P.A.A.R.I.

P.A.A.R.I Receives Cummings Foundation Grant to Expand Work With Partner Police Departments

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P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
Frederick Ryan, Co-Chairman
186 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018

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

P.A.A.R.I Receives Cummings Foundation Grant to Expand Work With Partner Police Departments

Burlington Police Capt. Gregory Skehan, Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, P.A.A.R.I Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade, Wilmington Police Lt. Brian Pupa and Wilmington Police Health & Recovery Coordinator Samantha Reif, LCSW (Courtesy Photo)

GLOUCESTER — Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade is pleased to announce P.A.A.R.I has been selected for a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation to work with the Woburn, Wilmington, and Burlington Police Departments to create a regional effort to address the opioid epidemic.

This grant will build on P.A.A.R.I’s current project with the Massachusetts Service Alliance and AmeriCorps to embed service members directly in police departments to assist with police-led opioid referral programs. P.A.A.R.I will receive $50,000 per year for two years to provide the three police departments with three part-time Recovery Coaches and a regional full-time Program Coordinator to strengthen their efforts to prevent overdose deaths and expand access to treatment and recovery.

“We are thrilled to have been selected for a $100k for 100 grant from the Cummings Foundation,” Hunter McDade said. “This grant will allow us to leverage our partnership with AmeriCorps to launch a new regional effort with Burlington, Woburn, Wilmington Police Departments. We’re very grateful to the Cummings Foundation for supporting this important, life-saving initiative.”

“The opioid crisis has touched virtually every city and town within the Commonwealth. This  partnership forged through the P.A.A.R.I-AmeriCorps Program will make a very positive impact on people and families within not only Burlington but also the other communities involved in this partnership,” Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent said.

“We are looking forward to this new opportunity and tool to provide our community, we are excited to enter into this grant with P.A.A.R.I and AmeriCorps and to continue to build multi-town capacity by partnering with Burlington and Woburn Police Departments,” said Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis.

“The Woburn police department is excited about our  new partnership with PAARI, AmeriCorps and the communities of  Burlington and Wilmington to work toward positive change for those impacted by the opioid crisis,” said Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo.

The $100k for 100 program supports nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation. The Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $220 million during this grant cycle. The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org

“We are indebted to nonprofit organizations like P.A.A.R.I that have a meaningful positive impact on the local communities where we colleagues live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are delighted to invest in their important programs and services.”

Wilmington resident and current P.A.A.R.I AmeriCorps member Margie Taylor has been selected as the program’s full-time regional Program Coordinator and PAARI is currently accepting applications for three half-time AmeriCorps members who will serve as Recovery Coaches, one embedded in each of the three partnering police departments. Interested candidates should visit paariusa.org/americorps for more information and application instructions.

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 430 police departments in 32 states. We currently work with more than 80 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.

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Bill Cummings release his self-written memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist,” in March 2018. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org and cummings.com/book.

 

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Five P.A.A.R.I. Recovery Coaches Join Boston Police Department through AmeriCorps Program

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P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
Frederick Ryan, Co-Chairman
186 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930

For Immediate Release

Monday, June 11, 2018

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

Five P.A.A.R.I. Recovery Coaches Join Boston Police Department through AmeriCorps Program

GLOUCESTER — Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade is pleased to announce that five Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) recovery coaches have been sworn in as AmeriCorps members to contribute to the Boston Police Department’s addiction and recovery efforts.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh held an official swearing in of P.A.A.R.I.’s Anita Cunha, Steve Jutras, Tyshaun Perryman, Ursel Hughes and Cheryl Molloy-Emerson as part of the 86th annual meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors on Sunday, June 10. The ceremony marked Mayor Walsh’s first time swearing in a group of AmeriCorps members.

“I’m grateful for the P.A.A.R.I. recovery coaches, who will work closely with our police officers, to fight the opioid epidemic by enhancing direct outreach and getting more people into treatment and on the road to recovery,” Mayor Walsh said. “All of us have a role to play in addressing the opioid epidemic, and as our first responders are on the front lines of answering the call for help, it’s our responsibility to ensure they are equipped with the tools and resources to best support those in need of care. This partnership with P.A.A.R.I. and AmeriCorps will strengthen our work as we continue to implement solutions that will make a real difference.”

During the meeting, where mayors from around the country were in attendance, the P.A.A.R.I.-AmeriCorps program was highlighted as a best practice. The program places members into service at host police department sites across Massachusetts to assist with municipal police-led addiction and recovery programs in direct response to the growing opioid epidemic.

“The opioid epidemic is the most pressing public health and public safety issue affecting our communities, with an estimated 174 fatal overdoses every single day,” Hunter McDade said during the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “So both at the local and federal level, there is an emphasis on leveraging national service programs, such as AmeriCorps, to address it.”

P.A.A.R.I. currently has a team of 22 members who are serving 53 communities across Massachusetts where they help build the capacity of law enforcement programs, prevent overdose deaths, and provide vital resources to community members with substance use disorders and their loved ones. Since October 2017, the team of P.A.A.R.I-AmeriCorps members have provided support to 3,057 unique individuals affected by a substance use disorder.

P.A.A.R.I. Co-founder John Rosenthal, who attended the ceremony and meeting, stressed the importance of communities implementing a pre-arrest program to assist those struggling with addiction while also working with volunteer organizations like AmeriCorps to provide related services to those in need.

“Thank you Mayor Marty Walsh for making the opioid epidemic a priority and for demonstrating your commitment by highlighting our partnership today,” Rosenthal said Sunday.

