Using the HOPE framework to strengthen positive childhood experiences and prevent youth substance use in Massachusetts
The HOPE National Resource Center is partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) on the Positive Adolescent and Childhood Experiences to Prevent Substance Use (PACES) initiative. This five-year project focuses on preventing substance use among children and adolescents ages 5–14 by strengthening protective factors and increasing opportunities for positive childhood experiences (PCEs) before substance use behaviors become established. The PACES initiative will use the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework as a foundation for its prevention approach. The Four Building Blocks of HOPE (relationships, environment, engagement, and emotional growth) will guide efforts to help communities identify and strengthen the experiences that support healthy child and adolescent development.
As the project’s primary training and technical assistance partner for PCEs, the HOPE National Resource Center will support prevention professionals, community organizations, and youth-serving systems in applying the HOPE framework to their work. Activities will include statewide training, technical assistance, resource sharing, and support for communities developing and implementing HOPE-informed prevention strategies. In addition to statewide capacity building, approximately six Massachusetts communities will receive funding and intensive support to develop and implement locally tailored prevention strategies. These communities will use local data and the HOPE framework to identify opportunities to strengthen protective experiences, engage youth and families, and promote well-being.
Through this partnership, HOPE will help advance a strengths-based approach to substance use prevention that goes beyond reducing risk factors to intentionally promoting the positive experiences children need to thrive.
Research Project Information
Project Name
Positive Adolescent and Childhood Experiences to Prevent Substance Use (PACES)
HOPE Contributors
Amanda Winn, MSW
Dina Burstein, MD, MPH
Robert Sege, MD, PhD, FAAP
Collaborators
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Sara Daley
Sarah Ruiz, MSW
Jose Morales
Andrew Robinson
Social Science Research and Evaluation, Inc
Scott Formica, PhD
Funders
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Project Dates
October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2031
Keywords
positive childhood experiences (PCEs), HOPE framework, Four Building Blocks of HOPE, substance use prevention, PACES, training and technical assistance
