P.A.A.R.I.

*Media Advisory* P.A.A.R.I. to Host Fourth Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

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

*Media Advisory*

P.A.A.R.I. to Host Fourth Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony

U.S. Drug Czar James Carroll to Be Honored at Fourth Annual Event

GLOUCESTER — Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is pleased to announce it will hold its Fourth Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony this Wednesday, June 26.

The annual Anniversary Celebration and Awards Ceremony commemorates the founding of P.A.A.R.I. in June 2015, and recognizes law enforcement, government and community leaders who have played a role in fulfilling the organization’s mission to support the creation of law enforcement based non-arrest pathways and access to treatment and recovery.

WHEN: 

Wednesday, June 26 from 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: 

Gloucester House Restaurant, 63 Rogers St., Gloucester

WHAT: 

P.A.A.R.I. is inviting the public to join Wednesday’s celebration and recognize the work of its partners over the last four years to fight the opioid crisis. The celebration is also open to the media.

P.A.A.R.I. was founded in 2015 in concert with the Gloucester Police Department’s groundbreaking ANGEL Initiative, which reinvented the way law enforcement agencies confront addiction in their own communities by viewing it as a treatable disease rather than a crime, and that people suffering with opioid addiction need treatment, not jail.

With its network of more than 450 law enforcement partners, P.A.A.R.I. is providing access to treatment and working toward a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country. This law enforcement movement is reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, reducing stigma and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities.

“For four years, P.A.A.R.I. has worked with our law enforcement partners to make tremendous strides in the fight against the opioid crisis,” Co-Founder and Chairman John Rosenthal said. “By supporting non-arrest diversion programs, increasing accessibility to treatment and recovery programming and resources, and supporting law enforcement agencies as they adopt these new effective approaches, we’ve been able to help more than 20,000 people access treatment and are changing the conversation and state and national policy around substance use. Thank you to all of our partners who are making this life-saving, important work possible.”

P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter added, “We have the pleasure of working alongside an incredible range of law enforcement, government, recovery and community partners, and this celebration is always a great opportunity to thank them all for their support and commitment to fighting the opioid epidemic in new ways. It’s taking a lot of people, working together, to address the opioid crisis. This is an opportunity to celebrate our collective impact.”

“Four years ago, P.A.A.R.I. was founded out of a need to make a dramatic change in the way our law enforcement agencies and communities were responding to the opioid epidemic,” said P.A.A.R.I. Board Member and retired Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan. “We’ve taken great strides since then, and will continue making new partnerships and undertaking new initiatives for as long as it takes. Thank you to all of our partners, who make this important work possible.”

Tickets can be purchased at the door or by clicking here. Tickets cost $30 for one person, and tickets for two people can be purchased for $50.

P.A.A.R.I. will honor several individuals and groups for their contributions to the effort to combat the opioid crisis, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director James Carroll, who will be in attendance at the event.

In addition, Stephenie Jesi Memorial Scholarship awards will be presented to five women in recovery who have been helped by P.A.A.R.I. partners.

Those confirmed to attend are marked by an asterisk below.

Law Enforcement Leadership

Boston Police Department (Massachusetts): Deputy Michael Stratton*, Lt. David Murphy*, Sgt. Peter Messina*, Officers Josh DeLisle*, Joshua De La Rosa*, and Daniel Harlow*

Chelsea Police Department (Massachusetts): Chief Brian Brian Kyes*, Capt. Dave Batchelor*, and Community Engagement Specialist Dan Cortez*

Gloucester Police Department (Massachusetts): Lt. Jeremiah Nicastro* and Sgt. Sean Conners*

Newton Police Department (New Jersey): Chief Michael Richards*

Anne Arundel County Police (Maryland): Lt. Steve Thomas and Crisis Response Director Jen Corbin

Government and Community Leadership

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh

Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Theken*

State Representative Marjorie Decker* (Massachusetts)

State Senator Bruce Tarr* (Massachusetts)

Gloucester Public Health Director, Karin Carroll*

Monica Bharel, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health*

Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR): Executive Director Maryanne Franguls* and Public Policy & Communications Director Jared Owen

