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P.A.A.R.I. Launches First Recovery-Friendly Construction Site Program

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

P.A.A.R.I. Launches First Recovery-Friendly Construction Site Program

BOSTON — The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), in conjunction with John Moriarty and Associates, Meredith Management, Gerding Edlen and Nuveen, launched a first of its kind Recovery Friendly Worksite on Friday at the Fenway Center Project located at 771 Beacon St in Boston.

At Friday’s launch event leaders in the recovery and construction communities came together with more than 200 union workers to help reduce stigma surrounding substance use disorder and provide support and resources, including naloxone training, recovery referral resources, and access to naloxone at onsite. Kits with treatment resources and NARCAN, the opioid overdose reversal medication, are installed on site.

The pioneering program is intended to save lives, reduce the stigma and provide support and resources for those suffering from substance use disorders, and will soon be rolled out to all JMA constructions sites throughout the region.

According to a 2018 report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, construction workers account for nearly 25 percent of opioid-related deaths among the working population of Massachusetts.

“Given the opioid epidemic’s toll on the construction industry, with construction workers accounting for nearly 25 percent of opioid-related deaths among the working population of Massachusetts, efforts to reduce stigma and encourage individuals struggling with substance use disorders to connect with local treatment and support services is vital for every construction site and employer, stated Meredith Management President and P.A.A.R.I. co-founder John Rosenthal.

“Every community and industry is impacted by the opioid epidemic, but due to a higher incidence of workplace injuries and a greater likelihood of being prescribed opioid painkillers, it is especially essential to support people who work in industries like fishing and construction,” said Allie Hunter, P.A.A.R.I.’s executive director. “We hope this program will inspire other construction companies and worksites of all kinds to launch similar initiatives that prepare for overdose scenarios and create stigma-free access points to treatment and recovery.”

Also included in the partnership is Tac Life Systems/NarCase who created a first-of-its-kind specialty NARCAN kit custom developed for work sites and other venue-based naloxone access programs. NarCase kits have been be wall-mounted in six locations at the Fenway Center construction site, four of which will be in construction hoist elevators, allowing the quickest on-scene access to the medication in the event of an overdose.

Single step 4-mg NARCAN and NarCases were also distributed to 56 crew members during the event.

The new initiative also included access to informational materials from P.A.A.R.I., including referral cards for P.A.A.R.I.’s team of Recovery Corps Recovery Coaches, who provide support to individuals struggling with substance use disorders or who are in need of support for a loved one. Those in need of support were encouraged to contact [email protected] for free and confidential support. Marc Lyle, Recovery Support Specialist for the Massachusetts Laborers’ Benefit Funds, was also in attendance to offer support.

“Our industry has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and our goal is to break down the stigma surrounding substance use disorder, through education, training, and by equipping sites with life-saving naloxone,” Moriarty said. “We are committed to creating a culture where the men and women working on our sites know that recovery is possible and that we are here to help. This model for a recovery-friendly worksite will be rolled out to all of our projects, and we are grateful to all of our partners for their support in this important, life-saving new program,”

Tom Gunning of the Building Trades Employers Association added, “We are inspired to see this collaborative partnership bring meaningful solutions to construction job sites in Boston in an effort to change the narrative for those struggling with substance use disorder.”

The partnership announced at the event carries support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Mayor’s Office.

“I am grateful for this partnership because it works to promote substance use education and reduce addiction stigma,” said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. “This innovative recovery-friendly worksite is a continuation of excellent work being done by P.A.A.R.I. and their partners. We are proud of our partnership with P.A.A.R.I. through the Boston Police and the Office of Recovery Services, providing substance use services to those in need of support.”

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 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 450 police departments in 33 states. 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, and reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic. Learn more at www.paariusa.org.

