addiction

*Media Advisory* Third Annual P.A.A.R.I. National Law Enforcement Summit to Take Mission to Nation’s Capital

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Oct. 11, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

*Media Advisory*

Third Annual P.A.A.R.I. National Law Enforcement Summit to Take Mission to Nation’s Capital

BOSTON — Executive Director Allie Hunter is pleased to announce that the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) will host its third annual National Law Enforcement Summit and, for the first time, will gather hundreds of dedicated professionals in the nation’s capital to share strategies to overcome the nationwide opioid epidemic.

WHEN:

  • Thursday Dec. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (main sessions and reception)
  • Friday, Dec. 6, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (optional post-summit training, networking and advocacy opportunities)

WHERE: 

U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

  • Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building
  • Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building
  • Hart Senate Office Building

WHAT: 

In its third year, P.A.A.R.I. will bring its lifesaving first-of-its-kind approach to the opioid crisis to Washington, uniting law enforcement, legislators and public health leaders in a unique setting to advance the work of overcoming the nationwide opioid crisis.

“Every law enforcement executive and manager should take special interest in what this conference can do to help an agency reduce the opioid crisis in the community they serve,” said Gil Kerlikowske, retired Seattle Police Chief, former President of Major Cities Chiefs, former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner.

The event will connect and empower law enforcement leaders who currently run — or would like to launch — a program to prevent overdose deaths and create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery.

Attendees will also have opportunities to meet with members of Congress and other decision makers at the federal level to discuss how local law enforcement agencies can shape public policy in response to the nation’s opioid crisis.

“This event is always the highlight of our year,” Executive Director Hunter said. “By hosting the summit in Washington, it gives our law enforcement leaders an unprecedented chance to meet directly with the lawmakers who can support their work at the local and federal level by focusing on policy that will save lives and enable access to treatment and recovery.”

Registration costs $100 for the two-day summit and is open to all members of law enforcement and their guests. Attendees are encouraged register early, as a very limited number of spots are available. Those who are not members of law enforcement will be added to a wait list and refunded if space is not available. 

To register via Eventbrite, click here.

Click here to see photos from last year’s National Law Enforcement Summit at Harvard Medical School. For videos, presentations, and handouts from past year’s events, click here and here.

Travel and agenda details, including presenters and speakers, will be announced as they become available.

About P.A.A.R.I

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery. Founded alongside the groundbreaking Gloucester MA Police Department Angel Initiative in June 2015, P.A.A.R.I has been a driving force behind this rapidly expanding community policing movement. We provide technical assistance, coaching, grants, and other capacity-building resources to more than 500 police departments in 33 states. We currently work with more than 130 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. P.A.A.R.I and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Our programs and partners have saved thousands of lives, changed police culture, reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic and have placed over 22,000 people into treatment since it’s founding in June 2015. Learn more at www.paariusa.org.

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*MEDIA ADVISORY* Randolph Police Officer Meets Woman for First Time After Helping Her through Substance Use Disorder 8 Years Ago

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Randolph Police Department
William Pace, Police Chief
41 South Main St.
Randolph, MA 02368

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Randolph Police Officer Meets Woman for First Time After Helping Her through Substance Use Disorder 8 Years Ago

Joanne Batson Gave Officer Stephen Morse her 8-Year Sobriety Medallion Today

RANDOLPH — Chief William Pace announces that veteran Randolph Police Officer Stephen Morse had a surprise encounter today with a woman he helped eight years ago who was in the throes of addiction.

Joanne Batson credits Officer Morse with helping her turn her life around from being addicted to alcohol and opioids. On Wednesday, she personally thanked Officer Morse by giving him the eight-year sobriety medallion she recently received.

Tomorrow morning, the two will be at the Randolph Police Department to share their story with members of the media.

WHEN:

TOMORROW — Thursday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m.

WHERE:

Randolph Police Department, 41 South Main St., Randolph

WHAT:

In November 2010, Randolph Police were called to a local pharmacy for a well-being check about a woman who appeared to be intoxicated inside the store with her young daughter.

Upon arrival, Officer Morse spoke to Joanne Batson who was drunk standing in line at the store. Once they stepped outside to talk, Officer Morse asked Batson if she had someone who was sober who could help take care of her daughter.

Batson called her aunt and Officer Morse gave her and her then-2-year-old daughter a ride to her aunt’s house in Randolph.

On the way there, Officer Morse spoke to Batson about needing to be there for her daughter and how important it was for her to make changes in her life.

Officer Morse dropped the mother and daughter off at the relative’s home and made sure they were both safe.

Even though as a mandated reporter, Officer Morse was required to file a 51A with the Department of Children and Families later that evening, eight years later Joanne credits the encounter she had with Officer Morse and her decision to seek treatment shortly thereafter with changing her life and allowing her today to be a mother to her children.

“I was in a really bad place. I was close to losing custody of my daughter,” said Batson, age 35, of Randolph. “His gesture of kindness and his compassion towards me really changed my life and it set me on the path toward pursuing treatment. I did long-term treatment for seven months and I’ve been clean ever since. He chose not to arrest me and took me to my aunt’s house with my daughter. He spoke to me a lot on the ride there and he was just being kind and not being mean to me and saying how much my daughter needed me and if I kept going the way I was going I wasn’t going to be around for her.”

According to Batson, after years of pondering it, on Wednesday, she finally gathered the courage to seek out and re-introduce herself to Officer Morse for the first time since that day in 2010. A call was made to the Randolph Police station to have Officer Morse come to the Randolph Intergenerational Community Center. Batson works there as a Member Experience Coordinator.

