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A three-year project funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's (MDPH) Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) has formed a coalition to provide interventions, prevention strategies and education to reduce opioid overdoses in Fall River. A meeting held at Stanley Street Treatment and Resources (SSTAR) on September 16, 2009, brought together representatives of SSTAR, Habit OPCO, Norcap Lodge, Southeastern Healthy Communities, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, BOLD, Project Aware and Seven Hills Behavioral Health with evaluators Paul and Max Florin, to discuss potential strategies. BSAS reported that there were 205 nonfatal overdoses and 60 fatal ones due to opiates in the City of Fall River. There are 12 fatal opiate-related overdoses a week in the Commonwealth. The Coalition is working on a variety of strategies to reduce fatal overdoses in Fall River including education and outreach to users, bystanders and healthcare providers. Click here and here for photos of previous meetings. For more information about the project, contact Project Coordinator Jenna Lagasse at 508-324-2415.
 

(Top row) Robert Hitt of Stanley Street Treatment and Resources offers a suggestion about ways of reaching the target population as Jenna Legasse and Dr. Florin respond. (Middle row, left) Tom Hannigan of Norcap Lodge points out the importance of distinguishing some of the different target audiences of an educational campaign as Building Our Lives Drug-free (BOLD) Coalition director Karen Fischer listens. (Middle row, right) Susan Penacho of Habit OPCO makes some recommendations about working with local clinicians. (Bottom row, left) Jessica Rodriguez of Seven Hills describes their Narcan program's success in intervening in potential overdose deaths. (Bottom row, center) P.O.W.E.R. 2 Save Coalition coordinator Jenna Legasse describes the educational material that is given to addicts and potential bystanders. (Bottom row, right) Celia Porche of the Bristol County District Attorney's office, Susan Panacho, and SSTAR Clinical Director Erica Sahliln listen to Dr. Florin describe what is being done in other Massachusetts communities.

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