Earlier this year, Laila McGeorge was announced as the new Substance Use Prevention Coalition Coordinator for the Town of Brookline. Coming from a position as a coalition coordinator for a Drug Free Communities (DFC) coalition in southern Connecticut, McGeorge is eager to turn her experience to Brookline.
In this role, she will oversee the daily operations of the Brookline Coalition Advocating Substance Awareness (B-CASA), connect with the broader community, research substance use patterns within Brookline, and develop strategies for curbing and preventing abuse.
McGeorge comes armed with a master’s in social work and a master’s in public health studies, a skill set that combines the community action of a coalition model with the science-based practice of prevention and public health. She has eagerly dived into the position, dividing her time between the public health team at the Town of Brookline and boots-on-the-ground research in Brookline Public Schools, meeting with staff members about student needs.
“The tenets of running a substance abuse prevention coalition are reducing substance use. Typically it’s with youth, but it can be across lifespan,” says McGeorge. “It’s using science, using data and research to back up why you want to make these changes, and having your community help you come up with strategies to address the issues.”
Here in Brookline, a 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of Brookline Public School students indicated that marijuana use dramatically increases from a student’s freshman year of high school to their senior year. Only 7% of ninth graders reported use, while 53% of twelfth graders reported use. Alcohol is another area of concern for youth.
McGeorge will conduct a fresh survey this spring to get the most recent possible data. It will then explore why usage increases and how to prevent it from happening. An example may be talking to parents about the safe storage of substances at home or encouraging business owners to card more strictly.
McGeorge also wants to evolve the attitude around substance prevention, moving from shame and fear to support and information.
“I would love to incorporate more focus around positive noise than focusing on the negative,” she says. “And I think prevention as a whole is moving towards healthier dialog.”
B-CASA looks at substance abuse across all ages and demographics, although youth are often the starting point. The work done in this coalition directly intersects with other lifestyle factors like food security and housing. McGeorge will be collaborating with our areas of the public health department for her prevention strategy.
The coalition was founded by town community members in 2003 and has evolved in funding and leadership over the past 20 years. Putting McGeorge at the helm is a fresh start for Brookline and the coalition, an opportunity to streamline and reorganize processes.
Ultimately, the coalition will also include 12 community members from different sectors, such as law enforcement and health professionals, who will weigh in on the prevention strategy. McGeorge says there will be many opportunities for community members to be involved.
“Laila is a wonderful addition to our substance use prevention team,” says Public Health and Human Services Director Sigalle Reiss. “We are confident she will enhance our ability to engage with the community on data-driven, evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce youth substance use and improve health outcomes.”
