WALTHAM, MA | July 11, 2012
EDC has been chosen as the new statewide provider of technical assistance for substance abuse prevention by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). Under the contract, which began on July 1, EDC will direct technical assistance services in close collaboration with Bay State Community Services in Quincy and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments in Western Massachusetts.
As part of a new center to be known as the Massachusetts Technical Assistance Partnership for Prevention, or MassTAPP, EDC will provide its trademark customized assistance and support to BSAS-funded substance abuse prevention programs and also to cities, towns, and local coalitions working to prevent drug- and alcohol-related problems. EDC will draw on its experience working with hundreds of school districts, service providers, and communities across the country, using the most up-to-date research on prevention strategies to collaborate more effectively across systems and geographical regions.
MassTAPP will employ a core team of specialists, including experts in the reduction of underage drinking and opioid overdose (BSAS’s current priorities), as well as practitioners with experience in planning and implementing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention campaigns. MassTAPP will also conduct in-person trainings and networking events, many of which will be open to anyone in the state working in the area of substance abuse prevention and to the community programs funded by BSAS.
“We are so pleased to be chosen by the state to lead these services,” said EDC’s Lauren Gilman, who will direct the new center. “EDC’s experience and reputation for providing these services nationally will serve us well in meeting the needs of Massachusetts cities and towns who are actively working to prevent alcohol and other drug abuse in their communities.”
EDC will also use cutting-edge technology to offer webinars and other distance learning events to share information and research and bring together communities with similar concerns. In addition, the new center will offer peer-to-peer learning and mentoring opportunities to encourage communities to share strategies and work together.
A new MassTAPP website will offer visitors tools and resources as well as distance learning courses. Both funded and non-funded community programs will receive a monthly e-newsletter announcing upcoming events, related news items, and new resources.
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), is a global nonprofit organization that addresses some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic development. EDC manages more than 250 projects in 23 countries. Visit edc.org.
