spotlight

MA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDS THE MASSACHUSETTS OVERDOSE PREVENTION HOTLINE

Staffed by a dedicated team of harm reductionists and people with lived experience with overdose, the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline connects people who are using drugs with a trained operator who can call for help in case of overdose.

Our volunteer operators will ask you for your exact location and the phone number you are calling from before you use. If during the course of the call you stop responding, we will get you help either through a predetermined responder or by notifying your local Emergency Medical Services.

This American Life covered a similar hotline during a recent four-part radio story named "The Call". Listen for more information on how these hotlines function, save lives, and create community. 

harm reduction

THE MASSACHUSETTS OVERDOSE DATA AND REPORT OVERDOSE PREVENTION CENTER

On Wednesday, December 13th, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH) released updated fatal overdose statistics as well as new data on non-fatal overdoses. Data show persistently high fatal overdoses and again highlight the amount of fentanyl detected in opioid-related overdose deaths (93%). DPH reported that there was a total of 133,295 non-fatal overdoses from 2013-2021, and that 1 of every 11 people who had one (recorded) non-fatal overdose from 2013-2021 later experienced a fatal overdose.                          

These data were released alongside a feasibility report on overdose prevention centers that DPH prepared for the Healey-Driscoll Administration. The “Overdose Prevention Center Feasibility Report” shows that DPH believes in OPCs efficacy, finding that they are an evidence-based, life-saving tool that is aligned with our approach to substance use and harm reduction. These findings contributed to DPHs recommendation that the legislature act to pass legal protections to clear the path to OPC establishment. 

THE NATIONAL HARM REDUCTION COALITION'S LIGHTHOUSE LEARNING COLLECTIVE HOSTS FREE TRAININGS

The National Harm Reduction Coalition's (NHRC) Lighthouse Learning Collective's queer harm reduction training series, Lighthouse Learning Series, is back! Running through February 2024, there will be one session each month.

Remaining sessions include:

Queer History of Harm Reduction Part 2 on January 12th from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST

Abolition & Harm Reduction on February 16th at 12:00 PM EST

prevention

CAPE COD FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER HOSTS TRAINING: ACTIVE PARENTING OF TEENS

You're invited to attend Active Parenting of Teens: For Parents of Teens and 'Tweens. This training will give you the guidance and support you need to turn the challenges of raising a teenager into opportunities for growth. Training will be held on January 18th and 25th and February 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd. Download the flyer for more information. To register call: (508) 815-5100. 

FREE TALK IN HARWICH: UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY

The Director of Youth and Family Services for the Town of Harwich will be giving a talk on Understanding Anxiety on Thursday, January 25 from 6:00PM–7:00PM at the Harwich Community Center. Topics covered will include what anxiety is, what happens when someone feels anxiety, how to know when to reach out for help, and how to help someone you care about. This event is free and open to all. No registration is required.

PARENT WORKSHOP SERIES

Join our Department of Youth & Family Services for a Parent Workshop on those really hard topics. You are not alone! The next Parent Workshop Series chat will be on Thursday, January 18th from 6:00PM–7:00PM in the library at The 204: Cultural Arts Municipal Building and we’ll be talking about Navigating Serious Conversations.  

FREE WEEKLY GROUP FOR PARENTS (OR CAREGIVERS) AT BFREE WELLNESS, INC

BFree Wellness, Inc. will be offering a free weekly wellness group for parents and caregivers that includes topics such as movement and mindfulness, nutrition, self-care, and healthy living. Kids are welcome!

Increased family wellness is a protective factor against youth substance use; wellness-related skills can decrease risk of youth substance use and help disrupt intergenerational use in the home. Space is limited for this group so pre-registration is preferred. Email Lindsay for more info at Lindsay@bfreewell.org. Group starts Friday, January 12th and will run from 9:30 AM to 10:30AM at 305 Hokum Road in Dennis.