With the Boston Police Department, P.A.A.R.I.’s five recovery coaches will:

  • Assist individuals struggling with substance use disorders as they make referrals to treatment, navigate and remove barriers to recovery support services, and provide hope, optimism and encouragement.
  • Connect community members with substance use disorders, or those who have loved ones struggling with addiction, to recovery services.
  • Work across city agencies — like the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services, Boston public libraries and the Boston Public Health Commission — as well as treatment providers, hospitals, neighborhood associations and organizations providing related services to assist those affected by opioid addiction.
  • Travel to neighborhoods where residents have less access to recovery services. All of the recovery coaches are personally in recovery and have direct experience navigating local treatment and recovery supports.

“We are so proud to partner with P.A.A.R.I. on this innovative, groundbreaking AmeriCorps program,” said Emily Haber, CEO of the Massachusetts Service Alliance, which provides funding to the project. “P.A.A.R.I.-AmeriCorps is a strong model for engaging the power of national service to address the devastating opioid crisis in Massachusetts and across the nation.”

The five P.A.A.R.I AmeriCorps members join more than 1,200 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members combating the opioid epidemic in more than 150 communities across 45 states. This is thanks to support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees these national service programs.

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Salt Lake City Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Fight Opioid Addiction

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For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 8, 2018

 

 

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

Salt Lake City Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Fight Opioid Addiction

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) Co-Chairs John Rosenthal and Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan, and P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade are pleased to announce that the Salt Lake City Police Department has partnered with P.A.A.R.I. to better serve individuals and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.

The Salt Lake City Police Department and P.A.A.R.I. formally began their partnership in late 2017, bolstering the ongoing efforts of Operation Diversion — a partnership between Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.

Since October 2016, Operation Diversion has helped place 246 individuals into treatment.

“The Salt Lake City Police Department is excited to join P.A.A.R.I. because we have been facing an opioid crisis in our community for the last several years and our officers respond to multiple overdoses on a daily basis,” Chief Brown said. “We know that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem and we believe that working with P.A.A.R.I. will help us actively contribute to finding a sustainable solution to this crisis.”

Through its partnership with P.A.A.R.I., the Salt Lake City Police Department will open its doors to those suffering from addiction — and their families — by referring them to treatment and recovery options in lieu of arrest and prosecution.

To help accomplish their goal of directing those actively seeking help to the most appropriate resources, Salt Lake City Police have enlisted the help of eight social workers who coordinate directly with those battling substance use disorders to support their recovery efforts.

Hunter McDade will be making a site visit in Salt Lake City this week and will be collaborating with officers on a presentation at Utah Valley University’s conference on addiction on Friday.

“The Salt Lake City Police Department has shown a deep commitment to helping those impacted by the opioid epidemic overcome substance abuse and rebuild their lives,” Hunter McDade said. “I’m eager to work hand-in-hand with the department and their local partners to build upon that foundation and make lifesaving recovery resources more accessible.”

About P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a 501c3 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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Highland, Ind. Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Renew its Approach to Addiction

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For Immediate Release
Monday, Jan. 22, 2018

 

 

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

Highland, Ind. Police Department Partners With P.A.A.R.I. to Renew its Approach to Addiction

HIGHLAND, Ind. — Highland Police Chief Peter Hojnicki and Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) co-chairs John Rosenthal and Frederick Ryan and Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade are pleased to announce that the Highland Police Department has partnered with P.A.A.R.I. to better serve individuals and families impacted by the opioid epidemic.

The Highland Police Department and P.A.A.R.I. formally began their partnership last July and, in the months since, Detective Brian Stanley has worked to forge strong partnerships with area recovery groups that have proved instrumental in the program’s early success.

Detective Stanley and his department first learned of the initiative last year after reading about the neighboring Griffith Police Department’s membership in a Northwest Indiana Times story.

Upon reading about it, he knew that a renewed approach was something that Highland Police needed to pursue, as it could make a lifesaving difference for the Highland community.

“We understand that this is an epidemic that is plaguing our community, and that we need to become further engaged and do more to meet the challenge,” Detective Stanley said. “The goal is to proactively seek out those individuals and families that could benefit from a changed approach to let them know that we are here to help them and — just as importantly — we want to help them.”

Through its partnership with P.A.A.R.I., the Highland Police Department will open its doors to those suffering from addiction, and their families, by referring them to treatment and recovery options in lieu of arrest and prosecution.

“As law enforcement officers, we realize that we cannot arrest our way out of this opioid epidemic,” Highland Police Commander John Banasiak said. “We’re committed to attacking this problem in another way, and we’re grateful for P.A.A.R.I. and the local organizations we’ve partnered with that have made that possible.”

Since partnering with P.A.A.R.I., Highland Police have built connections with several area recovery organizations to ease access to recovery options:

  • Edgewater Health of Gary
  • Recovery Works of Merrillville
  • Heartland Recovery of Lowell
  • Big Book Legacy Group of Griffith

“Recovery is a lifelong journey that begins by simply asking for help, and I am so glad that the Highland Police Department has made itself available as a resource for those ready to ask for help,” P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade said. “They have done tremendous work to build a strong recovery network in a very short period of time, and their efforts will no doubt help save lives in their community.”

Highland Police responded to 36 overdoses in 2017 and administered the overdose reversal drug naloxone in 13 of those cases.

Since launching its recovery initiative, the Highland Police Department has placed a strong emphasis on proactive outreach to individuals they know could benefit from recovery resources and has so far directed two people into treatment.

About P.A.A.R.I.:

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is a 501c3 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 over 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 over 12,000 people into treatment.

 

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