Teaching the science of addiction, impact on physical and mental health, and works with students to build healthy coping strategies, strong decision-making, and a resilient mindset. SAFE recently launched its “Up in Smoke” online course, a one-day, completely virtual program for students at risk of substance use and mental health challenges. Schools can elect to offer the course as an alternative to traditional suspension, and students can access the course on any computer with an internet connection. The online course is built on the same curriculum as SAFE’s in-person diversion program, which has run since 2019 and helped over 150 teens across Massachusetts. The all-new online option eliminates one of teens’ biggest barriers to support: reliable transportation. “We listened to community feedback and created an offering that can reach even more students regardless of whether they have a license, car, or a reliable ride,” says Jen Levine, CEO of SAFE. “This course is here for you when and where you need it.” The effect of diversion can be powerful. Schools everywhere are seeing higher levels of positive change from formal consequences that engage learning. “Life is full of challenges and opportunities, and the goal of this program is to help build the tools and confidence to navigate both,” says Emma Kelley, SAFE’s Director of Adolescent Wellness. The program seeks to move beyond traditional suspension methods to one that develops concrete coping strategies. Up in Smoke encourages students to reflect on choices leading to their current situation and empowers them to make healthier, more informed decisions. The course discusses the impact of substances like cannabis and nicotine on the brain and body, science of addiction, and long-term impacts of unhealthy stress responses and decision making. It also equips students with strategies for managing stress using interactive exercises, self-reflection prompts, and peer engagement. “This isn’t about judgment or punishment,” says Kelley. “It’s about growth, understanding, and creating a path that aligns with the goals and values that students care about.” The program also provides next-step resources for students and families as well as signed attendance records for the school. Up in Smoke is the only Tier II support of its kind in Massachusetts for substance use and mental health. It’s DESE-backed and helps schools comply with Massachusetts state law (2022 MGL c.71), which mandates education-based suspension alternatives. Up in Smoke Online is completely free and referrals can be made by school staff, clinicians, or parents. For more information, contact SAFE or visit our website.

FRANKLIN, MA – On Oct. 27, Senator Ed Markey stopped by SAFE Coalition to discuss the state of substance use and mental health crises in the area and the organization’s response strategy. State Representative Jeffrey Roy, a founding SAFE board member, also attended. Markey explored with the SAFE board and staff members the role public perception plays in access to substance misuse and mental health support. “The link between addiction and mental health must be destigmatized before people can get help,” Markey said. “No one can will their way out of it.” The conversation highlighted SAFE’s initiatives, including regular Narcan trainings at Dedham Jail, early intervention educational small groups for area children, and support groups for families of those suffering from substance use. SAFE’s approach to community-wide, wraparound care was notable for Senator Markey. “I understand the mission,” Markey said. “Because if one person suffers, everyone suffers.” The nonprofit’s CEO Jen Levine says SAFE helps many people who arrive at the office on one of the hardest days of their lives. “We are also here for them long before then, in small and straightforward ways, so that if their worst day ever arrives, they know where they can turn,” she says. Many are first introduced to SAFE through services like the organization’s free diaper and car seat bank or community events like medication takeback and CPR trainings. Markey has championed substance use intervention at the state and national levels throughout his political career. His first encounter with SAFE was at the 2015 National Prescription Drug and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, which he attended with President Obama. SAFE Coalition, a nonprofit founded to combat the rising threat of opioid addiction and overdose in southeastern Massachusetts, now supports over 37 towns across the state with recovery and support groups, referral services, one-on-one nonclinical recovery support, resource connection, community trainings, educational programming for adolescents and schools, events like film screenings and talks, sober art and music nights, and trauma-informed yoga. SAFE also voluntarily advises opioid abatement funding boards in municipalities across the state. Those interested in SAFE’s services or wanting to collaborate with the organization can contact SAFE at (508) 488-8105 or info@safecoalitionma.org

