Neighbor News
Bridgewell's Project COPE Partners with Lynn Boys & Girls Club to Establish Prevention Program
Early Intervention Program Promotes Healthy Alternatives to Risky Behaviors
Bridgewell’s Project COPE, a leading provider of community-based prevention and treatment for individuals with substance use disorders, has partnered with the Lynn Boys and Girls Club to establish a comprehensive education and prevention program. This program, funded by the North Shore Community Health Network, will target 75 children in grades 3-6 who live in Lynn and are served by the Boys and Girls Club.
“We are honored to partner with the Lynn Boys and Girls Club,” said Mark Kennard, Executive Director of Project COPE. “Through our partnership we will be able to reach a younger demographic and teach young people the necessary skills to resist social pressures to smoke, drink and use drugs. If we can prevent young people from experimenting with drugs, we can prevent future drug addiction.”
“We are very excited about this new partnership,” said Obie Barker, Executive Director of the Lynn Boys and Girls Club. “We take pride in working to help youth develop qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. This prevention program will help us teach children critical skills to promote healthy behavior.”
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The number of fatal overdoses in Lynn has reached epidemic levels, jumping from seven in 2010 to 35 in 2014, while the total number of reported overdoses climbed from 64 to 281—a 340 percent increase—during the same period.
Although many children are at risk of substance use from an early age, relatively few substance abuse prevention programs target elementary-aged children. The average age of adolescents’ first use of alcohol and cigarettes is between 11 and 13 years, and the average for the first use of marijuana is between 13 and 14 years. The prevention program will prepare young people before reaching these ages and needing to implement these critical skills.
Find out what's happening in Lynnfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Bridgewell’s Project COPE and the Lynn Boys and Girls Club will increase children and teen’s knowledge of the consequences of substance abuse, and enhance cognitive and behavioral competency to reduce and prevent risky behaviors.
ABOUT PROJECT COPE:
An affiliate of Bridgewell, Project COPE provides community-based prevention, education and treatment services for individuals and their families struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. These services include specialized behavioral health programs, residential treatment, recovery housing, young adult diversion and employee assistance programming. COPE seeks to help people achieve their fullest potential in medical, social, educational and emotional dimensions. For more information visit www.bridgewell.org/projectcope.
ABOUT THE LYNN BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB:
The Boys and Girls Club of Lynn is part of a nationwide affiliation of local, autonomous organizations and Boys & Girls Clubs of America working to help youth of all backgrounds develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. It offers daily access to a broad range of programs designed to drive positive outcomes for youth and reinforce necessary life skills.