Vicky Butler, Operations Supervisor, Plymouth County Outreach*

U.S. Drug Czar James Carroll, Director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)*

Stephenie Jesi Memorial Scholarship

Tiffany Hill*

Nicole Shettlesworth*

Bonita Carrasquillo

Kellyana Lopez*

Lyndsie Sova*

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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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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*Media Advisory* P.A.A.R.I. to Partner with Meredith Management, Gerding Edlen, and John Moriarty and Associates to Launch First Recovery-Friendly Construction Site Program

⋅ Client News, Non-Profit News ⋅ , , , ⋅ 0 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 20, 2019

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

*Media Advisory*

P.A.A.R.I. to Partner with Meredith Management, Gerding Edlen, and John Moriarty and Associates to Launch First Recovery-Friendly Construction Site Program

BOSTON — Executive Director Allie Hunter is pleased to announce that the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is partnering with Boston-based construction company John Moriarty and Associates and real estate development companies Meredith Management and Gerding Edlen to launch a pioneering new initiative to provide onsite access to life-saving naloxone, training, and recovery support, as part of ongoing efforts to create recovery-friendly construction sites.

WHEN:

Friday, June 21 at 11 a.m.

WHERE:

Fenway Center, 771 Beacon St., Boston

WHO:

  • P.A.A.R.I. Co-founder & Chairman and Meredith Management President John Rosenthal
  • John Moriarty and Associates Project Executive On Site and Chief Engineer Barry Gehron
  • P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter
  • Tac Life Systems / NarCase Managing Partner Josh DeLisle
  • P.A.A.R.I. Recovery Corps Recovery Coaches
  • Fenway Center team and construction crew

WHAT:

P.A.A.R.I. is pleased to announce that it has partnered with Meredith Management President John Rosenthal, Gerding Edlen, and John Moriarty and Associates President John Moriarty to launch a new initiative to provide onside access to life-saving naloxone, training, and recovery support, as part of ongoing efforts to create recovery-friendly construction sites for the building trades. Given the opioid epidemic’s toll on the construction industry, these efforts aim to reduce stigma surrounding the opioid epidemic and encourage individuals struggling with substance use disorders to connect with local treatment and support services.

On May 3, as part of the Building Trades Employer’s Association’s (BTEA), “Building Trades for Recovery Week,” the Fenway Center team and construction crew participated in a statewide “150 Second Stand Down for Recovery” in honor of opioid overdose deaths. P.A.A.R.I. Co-founder & Chairman and Meredith Management President John Rosenthal and John Moriarty, President of John Moriarty and Associates, also made a pledge to make the Fenway Center a recovery-friendly construction site, with trainings, resources, and life-saving naloxone — also known as NARCAN — available onsite.

The Fenway Center program will launch June 21 with a training from P.A.A.R.I. on overdose awareness and nasal naloxone administration. P.A.A.R.I. has also partnered with Tac Life Systems/NarCase to create a first-of-its-kind specialty NARCAN kit that has been custom developed for work sites and other venue-based naloxone access programs.

NarCase kits will 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-the-scene access to the medication in the event of an opioid overdose. Single step 4-mg NARCAN and NarCases will also be distributed to crew members during the event.

The new initiative will also include 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 can provide support to individuals struggling with substance use disorders or are in need of support for a loved one.

John Moriarty and Associates, one of the largest union general contractors in New England, has also committed to implementing this program on all of their construction sites.

Hunter said, “Due to a higher incidence of workplace injuries and a greater likelihood of being prescribed opioid painkillers, construction workers account for nearly 25 percent of opioid-related deaths in the working population in Massachusetts. P.A.A.R.I. has been fortunate to partner with both the fishing industry and now the construction industry to provide training and support to help make life-saving NARCAN and treatment more accessible to a population that’s been greatly affected by the opioid epidemic. 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.”

Rosenthal added, “I’m very proud to be working with John Moriarty and Associates, one of the finest General Contractors in America and the incredibly talented Union Building Trades at Fenway. The opioid epidemic has hit the construction trades extremely hard and we’re honored to help provide life-saving NARCAN and access to treatment and recovery for these hard working men and women on our development site.”

“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. 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,” Moriarty said.

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.”

