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Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention and MAST propose 12‑week breathwork and sound program for prevention
Summary
Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and MAST Nantucket described a 12‑week prevention program using breathwork and sound therapies aimed at adults in recovery and other community members; presenters said the program builds neural pathways and can be used alongside existing recovery services.
Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) and MAST Nantucket presented a prevention grant proposal to the Contract Review Committee on June 6 that would fund a 12‑week program combining breathwork and sound therapy for adults in recovery and community members.
ASAP’s program director, Elise Snorton, said ASAP recently merged with NAMI on Nantucket to integrate substance‑misuse prevention and mental‑health support. She introduced Susie (founder of MAST Nantucket), who detailed the 12‑week curriculum and evidence‑based rationale for breathwork and sound work.
Susie described the program as trauma‑informed, group‑based work that uses breath techniques and harmonic sound bowls to guide participants into theta and alpha brainwave states. “When you do it inside of a group…we are drafting off each other,” she said, explaining the group dynamics and how the practice can create sustained changes in mood and stress responses.
Presenters said the program is explicitly prevention‑oriented and can serve as a non‑traditional path for people who are either in early recovery or at risk of escalating use. Susie gave participant examples from prior teen programming where breathwork coincided with reduced substance use and improved school engagement; she said sound sessions in other offerings had wait lists and strong teacher demand.
Committee members asked how participants would be recruited and whether the program would reach underserved groups. Speakers said outreach would be grassroots and rely on partnerships with local recovery groups, the school system, hospital staff and faith organizations; they noted plans to connect with Spanish‑ and Portuguese‑speaking communities. Susie said the program would be run in a community setting and that groups such as Dharma Recovery had already expressed interest.
On capacity, presenters proposed one weekly session for 12 weeks with up to 18 participants per session (they said the space could safely hold up to 22 but recommended 18 to avoid crowding). The committee did not vote on funding at the interview; the request will be scored with other applicants and considered in deliberations set for June 27.
