News  Probation Chief serves as panelist at Chelsea virtual town hall on COVID-19

Chelsea District Court Chief Probation Officer Carmen Gomez was among a group of panelists who took part in a Virtual Town Hall Meeting to address concerns the Chelsea community has regarding access to the courts and to resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. The May 29 event was a collaboration of the Massachusetts Trial Court, the City of Chelsea, and the Chelsea Collaborative.

Chelsea has the highest rate of COVID-19 infection in the state, according to the City of Chelsea website. The site reports that there have been a total of 2,645 COVID-19 cases and 148 COVID-19-related deaths as of June 3, 2020. 

The Virtual Town Hall Zoom meeting, offered in Spanish and English, was projected to Facebook Live where approximately 2,300 community residents participated. 

Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey started the Town Hall with opening remarks, “No community has suffered more than the community of Chelsea which is one of the reasons why we decided we needed to reach out to you to ensure that each and everyone of you know what kind of resources we have available and that we are here to help. It’s heartbreaking and all of us share the pain of the loss of 158 Chelsea residents and the over 1,000 citizens in Chelsea who are recovering from the virus. These are our neighbors too. We consider ourselves part of the Chelsea community as a foundational member and support system, we feel the pain too." 

Gomez spoke about Probation resources, housing, substance use treatment/Section 35 Petitions. 

"It is very important that we communicate with our people and spread a message of hope. As you know, Chelsea has been the community most impacted by COVID 19 in the state and that comes with its own challenges. We wanted to remind our community that even though our doors are closed, we are here to help them get through this by continuing to make our services available to those in need," Gomez said. 

She added, "At least half of the presenters including me presented in Spanish which makes a big difference in a community that is predominantly Spanish speaking. It was truly an honor for me to be in the community (virtually) in such a powerful way and to let them know that we will get through this together." 

In addition to Gomez, other panelists included Chelsea District Court First Justice Matthew Machera who spoke about resources at the Chelsea District Court; Probate & Family Court Deputy Court Administrator Linda Medonis on Family Matters; Acting Director of Support Services Sybil Martin on the Court Service Center; Court Service Center Circuit Manager Jorge Colon on the Help Line and Interpreter Services; Chelsea City Manager Tom Ambrosino; Legal Aid Resource Attorney Joey Michalakes of Greater Boston Legal Services on Legal Aid Resources; Chelsea Board of Health and Massachusetts General Hospital Chelsea Director of Health Dean Xerras on COVID-19; Assistant District Attorney Myriam Feliz on Victim Witness Assistance and Domestic Violence; and Chelsea Police Officer Sammy Mojica on police assistance. 

*Pictured above Chelsea Virtual Town Hall Meeting panelists: (top row left to right) Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey, Chelsea Chief Probation Officer Carmen Gomez, Chelsea City Manager Thomas Ambrosino, (bottom row left to right) Chelsea District Judge Matthew Machera, Probate & Family Court Deputy Court Administrator Linda Medonis, and Court Service Center Circuit Manager Jorge Colon, Esq.