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Maynard Police Call Attention to Recovery Resources after Two Fatal Overdoses

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Mark W. Dubois, Chief of Police
197 Main St.
Maynard, MA 01754

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-841-9948
Email: [email protected]

Maynard Police Call Attention to Recovery Resources after Three Residents Overdose, Two Fatally, in Three Separate Incidents

MAYNARD — Chief Mark W. Dubois and the Maynard Police Department are urgently seeking to call attention to resources in town available for those suffering from substance use disorders, particularly those using opioids, as a recent spike in overdoses has taken two lives and left a third resident in critical condition after an overdose incident in another community.

Two 26-year-old men died in Maynard on Feb. 23 and March 24, in separate incidents after they allegedly overdosed on heroin. A third resident, a 35-year-old Maynard woman overdosed on March 24 in another city and is currently fighting for her life at a hospital in Central Massachusetts.

Chief Dubois is getting the word out to inform people about the dangers of opioids and the risk of overdose and to remind everyone about the resources available to prevent overdose death.

The Maynard Police Department is a member of the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) and is part of the Central Middlesex Police Partnership. The Department has retained the services of recovery coach Coretta McGill, and she is available free of charge to those in need of substance abuse services and their families. McGill can be reached at 978-216-9863 or via email at [email protected].

Again, there are NO COSTS associated with McGill’s recovery coach services, and her salary and compensation are paid by P.A.A.R.I. through its AmeriCorps program. There are no fees and no insurance is needed.

The Maynard Police Department can also assist families needing nasal narcan, which is available at pharmacies and can be acquired without a prescription in Massachusetts.

“We are not simply alerting our residents about this spate of overdoses. We have resources available to help those who are suffering from the disease of addiction,” Chief Dubois said. “One overdose death is too many, especially for that person’s friends and family and for our community to endure the senseless loss of life.”

Anyone with any questions or concerns can also contact the Maynard Police Department at 978-897-1011 or 978-897-1012 anytime.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL MIDDLESEX POLICE PARTNERSHIP

The CMPP was formed in 2016 by the police departments of Acton, Bedford, Concord, Carlisle, Lincoln, Lexington, Stow, Maynard and the Hanscom Air Force Base. Through partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Eliot Community Human Services, the Domestic Violence Services Network and Concord District Court, CMPP works to address growing concerns around substance abuse issues through targeted and ongoing substance use prevention, intervention and educational programming.

ABOUT P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to help law enforcement agencies establish pre-arrest programs that create immediate and stigma-free entry points to treatment and recovery programs.

P.A.A.R.I. works across sectors to provide training, coaching and support; program models, policies and procedures and templates; seed grants; connections to more than 300 vetted treatment centers; a network of like-minded law enforcement agencies; a unified voice with media and legislators; and capacity building through AmeriCorps.

P.A.A.R.I. is free to join and open to any law enforcement agency that believes in treatment over arrest and views addiction as a disease, not a crime. Since June 2015, P.A.A.R.I. has launched more than 375 law enforcement programs in 32 states, distributed 10,000 4mg doses of life-saving nasal naloxone and helped more than 12,000 people into treatment.

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East Bridgewater Police Warn of Recent Spike in Drug Overdoses in Plymouth County

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Monday, Feb. 26, 2018

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

East Bridgewater Police Warn of Recent Spike in Drug Overdoses in Plymouth County

More Than 20 Overdoses and Three Deaths in Past Week

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Scott Allen and the police chiefs of the Plymouth County SUDs Outreach Network are seeking to warn residents about a recent increase in drug overdoses throughout the region.

Over the past four days, there have been more than 20 overdoses and three suspected overdose deaths in Plymouth County. Public safety and health officials report that they have also seen an increase in the amount of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone (Narcan) being used to revive a person suffering from an overdose.

“Not only are we seeing more overdoses, but the amount of Narcan needed to reverse an overdose has increased substantially,” Chief Allen said. “This indicates to us that there could be a more potent form of heroin and/or fentanyl around currently. We want everyone to be aware and to know that Narcan is available.”

About three years ago, a person suffering an overdose in Plymouth County would need an average of about two to six milligrams of naloxone to be revived. Now, the dosage needed is typically double or triple that amount.

