Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Kiame Mahaniah visited Revere High School on Tuesday, November 25, to observe firsthand the school’s expanding efforts to support students’ behavioral health and reduce substance-related suspensions. The visit centered on the High School Response Team (HSRT), a partnership between Revere High School and North Suffolk Mental Health that has become a model for early intervention, prevention, and restorative practices for adolescents.
Secretary Mahaniah was welcomed by Sutton Bradbury-Koster of North Suffolk Mental Health, who helps run the program on site; Revere Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly; a group of participating students; and several Revere High School educators, social workers, and administrators. The group spent the afternoon discussing how the HSRT’s approach reflects a shift in schools statewide toward more supportive, student-centered responses to behavioral and emotional challenges.
Bradbury-Koster said the visit offered an opportunity to highlight the layered supports the HSRT provides to students navigating stress, substance use, academic pressures, and other barriers to well-being.
“All our programs follow a person-centered approach, meaning ‘success’ is defined by the student,” he explained. “They set the goals, and I facilitate conversations with them to help reach those goals. At the end of the day, the success of students is dependent on the willingness and effort they put into their own goals.”
The HSRT offers three core programs—ACRA, Project AMP, and iDecide—each tailored to different levels of student need. All three combine evidence-based practices with mentoring, skill-building, and restorative conversations.
The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) is a 12- to 14-session intervention delivered by a master’s-level clinician. ACRA focuses on helping students develop healthier coping strategies and build stability through improved communication skills, problem-solving, anger management techniques, and positive connections to family, school, and community. Sessions can include caregiver meetings and often emphasize job readiness, social engagement, and substance refusal skills.
Project AMP, a four- to six-week mentoring program, provides prevention and early intervention services for students who are dealing with stress, academic challenges, social pressures, or emerging concerns around substance use. The program uses a series of structured activities to help students understand their strengths, set academic or personal goals, and develop strategies for navigating common high-school stressors.
The iDecide program serves as a suspension diversion option for students found with substances or paraphernalia at school. Rather than punitive discipline, iDecide emphasizes education and empowerment. Over four sessions, students learn about substance use disorder, the impact of substances on the developing teen brain, personal triggers, and healthy coping mechanisms. The goal is to keep students connected to school while reducing repeat incidents and supporting informed, safer choices.
Superintendent Dr. Kelly noted that programs like the HSRT align closely with the district’s commitment to creating equitable and supportive learning environments. The partnership with North Suffolk Mental Health has allowed Revere High to address behavioral health needs early, consistently, and without stigma.
For Secretary Mahaniah—himself a practicing physician specializing in addiction and primary care—the visit carried professional and personal significance. As leader of the state’s largest secretariat, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), he oversees the agencies responsible for improving health outcomes, advancing equity, and supporting the social and emotional well-being of millions of residents. He also co-chairs statewide initiatives focused on health equity, primary care access, and opioid recovery.
Before joining Gov. Maura Healey’s administration, Mahaniah served as CEO of the Lynn Community Health Center, where he guided the organization through a transition to value-based care. Known for his mentorship and teaching, he is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and holds degrees from Haverford College, Thomas Jefferson University, and UMass Amherst.
His ongoing work keeping a small patient panel while serving as Secretary underscores his commitment to staying grounded in clinical practice—something he highlighted during conversations at Revere High.
During the visit, students shared how the HSRT’s individualized support helped them better manage stress, improve school performance, and rethink decisions around peer pressure and substance use. Staff emphasized that while the programs are structured, each student’s plan is tailored to their goals and needs.
Bradbury-Koster said that having statewide leaders witness the program’s impact firsthand helps validate the work happening daily at Revere High. “I really enjoy this work,” heec said. “These programs are designed to meet students where they are, and seeing them make progress toward goals they define for themselves is incredibly rewarding.”
As schools across the Commonwealth continue to face rising mental-health needs among adolescents, Revere’s High School Response Team offers a promising example of what can be achieved through compassionate, coordinated, student-centered care. Secretary Mahaniah’s visit underscored the state’s commitment to supporting initiatives that prioritize connection over punishment, education over exclusion, and long-term health over short-term discipline.