For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016

Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: rflynn@town.arlington.ma.us

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

Arlington Police Host Successful Vivitrol Meeting This Week

More Than 60 Residents in Attendance

ARLINGTON — Chief Frederick Ryan is pleased to announce that the Arlington Police Department hosted a successful Addiction Community Training and Support (A.C.T.S.) meeting about Vivitrol at the Arlington Youth Counseling Center yesterday.

More than 60 community members were in attendance for the event, which provided support, information and strategies for opioid users and their loved ones.

Guest speaker Katherine Gorham, a board-certified Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Mental Health Counselor from Square Medical Group of Watertown spoke about Vivitrol, the first and only non-addictive and non-narcotic medication proven to prevent relapse following detoxification.

Additionally, Captain Richard Flynn of the Arlington Police Department and Rebecca Wolfe, the Arlington Police Department’s Clinician, trained a room full of attendees on how to use the life-saving overdose reversal drug, Narcan. The department provided nine Narcan kits to citizens who have loved ones struggling with addiction.

“I am so pleased with the turnout we had for this meeting and I hope we can continue to educate the public and provide vital resources like Narcan at more training events in the future,” Chief Ryan said. “We have a long way to go in combating the disease of addiction, but seeing the community come together to learn about this important resource gives me hope that we can make a difference and save lives.”

A.C.T.S. is a major component of The Arlington Outreach Initiative, which is a plan of action inspired by the Gloucester Police Department ANGEL Initiative, created by Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello. In addition to providing education and support, Arlington’s Outreach Initiative aims to help addicts and their families, friends and caregivers by making them aware of available treatment options and resources.

For more information about A.C.T.S. or The Arlington Outreach Initiative, visit the Arlington Police Department’s website.

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