recovery

U.S. Surgeon General and White House Drug Czar to Speak at Third Annual P.A.A.R.I. National Law Enforcement Summit

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019

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

U.S. Surgeon General and White House Drug Czar to Speak at Third Annual P.A.A.R.I. National Law Enforcement Summit

BOSTON — The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) is pleased to announce that it will hold its third annual National Law Enforcement Summit next week, with the U.S. Surgeon General and White House Drug Czar confirmed to speak.

In its first two years, the event brought together hundreds of law enforcement and recovery leaders from across the country to share their collaborative efforts to combat America’s opioid epidemic in their own communities. The summit aims to equip these leaders with concrete, practical solutions that they can use to prevent overdose deaths and provide lasting help to those suffering from substance use disorders.

The 2019 P.A.A.R.I. Summit will be held Dec. 4-6. After two years in Boston, this year’s event will be held in Washington D.C. at three locations adjacent to the U.S. Capitol.

“We look forward to building on the tremendous success of our first two summits and offer an event that provides a unique opportunity to connect local solutions to federal policy,” P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter said. “As the opioid epidemic continues to take a toll on our communities nationwide, it is inspiring to see so many law enforcement leaders and recovery advocates come together in one place to share their ideas and work to find solutions to this crisis.”

Wednesday, Dec. 4, will feature a briefing hosted by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, taking place on White House grounds. This briefing will provide a unique and important opportunity to share updates and exchange ideas with ONDCP Director James Carroll, commonly known as the Drug Czar, and other representatives from the agency that oversees drug policies and activities out of the Executive Office of the President.

There will also be a Networking Reception at Logan Tavern at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening, which is hosted by NarCase.com.

Opening remarks by Ret. Chief Fred Ryan of the Arlington Police Department and Hunter will kick off the events on Thursday, Dec. 5.

A Keynote Address will be delivered by U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams.

Other speakers during the day will include Congressman Bill Keating (MA), Congressman Paul Tonko (NY), U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and representatives from police departments in Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, Ohio and Michigan. There will also be a special presentation by Barbara Stewart, CEO, Corporation for National & Community Service.

Topics discussed during the day will include post-overdose outreach, the neuroscience of addiction, how to make referrals to evidence based treatment, the relationship between stigma and language and personal stories from people in recovery.

The morning session will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building, the afternoon session will be held at the Russell Senate Office Building, and the evening session will be held at the Hart Senate Office Building.

The summit will end Friday, Dec. 6, with optional post-summit training, networking and advocacy opportunities.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet with legislators to discuss the opioid epidemic and local efforts to address it. Anyone interested can email [email protected] for a template email to request a meeting.

P.A.A.R.I. encourages guests to call or email their legislators to request a meeting by Friday, Nov. 29.

Events on Thursday are open to the media, but Wednesday and Friday events are not.

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

The event is sponsored and supported by RIZE Massachusetts, the Stardust Foundation, Emergent BioSolutions / NARCANDirect.com, NarCase.com, Alkermes, CleanSlate and Wayne Earl Chinnock Photography.

Registration details:

Registration is open to all. There is a registration fee of $100, which can be waived upon request if cost is a barrier to attendance.

Pre-registration by Dec. 1 is required. A ticket provides access to all events and sessions offered during the three-day event.

To register via Eventbrite, click here.

Travel details can be found here and the working agenda can be found here.

Anyone with questions can contact Hunter at [email protected] or 508-212-9831.

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 its founding in June 2015. Learn more at www.paariusa.org.

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Woburn District Court Holds 13th Annual H.E.A.T. Conference

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Woburn Police Department

Woburn Police Department
Chief Robert Rufo
25 Harrison Ave.
Woburn, MA 01801

For Immediate Release

Monday, June 24, 2019

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

Woburn District Court Holds 13th Annual H.E.A.T. Conference

WOBURN — More than 250 leaders in public health, law enforcement and addiction recovery came together on Friday for the 13th Annual Woburn District Court Heroin Education Awareness Task Force (H.E.A.T.) Conference.

The Friday, June 21 conference was held at the Hilton Boston/Woburn, and featured presentations on a variety of addiction treatment and recovery methods, including medications for opioid use disorder, 12-step recovery programming, post detox continued support and services, jail diversion efforts and overdose mapping technology.

The H.E.A.T. program was founded by Vincent J. Piro and Michael P. Higgins, of the probation department of Woburn District Court and the police departments of the seven cities and towns under its jurisdiction, including Woburn, Burlington, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wilmington and Winchester.

