Wayside Launches New Prevention Program

WATERTOWN, MA – Wayside’s Multi-Service program in Watertown is pleased to announce the launch of a new program to prevent underage drinking and other drug use. The Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC) is made possible by a $100,000 grant per year for five years from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

The program is part of a dramatic expansion in the availability of substance abuse prevention services and programs in communities across the Commonwealth. Wayside Multi-Service program in Watertown will play a lead role in organizing the substance abuse prevention efforts in partnership with the town’s of Waltham, Brookline and Belmont. Wayside’s prevention efforts will use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Strategic Planning Framework model to implement local policies and initiatives to prevent substance abuse, particularly underage drinking and drug use.

The purpose of the grant is to implement or amend local policies, practices, systems, and environmental changes to prevent substance abuse within these four communities.

Wayside was one of 26 organizations that received grants totaling $2.9 million on a competitive procurement by the DPH Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS).

About Wayside:
Founded in 1977, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network is a non-profit, nationally accredited human services agency dedicated to building Strength, Hope and Resiliency through its family-based outreach services, residential treatment programs, and community-based counseling services to more than 5,000 children, youth and families throughout Eastern and Central Massachusetts. Our mission: Empowering children, young adults and families to achieve greater independence and emotional well-being. For more information, visit www.waysideyouth.org.