iDECIDE facilitators come from many backgrounds and can be school or personnel from non-school partner organizations. The ideal facilitator is driven by a passion for supporting the future wellbeing of our youth, a willingness to learn techniques to best support them, and is dedicated to the iDECIDE mission. The iDECIDE team provides a workshop, continuing education, and facilitator coaching and support, so that facilitators can focus on what matters; listening, connecting with, and empowering our youth.
Learn moreYour Brain. Your Future. Your Choice.
iDECIDE was developed by the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in collaboration with the Office of Youth and Young Adult Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Institute for Health Recovery (IHR).
iDECIDE (Drug Education Curriculum: Intervention, Diversion, and Empowerment) was developed to provide schools with a science-based intervention for students caught violating school substance use policy (e.g., using at school or at school sanctioned events or reporting to school intoxicated). iDECIDE is an alternative to punitive responses to student substance use.
The objective of iDECIDE is to provide students with:
A scientific understanding of the impact of substance use and addiction on the adolescent brain and body;
An understanding of the common tactics used by industry to target young people;
The ability to identify and respond to personal impulses to use alcohol and other drugs; and
A sense of empowerment and a plan to make healthy decisions in line with their core values and future goals.
SUBSTANCE USE 101
Teen substance use is not inevitable. A growing number of U.S. teens are choosing not to use alcohol or other drugs.
Although misperceptions that vaping (nicotine and marijuana/THC) is “safe and healthy” have resulted in increased use by teens, an analysis of data from the 2018 Monitoring the Future Survey showed that, overall, more U.S. teens didn’t use alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs than in prior decades. A driving factor has been the decline in smoking among U.S. teens; showing that prevention and intervention efforts can, and do, work.
iDECIDE FACILITATORS
SUPPORT
iDECIDE is funded by a Cooperative Agreement to MGH from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Youth & Young Adult Services’ federal award by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
iDECIDE is also proud to be supported in part by Dalio Philanthropies. “Their support will help further the mission of iDECIDE promoting education and empowerment over punishment. Together, we can help to improve health equity among students and ensure responses to substance use infractions at school are effective, age-appropriate, and evidence-based for all.
Job Openings
iCARE
The iDECIDE development and evaluation team is excited to announce the upcoming launch of our new caregiver-facing program, iCARE! iCARE (Caregivers Advancing Resilience and Empowerment) is designed to complement the iDECIDE curriculum and support caregivers in navigating adolescent substance use. Providing caregivers with science-based knowledge and evidence-based skills, iCARE empowers caregivers to be science-informed and effectively communicate with youth about substance use while setting boundaries and prioritizing wellness. iCARE encourages caregivers to create a supportive and nurturing environment that allows youth to make decisions that align with their core values and wellness goals. Delivered through a series of videos, iCARE covers various topics, including the neurobiology of substance use and addiction, industry tactics and how to combat these tactics with health and media literacy, risk and protective factors for substance use, and effective communication skills and strategies.
iCARE will be available through schools across Massachusetts early January 2025!