“Dear SAFE”  is an Instagram-based project launched in October as a tribute to Mental Health Awareness Month. The idea was to have adolescents submit their mental health or substance use related questions to be answered by SAFE's clinical social worker, Alli Stokowski, LICSW.          Alli’s expertise allowed her to give in-depth answers to questions ranging from “How do pets affect mental health?” to “How do I help someone struggling with addiction?”. Through “Dear SAFE”, Alli is able to connect those submitting questions with accurate information on topics that may not always be comfortable to talk about.         The project is anonymous, which allows for answers without fear or judgment and Alli noticed that many of the teens had similar questions, showing a lot of common curiosity. “It is important to make sure these kids feel heard and that they know these are really common questions, and for them to know that it is perfectly safe and OK for them to ask,” she says. “We’d rather have them ask as a preventative measure”.         Alli says it is vital for adolescents to have the information they need to make difficult decisions in the future, especially as high school students. Misinformation, or a lack of information, can be incredibly dangerous, especially to vulnerable populations.         Alli also says the project normalizes the topic of mental illness and substance use in general. When one teen asked if psychedelic mushrooms could help with anxiety, Alli researched the question and found that there isn’t any evidence to support that common belief. She says it’s critical to supply community members with evidence-based answers to questions like these.        Dear SAFE can not only impact those asking the questions, but teachers, parents, and counselors as well. Alli hopes the program can be used as a starting point for conversations that can sometimes feel uncomfortable for parents or educators to initiate. Normalizing topics like mental health and substance use is essential to gaining insight into potential struggles adolescents face.    Thank you Alli for your excellent work and for sharing your thoughts on the Dear SAFE program!

We cannot stop singing the praises of our Dean College interns Lacey Migliaccio, Morgan Gregoire, and Zoe Sousa. These women have taken true ownership of the SAFE mission and furthered our projects in ways seen and unseen. From personally delivering diapers to a parent in crisis to setting up our entire gala by hand (and arriving in full glam mere hours later), bookending their internships with volunteer hours, overhauling our diaper bank, swag stash, tucking small, sweet inspirational quotes into the front desk and so much more, we are eternally grateful for the impact these three have made on our work—and us all. Simply put, they’ve put their hearts and souls into SAFE in ways that go way beyond the call of an internship. Thank you for all your help, big and small!

SAFE’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren group is one of only two in the area helping transgenerational caregivers find community, seek support, gather advice, and share resources. Held the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at Bernon Branch YMCA in Franklin, with free childcare for children up to 8 years of age, the group provides a safe and supportive environment for relative caregivers. The group offers Zoom attendance as well. Led by Laurie Brown, who in addition to her work with SAFE also brings experience and resource knowledge from her work as a Family Partner for Adult Clinical Care Services at Riverside Community Care, serves on the advisory board of the Commission for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, and builds on her own lived experience raising her granddaughter. Brown says the challenges facing grandparents raising young children are immediate and intense. “For me, it was an overnight jump into action. Rescue the child, do what you can do, and figure out as you go,” Brown says. “I all of a sudden had a 7-month-old baby, a diaper bag, my fulltime job, and my daughter’s issues to navigate on top. It was a lot, and no one around me had any idea how to help.” Because the group is comprised and led by peers, it is uniquely positioned to offer a quiet break from the immediacy and urgency that comes with jumping in to care for a grandchild. "There is no roadmap," says Laurie. "Our sacrifice often doesn’t cross our minds when we jump into action. We want to give the children safety, self esteem, opportunities, security, peace, a sense of family and unconditional love only a grandparent can give. We want them to thrive and be okay." This is where a targeted support group comes in. Meeting twice a month, group members discuss, among other things, common logistical issues like legal support, guardianship, different financial resources, DCF, school enrollment, daycare, and more.    