Dedham Police Receive Grant to Fund Substance Abuse Program

For Immediate Release
Friday, June 19, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 978-769-5193
Email: jessica@jgpr.net

Dedham Police Receive Grant to Fund Substance Abuse Program

DEDHAM — Chief Michael d’Entremont and Superintendent Michael Welch are pleased to announce that the Dedham Police Department received the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to support a Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) Program at Dedham Middle School next year.

“We believe that early prevention efforts are more successful than intervention endeavors down the road, especially among our young teenage groups,” Chief d’Entremont said. “Keeping our community safe, especially the children, is a key responsibility of the police department. This program will go a long way in making Dedham a safer place for our youth.”

This almost $22,000 award is a result of the collaboration between the Dedham Police Department and the School Department.

Botivin LST is a highly effective, evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention program that teaches drug refusal skills, promotes anti-drug norms and fosters the development of personal self-management skills and general social skills.

“This grant will help the school department expand on its already great LifeSkills Training Program,” Superintendent Welch said. “We’ve seen positive results working with our middle school students, who complete the program with a variety skills in their warehouse they can use to make smart decisions preventing drug and alcohol abuse and violence.”

The Caron Treatment Center will present the program to all 8th grade students at the Dedham Middle School. Representatives will also train six Dedham Public School staff members, the Dedham Police Department’s Juvenile Officer and a School Resource Officer as facilitators of the LifeSkills program in order to sustain the program in the future.

The Police and School Departments will aim to reduce the age of onset drug use, reduce drug use in grade 8 and change student perceptions around the dangers of low-level marijuana use and prescription drug use.

“Dedham prides itself on being able to offer these key resources to our students,” Town Manager James Kern said. “Through the great work from our Police and School Departments, we are able to share important information about staying healthy and safe with our children.”

In response to the serious concerns of substance abuse, the town formed the Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Awareness. Additionally, members from Dedham High School worked with the Caron Treatment Center, a nationally recognized chemical dependency facility, to provide an intervention group for students who have self-identified as already using drugs or who are identified as a high risk for drug use.

About JAG:

The JAG Program provides states, tribes, and local governments with critical funding to support a wide range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution and court, prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, and technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.

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