LT. GOV. CALLS STATS ON CITY'S TROUBLED YOUTHS 'STUNNING'

BOSTON -- Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said Tuesday that "stunning
statistics" regarding troubled kids in Fitchburg makes the city an
ideal location to test a new substance abuse-related school program.

"The rate of drug abuse, the mortality rate for car accidents and
child abuse are much higher in Fitchburg than the state average,"
Healey told the Sentinel & Enterprise Tuesday. "There are some real
health concerns for children in Fitchburg."

Healey spoke with a reporter after speaking at a fundraising event
Tuesday, hosted by Fitchburg-based charity Ceiling and Visibility
Unlimited (CAVU). The event was geared to raise money for child
health programs in Fitchburg and Lawrence.

Healey said Fitchburg city officials have expressed interest in
testing a New York-model school program to help the district's most
troubled young students to avoid drugs and alcohol and overcome other
possible issues such as failing grades, child abuse or emotional
problems.

State money set aside for substance abuse programs would pay for case
managers to work with 15 kids ages 8 to 12 to bring them "back to
equilibrium" and keep them connected with services the child might
need, Healey said.

"It is also important to get in areas where schools are relatively
underperforming," Healey said about Fitchburg's fit with the pilot
program. "It has been proven that this model reduces drug dealing in
schools by 60 percent and it improves test scores."

Mayor Dan H. Mylott said he had discussed the program with Healey
about a year ago.

"I think it's a good program to try," Mylott said. "I think any of
the prevention programs are very important and have a good place in
our city, as well as other cities."

Bob Johnson, president and CEO of the Community Health Connections
Family Health Center, located in Fitchburg and Gardner, said he hopes
to work with Fitchburg schools on the program, too.

Johnson spoke at the event, describing a mental health program run by
the CHC Family Health Center with money from CAVU.

That program uses a part-time counselor to help identify students
with mental health problems and work with families and school staff
to help get kids help.

Johnson said CAVU awarded the health center with $25,000 a year for
three years to pay for the program at the North Central Charter
Essential School in Fitchburg and a school in Winchendon.

"The need outside of Boston is a lot greater," said CAVU executive
director Kris Cyr. "(In places like Fitchburg) you find just a few
players providing a ton of services."

Cyr said CAVU targets money for community health centers because they
tend to already serve low-income residents who need help the most.