SAMHSA HOSTS SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION CHALLENGE FOR YOUTH

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is looking for ideas from youth and young adults on the topic of fentanyl awareness. The Empowering Youth for Safer Choices challenge is seeking the best ideas from U.S. youth, aged 14–18, on a community strategy to increase youth awareness, education, and prevention around the dangers of fentanyl.

SAMHSA wants you (local youth) to pitch your idea that educates youth in your community (among your friends, or at school, or within an organization to which you belong) about fentanyl and fake pills to prevent overdose. Your idea could include any innovative ways to reach youth on this topic like social media posts, vlogs, podcasts, video journals, etc.

recovery

RECOVERY COACH DROP-IN FORUM

Recovery Coach Drop-in Forums are open format sessions facilitated by recovery coaches. They are an opportunity for coaches and others in peer support roles to network, share resources and practices, get support from one another, and discuss topics pertinent to substance use, recovery, and coaching. These sessions will also feature guest speakers on related topics and a $25 Amazon gift card raffle at the conclusion of each session. We respectfully ask that those in solely or primarily supervisory roles not attend these sessions – thank you for your understanding.

Intended audience: Recovery coaches and peer support specialists that provide direct support to recoverees/patients in the field of addiction.

DETAILS

These virtual sessions are held weekly on Mondays via Zoom from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Please contact Kira.Goodwin@bmc.org for Zoom details.

Sponsored by the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS/DPH) and AMERSA (The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction)

IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PARENTS SUPPORTING PARENTS MEETINGS

Parents Supporting Parents provides a support network for parents and families coping with a loved one's addiction. Family members have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss their concerns, and build community with other families, most importantly in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.

Virtual meetings take place on Monday nights at 6:30PM, except on major holidays. In-person meetings also take place on Monday nights at 6:30PM at the Sandwich Council on Aging on Quaker Meetinghouse Road in East Sandwich. Anyone interested in attending can email them at capecodpsp@gmail.com or call Linda Cubellis at (508) 419-3434.

BFREE WELLNESS, INC HAS MOVED!

BFREE Wellness, Inc has moved and will be operating out of the Dennis Health and Fitness Club on 305 Hokum Road in Dennis. They will continue to partner with the Family Table Collaborative on many projects but will mainly operate out of their new location. In the new year they will be offering a variety of services for the community including services for people and providers in recovery, parents and caregivers, folks involved in the criminal justice system, and the broader community.

To participate in a class or workshop, please register in advance. All programming is donation-based or free. For more information, see the website included here and/or reach out to Ayanna Freedom at Ayanna@bfreewell.org.

SAVE THE DATE: VIRTUAL TRAINING–SUPPORTING FAMILIES OF YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS IN RECOVERY

This training focuses on ways to engage and support family members caring for youth and young adults with substance use disorders. It will take place virtually on February 1, 2024 from 930AM to 12:30PM. Topics covered include:

• Understanding parental challenges
• Reframing addiction as a chronic family disease
• Helping families lower risk factors for youth substance use disorders and increase protective factors
• Principles and best practices for engaging families in recovery
• Review of evidence-based models to help families get their loved one in treatment and stay in recovery.

The training will also focus on identifying family recovery resources at the local, state, and national levels, and ways in which treatment providers can systematically build in support for families in recovery.

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER LEARN TO COPE

Falmouth Grief Group for bereaved family members who have lost someone to an overdose will provide support and encouragement on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. 

January meetings are on the 3rd and 17th and February meetings will be on the 7th and 21st. 

Contact Learn to Cope at (774) 256-1956.

OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS WORKSHOP

The Town of Barnstable invites you to join a facilitated conversation and share your experience about how the opioid epidemic has impacted you, your family and/or the community. Barnstable residents affected by Opioid Use Disorder and professionals that serve Barnstable

residents are encouraged to attend to assist in the process of identifying priority needs in Barnstable that will help guide future spending of Opioid Settlement Funds.

DETAILS

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

5:30PM–8:30PM

Barnstable High School Jr/Sr Cafeteria

744 West Main Street, Hyannis

Your participation is important. Share your voice. Come and be heard. Interpreters available for Portuguese and Spanish. Light refreshments will be served. Childcare available.

