Peer-Led Opioid Recovery Center Coming to North Adams
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — One year into a federally funded study to find ways to address the opioid crisis, a local coalition is close to opening a peer-led recovery center in downtown North Adams.
John Crane of the Brien Center and Richard Alcombright, who represents the city on the HEALing Communities Study's Community Coalition, spoke to the city council on Tuesday to give an update on the coalition's activities.
North Adams and Pittsfield are among more than a dozen communities in the commonwealth participating in the study, an program of the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative.
The goal is to test strategies to reduce addiction at the grassroots level. Programs are underway in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Kentucky. In Massachusetts, the program is being coordinated by Boston Medical Center.
North Adams received a $500,000 grant, Alcombright said. Of that, about $200,000 has been spent, mostly on the placement of Naloxone boxes around the area.
The remaining $300,000 is earmarked to start the recovery center on Main Street, Alcombright said.
"What is unique about this is the Brien Center is really taking a step forward to go non-clinical," Crane told the council. "This is going to be community- and peer-led. This is not going to be directors and administrators sitting in the background orchestrating everything.
"It's a peer-led initiative that we think will impact the community in a great way."
Crane said the center's opening is awaiting final signatures on a contract to get the operation underway. Ultimately, it will have four employees, he said: a program manager, program specialist, recovery coach and volunteer coordinator.
"What's important about the center is we will put a large emphasis on the more rural communities, the Florida Mountains, the Clarksburgs, the Savoys," Crane said. "Addiction doesn't discriminate against anybody, and we want to make sure we reach out to those communities as well."
The HEALing Communities Study, which began last July, is set to end on Dec. 31. Alcombright hinted that the local coalition may be looking for local financial support after the grant funding expires.
"We have been blessed over the last 10 years to have the support of mayors and city councilors all around these issues," Alcombright said. "John will attest we've been speaking at coalition meetings that we're focusing on making sure the coalition grows without skipping a beat.
"So we'll be back with ideas on that. We'll be back probably in a couple of months with more information and a really good update on the recovery center."
Much of Tuesday's meeting was consumed by discussion of the city's efforts to manage storm damage and address infrastructure to prevent future damage in the wake of this week's storm.
With four members (Jennifer Barbeau, Marie T. Harpin, Michael Obasohan and Ashley Shade) absent, the council did conduct a little business with the five members present.
On a motion from Bryan Sapienza, the group voted unanimously to refer to the city's Parks and Recreation Department concerns about safety in the bleachers at Joe Wolfe Field.
At the outset of Tuesday's meeting, Robert Smith of North Street told the council that the city has a "real problem at the ballpark."
"When it gets wet, it's like you're on ice," Smith said. "There's really no traction. I actually did take a fall at [a recent] game I attended, and for four days I had issues with my neck and upper back."
Sapienza said he had attended some recent SteepleCats games at the park as well and had seen patrons slip on the aluminum bleachers.
"Unfortunately, we're in this pattern of having pop-up showers in the afternoon," Sapienza said. "Many of our local seniors and other people enjoy these games and have trouble getting in and out of the bleachers even when the weather is dry."
Sapienza recommended that the city look into installing traction tape strategically around the grandstand and possibly on the ramp that accesses the stadium.
The closest the council came to a split decision on Tuesday involved its consideration of an application for a permit to drive a taxi in the city.
Councilor Wayne Wilkinson interrupted what may have been a routine approval to point out that the applicant had checked a box indicating their license had been suspended but provided no additional information.
"I'd think he could at least give an explanation," Wilkinson said. "He has had his license for nine years. Maybe this is an ancient thing."
Or, Council President Lisa Blackmer noted, the applicant simply could have checked the wrong box.
She suggested that the council could defer on the decision until its next meeting in two weeks, but Peter Oleskiewicz disagreed.
Oleskiewicz said he was concerned that a delay on the council's part over what could be a typo would potentially deny a person the ability to earn a living. And he said he had faith that the Police Department, which reviewed the application before it got to the council, did its due diligence.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey offered twice during the discussion to step outside the council chamber and call an NAPD lieutenant and find out additional information. The second time, Blackmer took her up on the offer.
When Macksey returned, she put the councilors' minds at ease.
"There was no evidence his license was actually revoked," Macksey said after reaching the lieutenant. "He may have thought it had or he may have checked the wrong box."
Before the council voted 5-0 to approve the permit, Macksey said that if councilors find an issue in paperwork when they receive documents in the meeting packet, they can follow up with her office to look into any questions that arise.
Tags: substance abuse,
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