They also address the ever-changing issues that come with having an adult child going through substance use, mental health issues, homelessness, court, or jailtime. “When you assume custody, you don’t know if it will be for 3 months, a year, or a lifetime," says Brown. And there are the accompanying emotions to unpack as well—for your own life change, for your adult child and their struggle, and for your grandchild. “People sometimes walk into their first meeting like a deer in headlights. Emotionally drained, financially drained, no idea where to go,” says Brown. “We don’t have answers for everything, but we do have empathy and compassion. We can listen and offer our connections and support.” For many, the connections forged in this support group sustain them through extraordinary highs and lows. Brown remembers a grandparent who once called to say she wouldn’t be coming due to the passing of her child from overdose. “Right away, she called back to say 'Actually, I am coming. That’s exactly where I need to be.’” Ultimately, what knits this group together is not just tragedy, but powerful, unbreakable love. “It’s always different. Outcomes are always different,” says Brown. “But the one thing we have in common is love and joy, because we have these grandkids in our lives, and these rescue missions we’re undertaking bring us together." For Brown, that sense of community is one of most critical forms of support a group can offer. “When you’re in it, sometimes you can’t even think straight. If you can go somewhere where someone can help you calm down, listen, and help connect you, you will be alright,” she says. “I connect them with what I know. But most of all we listen and help people know they’re not alone.” To learn more about Grandparents Raising Grandchildren or receive the Zoom login, visit our website or contact info@safecoalitionma.org .

SAFE will host the traveling art installation “Ribbons of Recovery” Thursday, November 7th at SAFE HQ in Franklin. Presented by FIRST Steps Together with the Cape Cod Children’s Place, Ribbons for Recovery uses material art to reveal the many paths taken toward recovery and the effort it takes to continue the journey.    As an act of trauma recovery, the project transforms a process shrouded in stigma into a celebration of grit and achievement.    To make the art exhibit, Cape Cod residents in recovery, all of whom are parents, added a ribbon to a ring for every recovery modality they had undertaken. The FIRST team, a peer-led initiative staffed by folks with personal recovery experience, added ribbons to their own rings as well.     Creators say the process was powerful. “There was love, there were tears, there were emotions on all sides,” says FIRST Family Recovery Support Specialist Erin Pierce.   Stringing the rings together on a shared cord made the collective journey of recovery seem less individual and more communal. “Right away, we could see that we were all in it together,” Pierce says.   The team also sought to create a project that shows the non-linear, often multimodal nature of recovery. They see each ribbon on each ring as progressing on a path toward agency, hope, and self-love. “Our wish is for the ribbons to illuminate all the possibilities for pathways to recovery,” say the Ribbons for Recovery creators, "and light the way for others who may still feel like they’re wandering in the dark.”   Pierce agrees. “One of the things I had a hard time with early on was how hard it was to see a sparkly, colorful ribbon and know that it represented something tragic like overdose. But the beauty of this project is that it helps you realize that each ribbon is a celebration, because it moved someone a step closer to being clean and sober.” Created in 2023, Ribbons for Recovery has been exhibited across the Cape. It will be featured at SAFE on November 7th from 5:30-9:30pm, with the exhibit’s creators on hand for discussion, questions, and resources. Cape Cod Childrens Place offers education and services to families across the Cape and islands. Their FIRST Steps Together programs support families affected by substance use disorder and support groups for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Each August, we take time to pay tribute to the toll overdose takes on our communities.   