Monday, May 1, 2017
For Immediate Release
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-743-0004
Email: john@jgpr.net
Representatives From Pepperell Police Department and COIN Attend Roundtable on Opioid Outreach Initiatives
EASTON — Chief David Scott is pleased to announce that three representatives from the Community Outreach Initiative Network (COIN) attended a roundtable on opioid outreach initiatives, where leaders in the fight against the opioid epidemic discussed the successes, challenges, and best practices associated with law enforcement agencies fighting the opioid epidemic.
Chief Scott, Detective Jay Friend and COIN counselor Laurie Irvine attended the roundtable, where law enforcement and recovery leaders outlined the successes and challenges they’ve had in combating opioid addiction.
“The roundtable enabled us to connect with others who are facing this problem and to get a sense of the positive difference that collaboration can have.” Chief Scott said. “Any way we can find to provide people with resources and help them overcome their addiction is something worth exploring.”
COIN, a 10-town collaborative in northwest Middlesex County, seeks to assist those suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders by connecting them to services and treatment options in order to divert them from the criminal justice system.
Chief Scott Allen of the East Bridgewater Police and Chief Michael Botieri of the Plymouth Police discussed an unprecedented agreement between 27 departments that clears the way for recovery counselors and police to visit overdose victims and provide them with resources in the comfort of their own home.
“That sounds like an approach that has worked in terms of opening doors to treatment,” Chief Scott said, “and it is something we remain interested in pursuing locally.”
At the roundtable, which was held Tuesday, April 25, at Stonehill College, Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri said that law enforcement agencies and recovery groups should continue to combine efforts and share strategies for success.
The roundtable was hosted by the East Bridgewater Police Department, in conjunction with the Plymouth Police Department, EB Hope, Project Outreach and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz. It was attended by over 100 people from a variety of law enforcement and outreach groups.
For more on the roundtable, click here.
About COIN:
The Northwest Middlesex County Community Outreach Initiative Network (COIN) is a collaboration among 10 police departments — Pepperell, Ashby, Townsend, Groton, Shirley, Ayer, Boxborough, Dunstable, Westford and Littleton – committed to addressing mental health issues and substance abuse disorders in their communities. Through its partnership with Family Continuity, a local mental health provider, COIN has brought in a mental health clinician to assist the departments with finding help for their residents in need and diverting them from the criminal justice system.
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