TCSO, Berryhill Schools Partner For 'Handle With Care' Program

A new program launched Thursday means Tulsa County deputies will be sending a "Handle with Care" notification to Berryhill Public Schools when a deputy respond to a call and a child is there.

The new program is meant to bring teachers in the loop, that something traumatic happened to one of their students outside the classroom.

"Trauma comes in many forms. It can be something as tragic as seeing a mother or father go to jail or it can be something as simple as having witnessed a crime or been the victim of a burglary and seeing the police show up,” Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said.

The "Handle With Care" email notification will go to the district, then to the child's teacher. Regalado said the child and his or her family's privacy will be protected. He said no details about what happened will be given to the district, but teachers will be aware their student may need extra patience and, in some cases, counseling.

"We just wanna be able to offer them support if we feel it's needed,” Berryhill Public Schools Superintendent Mike Campbell said.

Campbell pointed to several situations his students have gone through.

"Just some of the things that has occurred in Berryhill, you know, we had the unthinkable happen where we had some suicides of a parent that maybe there was some children in the home, car accidents, whether it be minor or more severe,” he said.

Campbell said teachers sense when something is off with their students, especially if they're behaving out of character.

"Our teachers have an incredible relationship with all the kids,” Campbell said. “We're a small community, tight-knit, we know everybody.”

The new program will give teachers confirmation something is going on, so they can handle the situation with care.

The Healthy Minds Policy Initiative is also a part of the program, “connecting, informing, and assisting in implementing the Handle with Care program,” according to a news release.

The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office is the third agency in the state to do this program.

Oklahoma City Police and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office are already participating.