About the Program:​

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An alternative to traditional school suspension policies, SAFE’s own “Up in Smoke” is a diversion-based program that invites students for three full-day, in-person, small group classes.

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With trained staff who meet in-person with student groups of five students at a time, this program is the only one of its kind in the region. Founded in 2022 with help from a grant from the Bingham Trust, the program has logged over seven hundred hours helping more than 130 teens seek a recovery plan for the use of nicotine, marijuana and other controlled substances.

Up in Smoke builds on the highly regarded “Why Try” and “Stanford Toolkit for Cannabis Use” cirriculua, guiding students in understanding how daily life informs their opportunities to seek freedom and self-respect. The program also addresses the impacts of substance use on the brain and body, and builds systems for stress management and engendering belonging. According to Kelley, coursework is designed in a way that “gives students a chance to think critically about the reasons behind why they are using substances, and to build tools they can use to cope with difficult situations in their life.”

Participants in the program report that the course provides greater perspective and a sense of camaraderie. "I felt very safe here,” says one program graduate, “I loved my counselor and my group was amazing. I never feel comfortable sharing anything with my parents or therapists but I really felt comfortable here."

“Up in Smoke” arrives at a critical moment in Massachusetts, where legislation passed in 2022 calls on public schools to use alternatives to suspension as first-line response to rule violation. The measure specifically requires consequences that “re-engage the student in the learning process.” Up in Smoke deeply supports Law C.71’s emphasis on positive behavioral intervention and trauma-sensitive learning through an emphasis on four target areas: mediation, restorative justice, conflict resolution and collaborative problem-solving.