GOT OUTCOMES FEATURE: Revere CARES Coalition

To reduce alcohol and other drug use takes more than just one or two strategies – it takes a variety of strategies involving the entire community. For 13 years, the Revere CARES Coalition in Revere, Mass. has done just that. The result? Reduced underage drinking and binge drinking rates among youth. Because of their success, the Revere CARES Coalition was named CADCA's Got Outcomes! Coalition of the Year award winner. The honor was given to director Kitty Bowman at CADCA's National Leadership Forum last month in Maryland.

The suburban city five miles north of Boston has responded to its growing, diverse population with a plethora of youth-inspired programs. Revere CARES (Community Awareness Resources and Education to Prevent Substance Abuse), is a community coalition that includes parents, representatives of the schools, clinicians, elected and appointed officials, police, young people, social service organizations, and businesses.
The Revere CARES coalition has conducted social marketing campaigns to change parental attitudes that drinking is a rite of passage; successfully advocated for increasing after-school and summer job activities; improved access to substance abuse treatment and services; succeeded in changing policies including moving up bar closing times from 2 a.m. to 1a.m., and denying multiple liquor licenses in the community of about 55,000 people.

The success of the program has been demonstrated through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey that the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Community Health Improvement administers in the Revere schools. Among the results: From 1997 to 2009, the percent of high school youth who believe it is easy to obtain alcohol has decreased by 21 percent; Binge drinking among high school students in Revere dropped 39 percent between 1999 and 2009, while statewide rates remained flat; The number of students who report current drinking decreased by 27 percent between 1999 and 2009.

Bowman said the Washington blizzard prohibited seven other members of Revere’s delegation, including Mayor Thomas Ambrosino, their police chief, and representatives of the school committee and fire department from attending the Forum, but she found an alternative method of transportation, a train, to be able to receive the award on the final day of the event.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this national recognition,” Bowman said. “At our post-community celebration, Mayor Ambrosino said it best: ‘Revere can because Revere cares,’”

Revere CARES was founded in 1997 with the leadership and support of Massachusetts General Hospital, and is primarily funded by MGH and Partners HealthCare. It is known for its innovative methods of advocacy and outreach to fight alcohol and substance abuse in Revere.

Bowman said her coalition will continue to advocate for youth and one upcoming project is partnering with the Revere High School dance team. The team approached Revere CARES about sending a positive campaign message to other youth about healthy lifestyle choices, including abstaining from drugs and alcohol.

“They told us, ‘We know how to dance, and that’s how we would like to get the message out.’ They want to show other youth what you are risking when you drink or use drugs,” Bowman said. “We want to let things develop organically, from the bottom up.”

Click here to view a video highlighting the work of the Revere CARES Coalition.