People of our community may be asking what is the community of Hopedale doing about the opioid addiction and the health crisis facing our State and more locally our communities. Over the last year, key community personal, Police, Town Administrators, parents, and local professionals joined together to establish the Hopedale Opioid Task Force, part of the larger Regional Substance Navigation Program. The primary mission of the Hopedale Opioid Task Force is to provide educational information, implement effective, evidence-based strategies focused on preventing and reducing substance use, through an area wide collaborative effort. The work of the Hopedale Task Force shall focus on 1) Identifying and addressing youth substance use in Hopedale while developing community-based and environmental strategies to prevent and/or mitigate the consequences associated with substance use and abuse issues, 2) Developing and strengthening community partnerships with the Juvenile Advocacy Group, investing resources regionally while working together to create a healthier and safer environment in the community for youth age 12 to 17 as well as all residents, as it relates to substance use and abuse issues, 3) To use data-driven decisions to create and sustain overall efforts in the community around prevention and reduction of youth substance use, 4) To provide education to all community residents regarding substance use and abuse along with the means of preventing related and associated consequences. 5) To connect prevention efforts in the community with treatment and recovery efforts so as to provide a more holistic approach to preventing, reducing substance use and abuse issues among youth and adults in the community.
The Hopedale Opioid Task Force is part of the larger Regional Substance Navigation Program which, originated from the long standing work between the Juvenile Advocacy Group, Milford Police Department and Community Impact. The mission of the Regional Substance Navigation Program is to educate local communities and provide those suffering from addiction, as well their families, friends, and caregivers with information on treatment options and resources available to them. This Regional Substance Navigation Program is a Police Department-based model in which both police officers and a therapist help individuals access treatment. Their services provide a proactive approach consisting of having a therapist from Community Impact respond to those struggling with substance use in the moment. Additionally, they will provide a direct linkage with recovery centers, medication assisted treatment programs, and other treatment services in order to make a successful referral to the correct level of care or agency that can provide further treatment for the individual. This program is currently implemented in the town of Milford, Upton and plans of spreading to Medway, Mendon and Bellingham.
If you are in need of treatment or resources there is:
No Shame, No Judgement, Just Truth, Hotline number: 508-377-3370 or visit www.communityimpactinc.net
Article about Stigma if we need Another one
We are writing this article to introduce the Hopedale Opioid Task Force and to ask people who are concerned about opioid epidemic to channel your concerns, frustrations, and even anger into positive action. This article is meant to empower you by providing you with tips, recommendations, tools, and resources to engage in The Hopedale Opioid Task Force efforts. For more information and to be part of the solutions in Hopedale visit www.communityimpactinc.net
To begin educating the community, let’s discuss addiction-related stigma:
Stigma affects people with addictions in two ways: externally— through rejection by friends, relatives, neighbors, and employers; and internally—through aggravated feelings of rejection, loneliness, and depression. Unknown
Addicted people typically experience a profound compulsion to use substances of abuse. They generally experience a loss of control over the amount of substance used or the amount of time they intended to use the substance. Addicted people typically engage in continued use of substances of abuse despite a multitude of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual adverse consequences. Addicted people frequently experience gut-wrenching episodes of relapse.
As if that’s not enough, addicted people also experience stigma— in many areas of their lives and through all phases of active addiction, treatment, and recovery.
Although the sting of addiction-related stigma can be felt most strongly and frequently by addicted people, it is also experienced by their family and friends, co-workers, and employers.
People struggling with substance abuse problems typically experience multiple levels of burden. The first level of burden is the addictive process itself. Addicted people typically experience compulsion, loss of control, continued substance use despite knowledge of adverse consequences, and episodes of relapse. The addictive process alone is a powerful and difficult burden on people’s lives.
At the same time, addicted people generally experience significant biopsychosocial problems that are caused or worsened by the addiction. These include problems regarding physical and psychological health, social functioning, employment stability, and legal or criminal justice involvement. These biopsychosocial problems act as a second powerful level of burden among addicted people.
To make matters worse, addicted and recovering people experience an additional level of burden caused by the stigma associated with addiction. For some, this stigma can create problems that are as serious, disruptive, and dangerous as the addiction itself. These include a wide range of problems, from emotional problems, such as shame, to medical crises or a denial of medical services.
WHAT IS ADDICTION-RELATED STIGMA?
Addiction-related stigma affects people in different ways. As a result, there is a wealth of ways in which people understand, perceive, and define stigma and the effects of stigma on addicted people.
Stigma assumes many forms. It appears as prejudice, discrimination, fear, shame, distrust, and stereotyping. In an effort to define stigma, an expert panel on addiction-related stigma (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment 2000) described five important points:
• Addiction-related stigma is a powerful, shame-based mark of disgrace and reproach.
• Stigma is generated and perpetuated by prejudicial attitudes and beliefs.
• Stigma promotes discrimination among individuals at risk for, experiencing, or in recovery from addiction, as well as individuals associated with them.
• Addicted people and people in recovery are ostracized, discriminated against, and deprived of basic human rights.
• Individuals who are stigmatized often internalize inappropriate attitudes and practices, making them part of their self-identity.
It is our hope the Hopedale Community begins to understand the facts that addiction is a disease affecting that can affect anyone in the community. We ask everyone to become more open to ending the stigma and giving assistance and understanding to these individuals.
As stated earlier, the Hopedale Opioid Task Force will be publishing more educational articles and creating publicity to raise awareness of this health crisis affecting our Nation, State, Region and our community.
Issue Date:
November, 2017
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