To the heartbroken friends and family members of lost loved ones.   To activists who fight for policy reform.   To healthcare and harm reduction workers.   To unwavering advocates.   Overdose can affect anyone, so we remember the tenacity of our community and lean into the power we wield when we work together.  SAFE’s Tree of Life memorial expands on the spirit of Overdose Awareness Day, providing year-round remembrance and tribute to those who have suffered, fought, and offered their support to this cause.   The Tree of Life exists as a floor-to-ceiling mural greeting everyone who walks through SAFE’s doors. Anyone can sponsor adding a name to a leaf, whether to celebrate recovery, acknowledge advocacy, or as a life tribute.   Founded in 2020 by board member Mary Graham Louise, the initiative was launched to create a permanent, tangible site of remembrance, celebration, and awareness-raising right here at SAFE.  For those who have endured the stigma of overdose, the Tree of Life offers a rare chance for compassionate and judgement-free commemoration. “This initiative exists to say that we see each other,” says SAFE Co-Founder Jim Derick, “even through addictions and scenarios that have been traditionally stigmatized. The Tree is an affirmative statement that there is no shame in these illnesses, and we can forge connection not in spite of, but through these struggles.”  Derick also sees the Tree of Life as a way to offer public support and build consensus around destigmatization. “Oftentimes, we underestimate how important it is to provide positive affirmation to people who are in the fight for their lives in a disease that is so heavily stigmatized, or for those going through bereavement,” says Derick. “One good word, one positive action, can literally change their trajectory at any given day or time.”  The Tree of Life also affords a rare opportunity to celebrate recovery in a society where addiction stigma is so powerful, it can even overshadow recovery. “This is a community’s expression that someone’s recovery matters,” says Derick. “Here is where we publicly acknowledge someone’s recovery in a way that our society just doesn't do elsewhere.”  With every leaf added to the Tree of Life memorial, SAFE expands our community of advocates, supporters, and compassionate voices. Each contributor quite literally becomes a part of our physical space and, hopefully, a messenger for our mission to ensure that no one needs to go it alone.  Funds raised from the sale of leaves go toward furthering SAFE’s mission to provide community-wide, judgement-free support across a spectrum of substance use and mental health issues. As Derick puts it, those who add leaves aren’t just donors, they are stewards of the SAFE mission itself. "It is an act that says, ‘This is an important place and I’m going to help care for it,’” Derick says.   For more information on becoming part of the Tree of Life initiative, see SAFE’s website or contact us .

This month we pause to honor a trusted and valuable partner of ours, William "Bill" Hawkes.   Bill is above all else, a man living in long term recovery. Professionally, he works with with Recovery Centers of America as a Treatment Advocate and it is in this capacity that we first met him. We know Bill to be someone who has dedicated himself personally to helping others achieve recovery. And he stops at nothing to do that.   The most unique thing is he is always focused on what can he do for the people we're collaborating together to help. He has moved mountains to get people help in ways we have simply never seen before.    He is passionate about serving others, always available for people we're working with to access any level of treatment. Simply put, Bill is a champion for those who need it most. We are forever grateful for his guidance and commitment to those served by SAFE Coalition.

Long before SAFE was founded, Donna was a sounding board for co-founder Jen Levine's idea to create a space for families impacted by mental health and substance use. Again and again, idea after idea, task after task, Donna responded with a resounding "YES." Yes, to making the phone calls. Yes, to sending the emails. Yes, to developing a response to a crisis shrouded in stigma. Donna’s unwavering confidence and support of our programs over the last 8 years has left a permanent impact on our organization. We are forever grateful for her guidance and her commitment to the SAFE Coalition.