“Each year, this conference brings together the people who are leading the charge to prevent addiction and help people recover,” said Woburn Police Chief Robert Rufo. “H.E.A.T. has done a phenomenal job providing a platform for people to turn to in order to learn about substance use and the treatments available. The opioid crisis is as critical as ever, and it’s crucial that communities come together to respond, educate and help those in need.”

Piro began the conference by thanking all those that have supported H.E.A.T., as well as recognizing the work being done by treatment recovery programs and initiatives, local police departments and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office to help those struggling with substance use.

“I think everyone in this room has the same goal when we talk about making a difference, saving lives,” Piro said. “And that’s really the goal of our program.”

Higgins, Billerica’s substance abuse coordinator, stressed the importance of researching the recovery programs and detox beds that patients are referred to, emphasized the importance of recovery coaches and also discussed the frequent connection between substance use and mental health concerns.

“We feel mental health ties directly with addiction and substance abuse,” Higgins said. “And sometimes you don’t know which one it is. Is it mental health or substance use?”

Higgins said mental health has become a key part of the follow up work he does for the Billerica Police Department.

Colleen Labelle, director of the Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Training and Technical Assistance Program for the state of Massachusetts, discussed various available medications for opioid use disorder that can be used to treat patients. Labelle stressed, however, that solutions for recovery vary widely from person to person, and that reducing stigma is essential to making people feel comfortable seeking help.

“This is the single most stigmatized disease of our time,” Labelle said. “When we do stigmatize it, judge it, we isolate people and make people afraid to come to treatment….when we stigmatize, people die.”

Louie Diaz, a navigator for the Middlesex County Sherrif’s Office, shared his story of substance use and how a prison sentence served as the catalyst for his recovery. He told those at the conference that there are many people in recovery, although their stories aren’t always heard.

“There are people recovering,” Diaz said. “There are guys leaving prisons, jails and never coming back. But you don’t hear those stories. People aren’t interested in those stories…there are people recovering. The recovering community is huge.”

Brian Teague, director of Michael’s House Sober Living and Patrick’s House Sober Living, shared the impetus behind Patrick’s House Sober Living in Andover and stressed the importance of supporting those struggling after they detox and undergo treatment.

“Folks who stay in sober living longer are much more likely to succeed when they leave a program,” Teague said. “We wanted to find a way where we could bridge the gap and make sure individuals could stay in a supportive, structured community, but have the opportunity to demonstrate a little more independence when it comes to their recovery. That’s the difference between being in treatment and in recovery.”

Additional speakers at the conference included Matthew Page-Shelton, Jail Diversion Clinician serving the towns of Tewksbury, Billerica, Chelmsford and Dracut, and Roy Frost, Deputy Chief of the Billerica Police Department.

H.E.A.T. is sponsored by Woburn District Court and the seven police departments served by the court, the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services and AdCare Educational Institute.

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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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*MEDIA ADVISORY* BeBOLD Bedford, N.H. Speaker Series Event Oct. 29

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Bedford Police Department
John J. Bryfonski, Chief of Police
55 Constitution Drive
Bedford, NH 03110

For Immediate Release

Friday, Oct. 26, 2018

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

*MEDIA ADVISORY*

BeBOLD Bedford Speaker Series Event Oct. 29 to Feature Bedford Resident Jenna Collins and Her Brave Story of Addiction and Recovery

 

Before and after: Jenna Collins shared this photo her of before she began her recovery journey, and today! (Courtesy Photo/Jenna Collins)
Before and after: Jenna Collins shared this photo her of before she began her recovery journey, and today! (Courtesy Photo/Jenna Collins)

BEDFORD, N.H. — BeBOLD Bedford is proud to announce its Speaker Series event later this month, featuring a Bedford resident who will share her personal story of addiction and recovery with the community.

WHEN:

Monday, Oct. 29, 2019

7-8 p.m.

WHERE:

Bedford High School Auditorium

47 Nashua Road
Bedford, NH 03110

WHO:

  • Bedford Resident Jenna Collins
  • Leaders from BeBOLD Bedford
  • Jon Correia

WHAT:

For a culminating event during Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 23-31) BeBOLD Bedford is featuring Jenna Collins, who will share her story of addiction and recovery with the community. Whether you’re battling addiction, have a friend or loved one who is, or you are a parent with concerns for your children, this is one speaking series not to miss.

Above is a before and after picture of Jenna, which she has released to the public, showing the affects of her addiction and how she was able to take back her life. Jenna will be joined by another member of the recovery community, Jon Correia, who will also talk about his experience with addiction. The event promises to feature a powerful message geared for all ages but especially teens and their parents.

This is a free event and all are welcome.

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