Revere board hears Brain Enrichment Initiative pitch to train high‑school mentors for middle‑school mental‑health support

Dan Flanagan and two colleagues told the Revere Board of Education during a work session Aug. 12 that the Brain Enrichment Initiative (BEI) is a mentorship‑based mental‑health curriculum that trains older students to mentor younger students in small groups and connects participants to community partners for additional services.

Flanagan said the BEI curriculum is trademarked and built around social‑emotional learning combined with “brain education” drawn from research; mentors are typically ninth‑ and tenth‑graders who receive four weeks of training and then deliver a multi‑week curriculum to middle‑school mentees. “Our curriculum…is taught to mentors in ninth or tenth grade. They become the mentor in the program,” Flanagan said. He described a 40‑lesson library the program adapts to district needs.

The program’s Nut Graf: BEI leaders said a central aim is prevention — to give students leadership skills, emotional‑regulation tools and a local support network before mental‑health problems become severe. The presenters cited a pilot in Akron Public Schools and said the district saw measurable changes on state social‑emotional benchmarks and faster resilience gains than expected.

Program details and data: Brianna Flanagan, who directs mentorship development for BEI and runs the program’s pilot work, described a 12‑ to 16‑week model used in Akron: four weeks of mentor training followed by eight to 12 weeks of mentor–mentee sessions. She said sessions are run as small groups (typically one mentor with multiple mentees) and that students complete weekly “check‑ins” and “check‑outs” — short Google‑form or in‑session emotional‑barometer items the program uses to track change. The presenters said they provide participating districts with end‑of‑program data and regular updates for parents when districts request them.

Safety and escalation: Board members asked how BEI handles disclosures of self‑harm. The presenters said the program follows each school’s mandatory reporting protocols and escalates immediately to school guidance staff. “If they say, ‘please don’t tell anyone,’ that’s not part of what we do,” Brianna Flanagan said; the team said instances that suggest imminent risk are reported to the school guidance counselor and the district’s designated staff immediately.

Clinical support and partners: The presenters said BEI’s board includes mental‑health professionals and that they are adding a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a long‑time Akron community‑services clinician, Aretha Brown, to the board. They listed community partners used in pilots, including Mustard Seed and a local yoga provider, Half Moon Yoga, for physical‑wellness components. They also said they are negotiating a partnership with the University of Akron to allow student teachers to earn credit through BEI placements.

How the model works in schools: Presenters said mentor selection is typically done by the district (selection preferred over open sign‑up), and that the program can run after school or during the school day depending on logistics. In Akron the pilot ran after school and focused on a mix of Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 students, though BEI leaders said the curriculum could benefit all students.

Board questions and clarifications: Board members and district staff asked whether licensed clinicians are on staff; presenters said clinicians are on the board and that BEI trains mentors to report immediately and to work under school policies. The district’s director of education (role stated in the meeting) said staff would set up communication pathways so BEI representatives and school guidance counselors could escalate concerns in real time.

Limitations and scope: Presenters described BEI as an early‑intervention, peer‑mentoring program rather than a clinical therapy service. They said facilitators and BEI representatives attend sessions to oversee and document events, but the program relies on school counselors and existing district processes for clinical follow‑up.

Next steps: BEI offered to share its copyrighted curriculum and follow up with the board on implementation logistics; presenters said they will provide a copy of the materials to district staff and continue discussions on scheduling and supervision.

Ending: Board members did not take a formal vote on BEI at the meeting; presenters said they would follow up with district staff to explore pilot options and logistics.