Try this: Think of a major problem in your life. Now, imagine that tonight, while you are sleeping, a miracle happens and your problem disappears. How would your life be different when you awaken? Be specific: what changes would you experience?   Reading that scenario, maybe you felt your sense of personal motivation triggered: you found your “why”. For many, it works almost immediately, illuminating reasons that keep them focused through the demanding work of overcoming challenges and achieving goals.   As part of SAFE’s WhyTry program, this question is a building block in a curriculum helping local teens find their “why” and move through and beyond their own hurdles.     SAFE CEO and co-founder Jen Levine first encountered the WhyTry curriculum in her work serving teens in San Diego, young people surviving everything from gangs to human trafficking, substance use, the foster system and more. "I witnessed the program's ability to inspire unbelievable growth in emotional regulation," says Levine.     Launching this fall, SAFE WhyTry teaches strategies for building decision-making skills, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and a sense of responsibility as a path to overcoming challenges and developing resilience. Ultimately, the goal of SAFE WhyTry is to prevent vulnerabilities that lead to substance use and other harmful behaviors.     Building on the nationally recognized WhyTry curriculum in use for 20 years in thousands of educational settings, SAFE WhyTry uses straightforward object lessons, games, group discussions and activities to help students build their emotional intelligence and add to their emotional toolkit.     SAFE WhyTry program director Oomiya Kawas says the benefit of WhyTry is its researched-backed, straightforward approach. “Science and research tell us that our prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that governs emotions and impulse control, isn't finished developing until around 25 years old,” says Kawas. "Knowing that, we see the importance of teaching young people about emotional regulation through curriculum that has a low barrier to entry including play, familiar graphics, and metaphors.”    It has been long proven that emotional regulation plays a significant role in adolescent wellbeing, and when it's lacking, it can contribute to wellness factors like low self-esteem, isolation, aggression, and impulse control. SAFE WhyTry teaches tools for intervening in the negative defense mechanisms that inhibit emotional regulation.     Emma Kelley, Director of Adolescent Wellness, sees students’ perspectives and sense of hope thrive once they realize the power good choices plays in being able to navigate complicated emotional circumstances. “You actually get to make a choice in every situation,” says Kelley. “You can choose to do something different. You can choose to do something positive.” The course emphasizes ways to replace negative behaviors with positive ones to reset harmful behavior patterns, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals.    Kawas is hopeful that the course will also provide downstream benefits to the entire community. “Offering a program like this creates invaluable protective factors in our community,” says Kawas. “When one student attends the program...they will share some of their experience, and that will impact their friend group which will impact their friends’ friend groups and so on.” The cumulative outcome is a more protective and proactive community for every teen.    SAFE WhyTry is free to attend and now open for enrollment. For more information, contact info@safecoalition.org

Teen Drop-in is one of 3 summer programs helping teens find community and build social-emotional tools for resiliency. For registration for all programs, click here.  SAFE is kicking off the summer with three programs designed specifically for teens to make friends while building vital emotional life skills. Designed around workshops and conversations in small group settings, the programs , designed and run by our team of adolescent leadership and outreach experts, are completely free to attend.  SAFE’s Teen Drop-in Center (Thursdays 10-noon) is providing a safe space for teens to build community and develop practical strategies for regaining and sustaining their own wellness. The interactive course will follow the widely used WRAP method  (wellness recovery action plan). This group is geared toward sharing, processing, and growing in community. We’ll host snacks, games and activities as we work to form our WRAP action plans together. Runs 5 weeks starting July 11. Our Summer Teen Girls Program (Tuesdays 3-4pm) and Teen Male Mentorship Program (Mondays 3-4pm) are group mentorships helping teens develop deeper understandings of themselves, expand their wellness toolbox, learn how to foster responsible decision making, and build a supportive network of peers. We’re offering a safe and fun space to join guest speakers, workshops, guided discussions, and activities that help navigate challenges and develop skills and resources to thrive. This program will also integrate elements of WRAP to help participants build resilience, self-confidence, and adaptability. Runs 6 weeks starting June 24th. What is WRAP ? Developed in 1997 by people impacted by mental health recovery, WRAP is a process that helps people build social-emotional and life strategies, maintain positive mental health, and achieve their goals. WRAP has been used in all 50 states and 15 countries around the world. It’s been extensively adapted for use with all kinds of life issues, expanding well beyond mental health. Today, it is a cornerstone of health programs all over the world. As a learning tool, WRAP helps people grow their sense of personal responsibility, learn to self-advocate for what they need, and become accepting of support from others. For young adults, this can be crucial. The program is elastic, allowing you to modify it as you change and grow, particularly useful for young people. As the program organization AHP  puts it, “You can change your WRAP as you grow. It’s yours, and you can use it to make positive changes in your life.” WRAP can help with a variety of social-emotional situations including dealing with uncomfortable feelings or thoughts, managing stress, starting or ending relationships, making friends, managing home and family challenges, and navigating peer pressure. It can also help build tools that aid important life skills like Managing schoolwork, starting a new school or job, handling stress at work, and dealing with a serious injury. Sign-up for our summer programs is already underway! Visit our sign-up page  or email us with questions.

