Wentworth-Douglass Hospital donates $150K for Dover Police youth outreach, substance misuse programs

posted on 3/27/2024

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital has donated $150,000 to aid the Dover Police Department’s community outreach bureau and its efforts to achieve healthier youth and families.

The grant is part of the hospital’s continued support and advancement of ‘Dover Youth to Youth’ (Y2Y), the department’s after-school drug prevention program for Dover students in grades 6-12, as well as the department’s outreach social worker.  

“These programs will have a meaningful impact on addressing the need for community-based outreach services and the need for both mental health and substance misuse treatment, and prevention services,” said Wentworth-Douglass community benefits manager Meaghan Heusler.

Dover Police say they are specifically aiming to reduce substance misuse, promote mental health wellness, address social determinants of health, and support individuals in accessing care – including primary care.

“The activities and initiatives of the department's Community Outreach Bureau have a tremendous impact on the health and safety of this community,” said Dover Police Chief William Breault. “There is a long history of collaboration between our organizations for the betterment of this community, so I’m grateful for the support from Wentworth-Douglass once again.”

Dover Police have used previous grants from Wentworth-Douglass to support a variety of initiatives, including the creation of public service announcements, training for local employers to recognize the signs of substance misuse and how to help, the exploration of drug treatment models to support recovery, the development of school and community projects to raise awareness and provide an organized method for local partners to collectively develop solutions.

Wentworth-Douglass conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment every three years to identify where the hospital should focus its programs and services to improve the overall health of the individuals and families it serves. The funds donated are approved by the hospital’s Community Benefit Funding Disbursement Committee and are not raised through any public or private donations.