Up In Smoke
A teen substance use diversion program - Starts October 1!
Ages
14 - 18
Date
Weekly: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Time
9:00am - 2:00pm
About the Course
Details:
Class: Up In Smoke, substance use diversion program - Starts October 1!
Ages: 14 – 18
Days: Three full-day sessions: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Times: 9am – 2pm
Location: SAFE Office, 31 Hayward St Unit 2-c Franklin MA 02038
Lunch included.
Program supported by the Bingham Trust, Botera, and the Community Health Systems (CHS) Foundation.
Make a Referral:
Any student may be referred to the “Up in Smoke” program. To refer a student for an upcoming session, visit SAFE’s Up in Smoke Information Link.
School administration interested in bringing Up In Smoke to your school for the 2024-25 school year can email info@safecoalitionma.org.
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.
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.
Diversion Program 2024-25 Dates
October
October 1-3 : Emma
October 8-10 : Chavelyn
October 15-17 : Emma
October 22-24 : Chavelyn
October 29-31 : NO CLASS
November
November 5-7 : Emma
November 12-14: Chavelyn
November 19-21 : Emma
November 26-28: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Week)
December
December 3-5 : Chavelyn
December 10-12 : Emma
December 17-19 : Chavelyn
December 24-26 : NO CLASS (Christmas)
January
January 31-2 : NO CLASS (New Year’s)
January 7-9 : Emma
January 14-16 : Chavelyn
January 21-23 : Emma
January 28-30 : NO CLASS
February
February 4-6 : Emma
February 11-13 : Chavelyn
February 18-20 : Emma
February 25-27: NO CLASS
March
March 4-6 : Emma
March 11-13 : Chavelyn
March 18-20 : Emma
March 25-27: NO CLASS
April
April 1-3 : Emma
April 8-10 : Chavelyn
April 15-17 : Emma
April 22-24: Chavelyn
April 29-May 1 : NO CLASS
May
May 6-8: Emma
May 13-15 : Chavelyn
May 20-22 : Emma
May 27-29 : NO CLASS
June
June 3-5 : Emma
June 10-12 : Chavelyn
Tentative end to program June 12th
Instructors subject to change depending on week
Your Instructor:
Emma Kelley & Chavelyn Santana
Director of Adolescent Wellness / Director of Collaborative Care
Emma graduated from UMass Amherst with her bachelor’s in psychology and legal studies. She has always had an interest in the intersection between mental health and how the court system responds. She has interned at Wrentham District Court working with Section 35 cases, and at Riverside Community Care. She graduated at the start of the pandemic, and with everything shut down, she moved to Nantucket, MA. She worked at the Boys and Girls Club where she discovered her passion of working with children and adolescents. Now, she is dedicated to helping adolescents through a holistic lens. I enjoy playing the piano, yoga, meditation, and any other mindfulness activity I can find!
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Chavelyn graduated with her bachelor’s in science, in psychology. She experienced how individuals and families in need of support become marginalized. Chavelyn’s faith, passion, and sense of community are her driving force! Through Lasell University Chavelyn completed Research studies and co-authored “Affective judgement of social touch on a hand associated with hand embodiment”, which allowed her the opportunity to work with a multigenerational population. Chavelyn has completed internships at the Dept. of Children and Families, and BMC Adult Probation in Boston. She worked alongside with children, teens, and adults in their hardest and happiest moments. Chavelyn transitioned to Riverside Community Care and in various roles provided administrative and community support to the large community we worked with. Both in her professional and personal experiences has led her to the importance of empathy, connection, and empowerment to individuals in need. Believing in the mission of SAFE, Chavelyn is ready to provide a helping hand!