SAFE’s Trickle Up Effect is an interactive workshop offering businesses and organizations the chance to get curious and have courageous conversations around gender, sexuality, and the importance of inclusion in the workplace.   Through Trickle Up Effect’s interactive lessons, participants learn how to be better advocates for LGBTQ employees and clients and how to respond to challenging and uncomfortable situations. Developed in 2018 and brought to SAFE in March 2022, Trickle Up Effect has since trained 75 individuals. Now more than ever, groups are seeing the value of leveling up their knowledge on how to nurture inclusivity and promote authenticity in the workplace. The program was developed by SAFE Director of Training and Development Oomiya Kawas (they/she pronouns), who has a background in diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender support resourcing, and LGBTQIA+ adolescent outreach. “When families struggle to accept their LGBT child’s identity, it can result in anxiety, depression, and suicidality–all these negative outcomes,” says Kawas. “I was working with families to put systems in place to reduce those negative outcomes, and the most effective of those were love, acceptance, and encouraging their kids to be their authentic selves. Those experiences really honed my skills.” More than a lecture, Trickle Up Effect is a conversational space for asking questions and coming to a better understanding of gender, identity, transness, marginalization, and privilege. Kawas says they have witnessed these seemingly small moments of conversation offer a powerful impact. “Being able to facilitate spaces where people feel safe to ask questions and get vulnerable, it promotes learning and growing. Each time that happens, the ripple effect is powerful.” Kawas has seen this impact in businesses as well. “Educating your teams on how to meet people from all different walks of life increases revenue,” she says. “And many companies are beginning to see that.” The program encourages new ways of identifying accessibility needs, helping organizations meet the goal of ensuring anyone–not just a few people–can say, ‘This place is built with me in mind.’ One Massachusetts-based medical group was motivated toward tangible change in their organization following their Trickle-Up Effect training. The team of doctors and nurses became aware of a need to revise their intake process and decided to consult with Kawas. Together, they went through the clinic's intake paperwork and processes and made sure that they were inclusive of trans and gender-expansive identities. “It was really moving knowing that patients who might have struggled going to the doctor because of the psychological implications of being misgendered or dead-named would have safeguards in place to prevent that," says Kawas. "I was honored to be a part of it.” Businesses are increasingly seeking out the Trickle Up Effect with their bottom line in mind, an intent that Kawas says is paying off. “If I have to show up every day at my job and I can’t be who I am, I am using a big piece of my bandwidth to shield myself, privately build my own accommodations, and be this other person,” they say. “When we can show up as our authentic selves without fear, we are more creative, more innovative, and can more easily see our work in a new way. We all know that unhappy employees equal more turnover, which is more onboarding and training, one of the biggest internal expenses. So equity really is money in your pocket.” One point of the Trickle Up Effect curriculum is to show the ways stereotypes limit our understanding of others. In one activity, participants practice telling their life story in gender stereotypes, holding back details that don’t seem to fit. One participant expressed how freeing this was for him. “He didn’t like cars, tools, or sports. He loved to garden, and considered himself very nurturing,” Kawas recalls. “He felt secure in who he was now as an older gentleman, but realized how much these stereotypes impacted him when he was younger. He had felt he needed to be something he wasn't.” For Kawas, Trickle Up Effect is ultimately about seeing the value of everyone’s authenticity. “My greatest hope when teaching is that I can inspire folks to see the value in authenticity and to cherish it, both theirs and others” she says. “I want them to leave with permission to explore who they are, to live in their truth, and to encourage and honor the space for others to do the same.” For more information on SAFE’s Trickle Up Effect see our website  or email okawas@safecoalitionma.org .