Over the past two weeks, some individuals throughout Plymouth County have needed between eight to 24 milligrams of naloxone to reverse their overdoses:

  • 16 mg used in East Bridgewater on Feb. 16
  • 8 mg used in Rockland on Feb. 15
  • 24 mg used in Wareham on Feb. 15
  • 12 mg used in Wareham on Feb. 14
  • 8 mg used in Brockton on Feb. 13
  • 12 mg used in Whitman on Feb. 11
  • 14 mg used in Whitman on Feb. 11

In each of those cases, the person was successfully revived.

Narcan is available for opioid users and their family members and loved ones at pharmacies, regional Learn 2 Cope meetings, the Community Outreach, Prevention and Education (COPE) Center in Brockton and local drop-in centers throughout the county. A calendar of dates and locations of drop-in centers can be found HERE. Other Plymouth County Outreach partners also provide access to Narcan, including Scituate’s South Shore Peer Recovery Center and Manet Health in Hull.

Chief Allen would also like to remind residents of the Good Samaritan Law. Individuals that call 911 in the event of an overdose will not be prosecuted, unless they have enough drugs to be considered trafficking or if they have an outstanding warrant.

Plymouth County Outreach is a collaborative of police departments throughout Plymouth County led by the following chiefs: Abington Chief David Majenski, Bridgewater Chief Christopher Delmonte, Bridgewater State University Chief David Tillinghast, Brockton Chief John Crowley, Carver Chief Marc Duphily, Duxbury Chief Matthew Clancy, East Bridgewater Chief Scott Allen, Halifax Chief Ted Broderick, Hanover Chief Walter Sweeney, Hanson Chief Michael Miksch, Hingham Chief Glenn Olsson, Hull Chief John Dunn, Kingston Chief Maurice Splaine, Lakeville Chief Frank Alvihiera, Marion Chief Lincoln Miller, Marshfield Chief Phillip Tavares, Mattapoisett Chief Mary Lyons, Middleboro Chief Joseph Perkins, Norwell Chief Ted Ross, Pembroke Chief Richard Wall, Plymouth Chief Michael Botieri, Plympton Chief Patrick Dillon, Rochester Chief Paul Magee, Rockland Chief John Llewellyn, Scituate Chief Michael Stewart, Wareham Chief Kevin Walsh, West Bridgewater Chief Victor Flaherty and Whitman Chief Scott D. Benton.

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Athol Police Respond to Three Overdoses in 24 Hours

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Athol Police Department
Russell T. Kleber, Chief of Police
280 Exchange St.
Athol, MA 01331

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017

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

Athol Police Respond to Three Overdoses in 24 Hours

ATHOL — Chief Russell Kleber reports that the Athol Police Department has responded to three drug overdoses over the course of the last 24 hours, and wishes to remind residents to call for help in the event a friend of loved one overdoses.

Athol Police responded to reported overdoses inside a residence, in a gas station parking lot and in the parking lot of Athol Hospital.

While none of the overdoses were fatal, each varied in their severity. Athol Police are actively investigating to determine the source of the drugs and whether any connection exists between the overdose events.

“These drugs are extremely dangerous and can be lethal even in small doses,” Chief Kleber said. “It is essential that residents remain vigilant around people they know who may be susceptible to an overdose, and that they immediately call 911 so that we can provide assistance if they begin showing signs of overdosing.”

The Massachusetts Good Samaritan Law encourages individuals to assist those suffering from an overdose by seeking emergency medical assistance. The law protects victims and those who call 911 for help from charge, prosecution and conviction for possession or use of controlled substances.

The Athol Police Department encourages residents to familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of an overdose:

  • Slow or shallow breathing
  • Extreme sleepiness or loss of consciousness
  • Blue or grayish color skin with dark lips and fingernails
  • Snoring or gurgling sounds

If you see someone experiencing an overdose, immediately dial 911.

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