East Bridgewater Police Partner with P.A.A.R.I. to Create Gloucester-Style Addiction Initiative

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 19, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

East Bridgewater Police Partner with P.A.A.R.I. to Create Gloucester-Style Addiction Initiative

EB HOPE Program to Provide Support and Guidance for Four Communities

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Police Chief John Cowan, along with Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello, and John Rosenthal, co-founders of The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), are pleased to announce that the East Bridgewater Police Department has joined P.A.A.R.I. to further the “EB Hope Substance Abuse Outreach and Intervention Program.”

EB HOPE, a non-profit volunteer organization started in 2011, is a collaboration of members from the community, including local police, school department personnel, local town government, drug treatment and recovery members, the local clergy and residents suffering from substance abuse and/or their family members. This EB HOPE Outreach program targets East Bridgewater residents, but will also incorporate residents from neighboring communities including, West Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Whitman, totaling 63,000 residents. In all four communities, there were 109 overdoses (four fatalities in East Bridgewater) this year from Jan. 1 to Oct. 18.

“These numbers are extremely troubling and we know law enforcement must alter the way we address opioid addiction in our communities,” Chief Cowan said. “We have seen the success of the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative in multiple cities and towns and are inspired to create a similar program for our region.”

The EB HOPE program is designed to act as a gatekeeper for the communities by notifying residents about substance abuse services that are available to everyone before an overdose or fatality occurs. Beginning with sessions on a bi-monthly basis, EB HOPE members will work to grow the program into a community center-like system where residents can go to find answers and advice.

“For the last several years East Bridgewater Police has taken a proactive approach to treating addiction in town and in their neighboring communities through the EB HOPE Program,” Chief Campanello said. “The Gloucester Police Department and P.A.A.R.I. will support the East Bridgewater Police Department as they continue to work toward expanding their initiative to connect residents with the necessary services to overcome their addiction and begin the path to recovery.”

In collaboration with EB HOPE and its volunteer members, law enforcement and civilian partners will facilitate bi-monthly community-based meetings for people suffering from the disease of addiction and their friends and family members to provide information on where to access:

• Outpatient levels of care
• Inpatient/medical detoxification programs, along with continuous care options (residential versus sobriety homes)
• Addiction recovery services available through a representative from the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery
• Resources for family support
• Mental health professionals
• Information for obtaining Nasal Naloxone and on-site training on the proper use
• Information about local coalitions and community-based groups involved in opioid abuse prevention and treatment
• Faith Based Support
• Veteran services personnel

EB HOPE will hold their first public outreach session on Nov. 5, 2015.

Family and friends will be directed to Angel volunteers who have experience with addiction and recovery, and will be available to share their personal experiences and provide guidance to those struggling with addiction.

Police are also looking to develop a partnership with a trained mental health triage counselor. The person will assist in the development of a plan and program to help those with Substance Abuse Disorders in need of services, including short-term and long-term recovery programs.

“We are now looking into a counseling and treatment based philosophy to address the country’s current opioid epidemic,” Sgt. Detective Scott Allen said. “Through partnerships with community groups and coalitions, we are striving to place those struggling with addiction into treatment, while educating communities about the resources available to them to help prevent substance abuse disorders before they occur.”

East Bridgewater Police have already formed a collaboration with Brockton Area Multi-Services (BAMSI), Whitman Counseling Services, Caritas NORCAP Detox Program, High Point Treatment Center (HPTC), Brockton Mayor’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Coalition (BMOOPC), the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR), Learn to Cope, and the Community Covenant Church of East Bridgewater headed by Pastor Don Olson and the church’s board of directors. Assistance and guidance for this program has also been provided by Edward Jacoubs of the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and State Representative Geoff Diehl.

“Our goal is to provide community members with the resources they need to treat and recover from their addictions,” said Susan Silva, EB HOPE Director. “By incorporating friends, family, ANGEL volunteers and a mental health counselor into this process we hope to treat addiction at its core and save lives.”

Residents can also visit EB Hope’s Facebook and Twitter pages to find out more and stay up to date on current news, training and meetings.

“The EB HOPE Program is a great initiative that will help all members of the community struggling with addiction by providing resources, guidance and support,” John Rosenthal said. “We welcome East Bridgewater Police to P.A.A.R.I.”

About P.A.A.R.I.

P.A.A.R.I. was started to support local police departments as they work with opioid addicts. Rather than arrest our way out of the problem of drug addiction, P.A.A.R.I. committed police departments:

• Encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery
• Help distribute life-saving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses
• Connect people suffering with opioid addictionwith treatment programs and facilities
• Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic

P.A.A.R.I. was created by Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal to bridge the gap between the police department and opioid addicts seeking recovery.

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