GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Chief Paul Storti announced that the Great Barrington Police Department has taken a step toward providing resources for those suffering from substance use disorders.

 

The department has partnered with Rural Recovery Resources, under program manager Gary Pratt, to provide substance abuse services through the utilization of recovery coaches. 

 

Recovery coaching is a form of strengths-based support for people with addictions or in recovery from alcohol, other drugs, codependency, or other addictive behaviors. They work with people who have active addictions, as well as those already in recovery.

 

"This is a great addition to our current co-responder program and another way that we are trying to help our community when in need," Storti said.

 

The Co-Responder Program that was launched in June of 2019 was designed to increase earlier identification and intervention for citizens with mental illness who have contact with law enforcement. The goal is to decrease the likelihood that those individuals will be arrested and enter the criminal justice system because of behaviors related to their mental illness. 

 

The clinician assists people in crisis, outlines services available to those in need, completes follow-up visits with residents to ensure they are receiving all of the help available to them. 

 

Recovery coaches will be able to do the same for those struggling with substance misuse.

 

Rural Recovery Resources is funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grant that funds a peer-support recovery center that will act as a referral hub to connect people to existing services. Program Manager, Gary Pratt says,

 

"Rural Recovery Resources is excited to enter into a partnership with the Great Barrington Police Department in an effort to truly get people the help they need," Pratt said. "We are grateful to Chief Storti and his recognition that addiction is a treatable condition and that progressive police policy is good for the individual and community as a whole."