When they met, they spoke and hugged and Batson gave Officer Morse her eight-year sobriety medallion.

“It was something I thought of doing probably since I celebrated my first year of sobriety,” Batson said. “Each year I wanted to do it, but I haven’t had the guts to do it. But it was something that I really wanted him to know. Police officers deal with a lot of flak, especially these days, and I wanted him to know that he changed this one person’s life. He gave my daughter the mother she deserves and I can’t say how grateful I am for him and the kindness he showed me.”

Now, Batson’s daughter is 10, and she also has a 7-year-old son. She has worked for the Community Center for the past two years.

“It’s going really great. I work with a lot of the youth at the Community Center and I get to share my story with them so that they don’t end up where I was,” Batson said.

For Officer Morse, a 25-year veteran of the department, being able to see Batson again was one of the highlights of his career.

“Anytime you get to meet someone you’ve helped over the years is really a special experience,” Officer Morse said. “It was quite a surprise to see her after all this time and I’m very glad she was able to achieve sobriety and is doing well with her daughter and son.”

Chief Pace commended Officer Morse for his compassion.

“As police officers it’s not everyday that someone takes the time to say ‘thank you’ and we don’t expect any thanks,” Chief Pace said. “But when I heard about Ms. Batson thanking Officer Morse, it’s one of the many things that makes you enjoy getting up and go to work in the morning.”

Town Manager Brian Howard echoed Chief Pace’s sentiments saying, “What a great role model Officer Morse is. He did his job and he did it with compassion. It’s also fantastic to see where Ms. Batson is today and that she is helping people through her job at the Community Center. I am glad that they got to connect after all these years.”

Batson says she wants to continue to pay it forward by helping people who may be in a similar situation she was in eight years ago.

“If I can get sober anybody can,” she said. “I was in a really bad way for a really long time. There’s always hope and it’s never too late. If anyone is struggling and they need someone to talk to they can always reach out and talk to me or come by the Community Center and I would be glad to talk. And I owe Officer Morse for my ability to do that.”

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Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Complete One Mind Campaign Pledge to Better Serve those Suffering from Mental Illness

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Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department
Todd Fitzgerald, Interim Chief of Police
10 Central Street
Manchester by the Sea, MA 01944

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Complete One Mind Campaign Pledge to Better Serve those Suffering from Mental Illness

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — Interim Chief Todd Fitzgerald is pleased to announce that the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department has completed its pledge through the One Mind Campaign to improve its response to those suffering from mental illness.

In October 2017, the Manchester Police Department pledged to join the One Mind Campaign, an initiative that was started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in an effort to improve the interactions between law enforcement agencies and those with mental illnesses. Departments that pledge to join the campaign are challenged to implement practices within their agency to improve mental health programming, training and procedure within a one to three year time period.

The IACP also provides resources to departments that pledge to join the One Mind Campaign, including a toolkit produced by the Bureau of Justice Assistance with resources for law enforcement agencies looking to partner with mental health providers, a model policy for law enforcement when responding to persons suffering from mental illness, and resources for planning mental health first aid and crisis intervention team program trainings.

“By pledging to this campaign it provided our officers the necessary tools and the ability to take a more proactive approach to helping residents affected by mental illness,” Chief Fitzgerald said.

The Manchester Police Department has implemented several initiatives to improve its mental health relations, including the establishment of a sustainable relationship with Lahey Behavioral Health, the creation and implementation of a model policy to address officers’ interactions with those affected by mental illness and mental health awareness and crisis intervention training for all full-time staff.

Manchester Police Sgt. Stephen Louf and Essex Police Sgt. Paul Francis have also organized and spearheaded the creation of an Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team, comprised of members from both departments as well as Lahey Behavioral Health professionals and representatives from One Stop, a free prevention and screening service based out of Gloucester. The Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team will meet with residents who have experienced a recent overdose and offer a variety of treatment options for substance abuse recovery.

“We need to take a proactive approach when dealing with mental illness,” Chief Fitzgerald said. “Even though our yearly numbers are small, if we can make a difference in one person’s life, then I feel that this team has done its job.”

The Manchester Police Department received a certificate of completion for fulfilling the goals of its One Mind Pledge from the IACP in May.

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Somerset Opioid Crisis Intervention Outreach Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, May 7

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Somerset Police Department
Chief George M. McNeil
465 County St.,
Somerset, MA 02726

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Somerset Opioid Crisis Intervention Outreach Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, May 7

SOMERSET — Chief George McNeil would like to announce that a monthly Opioid Crisis Intervention outreach meeting will be held in Somerset next week and will feature a special presenter from the Recovery Centers of America.

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 7 at 6 p.m.

WHERE:

Somerset Council on Aging, 115 Wood Street, Somerset

WHAT:

Each month, River to Recovery hosts an Opioid Crisis Intervention meeting to provide information to families in the Somerset region about addiction, treatment and recovery.

This month, River to Recovery invites Treatment Advocate Todd Whitridge from the Recovery Centers of America to speak to those in attendance. Whitridge will give a presentation about the vital impact that recovery and treatment plays in the opioid crisis and will answer questions.

River to Recovery is a partnership made up of the Somerset Police Department, Peer 2 Peer program and Seven Hills Behavioral Health.

“This will be the latest installment of our monthly outreach meetings. We hope to see a large turnout and encourage anyone who may be struggling with substance use or their family members or loved ones to come and attend,” Chief McNeil said. “These events provide a great opportunity to not only learn about what options are available, but also to ask questions and speak to professionals who are willing and able to help.”

For more information, please call the Somerset Police Department at 508-679-2138.

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