RVSPs preferred but walk-ins are welcome.

treatment

TRAINING: FAMILY MEMBERS AND ADDICTION TREATMENT OUTCOMES: APPLYING RESEARCH TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This training is being offered by the Grayken Center for Addiction Training & Technical Assistance on Tuesday, January 16th from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM via Zoom. This training will reframe the role of family members in the lives of people with substance use disorder, highlighting the importance of family and social support in achieving optimal health outcomes. The training will introduce concrete and simple changes to current models of addiction treatment to engage with family and leverage the invaluable support they provide to people with SUD.

DUFFY HEALTH CENTER'S REACH MOBILE UNIT CONTINUES TO SERVE OUR CAPE COMMUNITIES

The goal of this mobile unit is to provide person centered supportive services to those in need. Supports will include access to showers (closed mid-November to April due to winter weather) basic food items, and support with navigating resources on/off Cape.

Individuals are also able to access substance use disorder services and harm reduction resources (naloxone and fentanyl test strips) from the unit. The mobile unit is outfitted to be able to support telehealth access to medications for opioid use disorder treatment with providers.  

Although individuals will have the ability to be linked to medical and behavioral health services from the mobile unit, those services will not be provided on the unit.

Mondays: Yarmouth/Dennis

7:00AM–10:00AM, Yarmouth Comprehensive Treatment Center

10:15AM–11:15PM, Dennis Union Church

11:30AM–1:00PM, West Dennis Library

Tuesdays: Falmouth

9:00AM–1:00PM, St. Barnabas Church

Wednesdays: Hyannis

8:30AM–1:00PM, Hyannis Public Library (Main Street)

Fridays: Mashpee 

9:00AM–12:00PM, Mashpee Library

1:00PM–3:00PM, Mashpee Wendys

resources

SADOD HOSTS PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP: GUILT, REGRET, AND MAKING AMENDS

Join Support After a Death by Overdose (SADOD) for their next psychoeducational workshop: Guilt, Regret, and Making Amends on January 23, 2024, from 6:30PM–8:00PM. The workshop will discuss how and why guilt and regret play such a large role in the grief process following deaths due to substance use, paying special attention to the difference between guilt and regret. We will discuss ways to begin making amends and lessening the grip that these painful thought patterns (guilt and regret) have on us.

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATES OVERDOSE-RELATED DATA

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MADPH) recently released updated reports on opioid-related overdose deaths by county, by city or town, and state-wide. These reports are typically released on a quarterly basis. Bookmark this page to stay up to date on numbers in your community. 

SAVE THE DATE: THE ANNUAL REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR SERVICE OF COMMEMORATION

All are invited to gather in person to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, January 14, 2024. This special ecumenical service will begin at 3:00PM at First Baptist Church, located at 486 Main Street, Hyannis. The service may also be accessed by live-stream using the link found on the website: www.FBCHyannis.org.

Rev. Dr. King wrote, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” The service will feature Cecilia Phelan-Stiles as our Keynote Speaker. Ms. Phelan-Stiles is the Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Cape Cod Healthcare. She is also the head of Language and Interpreter Services and a member of Cape Cod Healthcare's Health Equity Committee. She will speak about efforts to advance health equity in our community.

We will also welcome students of Mrs. Duran at Hyannis West Elementary School as they recite their “I have a dream” speeches written when they were second-graders. A Goodwill offering will benefit the Scholarship Fund of the Cape Cod Branch of the NAACP. Fellowship will follow the service at the church. A voter registration area will be available at the church. All are welcome.

food resources

FOOD ACCESS CAPE COD

Be sure to download our Cape & Islands Food Access Resource Guide! This publication is updated regularly by the Barnstable County Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and contains all the information you need for food accessibility.

network of care

The Barnstable County Department of Human Services’ Network of Care (NOC) SERVICE DIRECTORY website, is a robust local health and human services directory with resources for individuals, families, and agencies on Cape Cod with public health questions and concerns.

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