Introduction to EASTIE

Mission:
To mobilize youth, families, community members and organizations to prevent and reduce substance misuse in East Boston. 

Vision:
East Boston is a place where young people and families can thrive and receive the support they need to be healthy and happy.

How we do our work:
Under the auspices of NeighborHealth, EASTIE is a robust multi-sectoral coalition that includes key policy makers such as the Co-Chair of the MA Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. The EASTIE coalition has representatives from the following sectors: education, healthcare, social services, youth programs, recovery services, local and state government, the legal system, civil society organizations, religious organizations, local businesses, media, youth, parents, and community leaders. EASTIE also collaborates closely with substance use prevention coalitions in other parts of Boston and the neighboring communities of Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.

EASTIE’s primary prevention strategy is to address the mental health stressors, complex trauma, and health disparities that drive East Boston residents to turn to substances as a coping mechanism. A growing number of young people, especially from the Latinx community, are consuming nicotine and marijuana (YRBS 2021), and Latinx adults are experiencing the highest rate of opioid related death among all populations in the state (Boston Indicators Report 2021). 
This concerning trend is reflected in the East Boston neighborhood where the number one cause of premature death is drug overdose (Health of Boston Report, 2023).
 
In response to these challenges, EASTIE is working to prevent and reduce nicotine and marijuana vaping by middle and high school students, with an equity focus on Latinx youth and their families. In the longer term, these prevention efforts will disrupt pathways to opioid use as these young people grow into adulthood.  To achieve these goals, EASTIE is implementing a cross-sectoral, strengths-based and healing-centered approach to foster resilience, health equity and systems change.
As such, EASTIE’s local work aligns with a growing movement of coalitions across the country that are preventing trauma and fostering resilience in their community’s base. Cross-sectoral coalitions that use this approach have achieved remarkable results in the areas of substance use prevention and reduction, health equity and overall youth, family and community wellbeing.

Prevention through HOPE
Guiding all of EASTIE’s work is a strengths-based framework called HOPE - Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences. HOPE – Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experience  HOPE is grounded in the latest Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences science that demonstrates how positive childhood experiences effectively prevent and significantly mitigate the negative physical, mental and behavioral health impacts of childhood trauma, such as substance misuse.

HOPE emphasizes the importance of individual, collective and societal efforts to promote: 1) positive, trusting relationships within the family and with other young people and adults; 2) social and civic engagement to develop a sense of belonging and connectedness; 3) emotional growth for self-awareness and regulation; and 4) safe, stable and equitable environments at home, school and the community at large.
Over the past two years, EASTIE Coalition members have been learning about and promoting the implementation of HOPE across all sectors of the East Boston community. All of EASTIE’s prevention programming and education is based on the HOPE framework.