An Overview of The Winchendon Project - The Winchendon Project

Most Murdock Students Don't Drink Alcohol.

Nearly 7 out of 10 students at Murdock Middle High School choose not to drink alcohol. (518 MMHS students surveyed, April 2009)

An Overview of The Winchendon Project

    The mission of The Winchendon Project is to "modify the risk and protective factors of middle and high school aged youth to enhance mental health and deter substance use."

    To that end, we have developed a comprehensive, multi-pronged intervention that seeks to reduce risk and bolster protection in the four domains of young people’s lives – individual, family, peer group, and community.

Phase One The project began in 2008. Surveys were conducted with MMHS students, parents and staff to identify the specific health and wellness needs of the Winchendon community. As a result, a custom approach based on proven methods was developed to enhance MMHS students’ quality of life, support academic achievement and bolster protection in the four domains of student’s lives – individual, family, peer group, and community.

Comprehensive behavioral health services were made available to students and families via a full-time school-based clinician. These services are offered in partnership with the Murdock Health Center which is located at the school and operated by Gardner's Heywood Hospital. A resource, the Learning Supports Facilitator, was added to the school staff to proactively develop programs and resources for students and to prevent and address risk behaviors. This individual also leads a school-based Resource Team in mapping school, district-wide, and community resources; develops and monitors referral systems; educates school staff and parents about how to access services and builds school-community relationships.

MMHS survey results indicated that students overestimate their peers risk behaviors. Industry research indicates that youth tend to overestimate the prevalence of problem behaviors (such as drinking alcohol) among their peers and that youth tend to act in ways that are consistent with their perception of their peers’ behaviors. A social norms marketing campaign was begun in 2009 to positively impact MMHS student perceptions and actions by promoting the fact that "Most Murdock students do not drink alcohol."

Phase Two In 2009 two tested and proven substance abuse education and prevention programs are being introduced: All Stars and Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA).

All Stars is a curriculum-based, highly interactive program designed to reinforce the positive qualities of middle school-aged youth. CMCA is a community-organizing program designed to reduce adolescent access to alcohol by changing community policies and practices. Strategies are also being implemented to improve the integration of medical and mental health services including standardized forms for sharing clinical information, expedited referrals, and co-location of providers.