“Emergent BioSolutions commends the efforts of P.A.A.R.I. to create recovery-friendly construction sites, which includes increasing access and awareness to NARCAN in case of an accidental opioid overdose,” said Thom Duddy, Vice President, Communications Emergent BioSolutions.

“To help eliminate the stigma of addiction, we encourage employer policies that make it possible for workers to keep their jobs, and strategies that preserve worker dignity and prevent re-injury,” said Monica Bharel, MD, MPH, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

“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.”

There will be opportunities for media to shoot photos and videos at this event.

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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P.A.A.R.I. Receives $930,000 Grant from South Shore Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

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

P.A.A.R.I. Receives $930,000 Grant from South Shore Health

Funding will Support Access to Behavioral Health Services in Plymouth County

PLYMOUTH — Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) Executive Director Allie Hunter is pleased to announce that P.A.A.R.I. has been awarded a $930,000 Integrative Behavioral Health grant by South Shore Health.

South Shore Health awarded $2.4 million to nonprofit groups this spring to support behavioral healthcare in Plymouth and Norfolk counties. P.A.A.R.I. was one of two nonprofit groups selected to receive a five-year grant for $930,000 this cycle.

The grant will support a new partnership between P.A.A.R.I. and Plymouth County Outreach (PCO), a collaborative of 28 police departments throughout the region. Over the next five years, P.A.A.R.I. will work with PCO to implement a “hub model” throughout the county to expand the behavioral health services available to the community, and coordinate outreach visits for individuals identified as being at acutely elevated risk due to substance use and/or mental health issues.

“This first-of-its-kind grant program through South Shore Health reflects our organization’s deep commitment to promoting good health within the community and by removing barriers to accessing behavioral healthcare for the most vulnerable among us,” said Gene E. Green, president and CEO of South Shore Health. “Congratulations to P.A.A.R.I. for being named a grantee. We are excited to see the impact this initiative will have in our communities.”

“P.A.A.R.I. has had many successful partnerships with PCO, and we are thrilled to embark on this latest initiative to support our local law enforcement partners to address behavioral health needs in Plymouth County,” Hunter said. “We are incredibly thankful that South Shore Health has chosen to support our plan to improve access to behavioral health services on the South Shore.”

“Behavioral health issues are a huge concern, and not just in Plymouth county– these issues are affecting communities everywhere,” said Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri, a member of the P.A.A.R.I. Law Enforcement Council. “We’re fortunate that this grant has been awarded to support behavioral health programming locally to help those who are struggling.”

The “hub model” aims to assist those struggling before they reach a crisis point, and to connect the community to a variety of much needed behavioral health services.

“We’ve seen great success with the hub model in communities like Chelsea, Lawrence and Boston, and are looking forward to putting in place a system that will connect those in need to additional services and support,” Hunter said. “This grant will allow us to address a wide umbrella of behavioral health issues in addition to substance use, including mental health concerns.”

“This is monumental as it will allow for PCO to spearhead an innovative Public Health 3.0 initiative –a first in the U.S.,” said Dr. Nate Horwitz-Willis, director of public health for the town of Plymouth. “This grant will help us address complex substance use challenges seen across our law enforcement, healthcare, and public health communities. We collaboratively look forward to addressing these challenges with best practices and scholarly evidence from all three fields that use primary, secondary, and tertiary equitable prevention approaches with a dynamic team of experts and leaders.”

“The time has come where we need to closer examine the crossover between drug addiction and mental health,” said Scituate Police Chief Michael Stewart. “We are all concerned with the rise in mental health cases.”

The grant will fund the hiring of a full time P.A.A.R.I. hub coordinator who will be based in Plymouth County for the next five years, and will oversee the program.

“Plymouth County Outreach is so fortunate and appreciative to partner with P.A.A.R.I. on expanding our county collaboration, bringing an Integrated Behavioral Health approach to our existing model,” said East Bridgewater Police Chief Scott Allen, a member of the P.A.A.R.I. Law Enforcement Council. “We can’t address substance use and mental health disorders in separate silos.”

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 465 police departments in 33 states.

We currently work with more than 120 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, and reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic. Learn more at www.paariusa.org.

 

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