling and treatment to children, parents and staff in 13 Boston schools and five community health centers. At each site, the team works with staff to determine needs, tailoring services to their unique resources and challenges. Each CHNP team becomes an integral part of the community-based site, enabling children to see the staff as part of their world rather than as outsiders.

In the 2007-2008 school year, CHNP provided mental health services and treatment to 259 children in schools and 556 children in health centers. More than 3,000 youth and 600 parents participated in early intervention and prevention activities.

Through CHNP, Collins works at the John Marshall Elementary School in the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester, where she's been able to combine her clinical and outreach skills with her passion for violence prevention. The Marshall is located in an area that boasts physical beauty, strong intergenerational families, many religious groups and rich diversity. Yet, it also struggles with poverty and violence. The area has seen a surge in violence in recent years, especially around the school. Last year, a former Marshall student was found shot to death in the parking lot during the school day.

Collins has implemented a community violence-prevention initiative at the school. "Rather than pretending violence isn't happening, teachers allow me to come into classrooms and address it in a direct way," she says. "It's freeing for the kids to have a venue to talk about living with the stress of poverty, negative influences and how violence impacts their lives." During these sessions, students often share stories about having lost someone due to gun violence. Collins helps them find ways to cope.

A few years ago, Collins instituted Peace Night, now the school's biggest annual event. Families share dinner, watch students' performances about peace and listen to their essays about people who have inspired them. "It's been amazing to see how the students are responding," says Collins. "It's also a great way for parents and the community to know more about their kids' hopes for the future."

It's been nearly eight years since Collins joined Children's and started working at the Marshall. During this time, her enthusiasm and commitment to the students have only grown. Teresa Harvey-Jackson, principal at the Marshall, describes Collin's dedication as selfless. "Not often in life do you meet an individual who gives so much of her time and devotion to people in need. She gives all she has to offer to our students, families and staff without any second thoughts. That's why our school has crowned her the 'Queen of Peace'!"

For more information, visit childrenshospital.org/chnp.

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