Community Services in Framingham, Massachusetts

New Beginnings Wellness Program, Framingham

Framingham / Massachusetts / United States

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Addiction causes young people to grow up emotionally and intellectually crippled as adults. Chronic use of alcohol and drugs causes adolescents to avoid normal growing pains. The process need not be complicated. Prevention is the sum of education and early intervention. With courage, concern, patience and the belief that it is never too early or too late, our young people of today can be educated to make healthy choices for a non-addicted life. New Beginnings awareness programs are all that and more. The programs are in constant change to keep up with the fast-paced world we live in. Each program focuses on the most current issues students deal with everyday, at any grade level, and new strategies and approaches are always created to keep students interested. Programs are also presented to adapt to the issues and concerns parents and schools feel are important to encourage young adults to make responsible decisions. Times change; New Beginnings believes in changing with the times. Register for a Program Bill Phillips founded the "New Beginnings" programs in 1985 to promote awareness and acceptance of alcoholism and other dependencies as a health issue of grave concern to everyone, with major ramifications to the welfare of the community. The program helps to identify the links between school discipline, delinquency, violence and achievement. The emphasis is on young adults to make responsible decisions by providing them with current and accurate information regarding the effects and dangers of alcohol and drugs. He works closely with adults, teachers, parents, police and others to use their influence to assist young people in making healthy decisions about their futures. Bill has conducted programs in middle schools, high schools and colleges throughout the country. Locally New Beginnings educational programs have reached over 75, 000 students within the last year. He earned his B.A. in psychology at West Virginia State College, with continued studies at Boston University. He is certified in alcohol and drug counseling, adolescent behaviors and intervention and prevention counseling. In addition, Bill has served as an At-Risk-Counselor for a number of high schools in Massachusetts. He was a catalyst in development of the Framingham, Massachusetts District Court 2nd Offenders Program, which he currently directs. Bill also serves as a liaison to Juveniles At-Risk for many of the courts throughout the area. His New Beginnings Program is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and in partnership with several wellness programs throughout the state. He is also a consultant for The Governors Alliance Against Drugs. Currently, Bill is working on an educational manual for schools, parents and businesses titled, "Chemical Dependency, Assessing the Problem." Dick is a consultant and advisor for the New Beginnings Program. He is the former Director of Social Studies for the Watertown, MA Public Schools. During his tenure as Director, he developed innovative discussion-based curricula for high school students. One program dealing with awareness of issues students continually faced became a model for numerous area high schools. Specific issues discussed included drug & alcohol awareness, moral dilemmas, decision making, teen suicide, self-esteem, gender issues, relationships, rape and date rape, harassment, etc. His degree status includes a B.S., an Ed. M. and a C.A.G.S. from B.U. and Boston State (now UMass Boston). He was an adjunct professor at Boston State Graduate School, teaching courses such as "Curriculum Design and Administration" and "Modern Curriculum Planning." He has also presented workshops at the MA Reading Association, the Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies, the M.I.A.A. and for various school systems throughout Massachusetts. He is also a member of the National Education Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. He presently is an adjunct professor at Mass Bay Comm