THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Page 9 Middlesex Sheriff’s Office awarded $1.15M federal grant to address opioid use disorder Will launch “Involving Families in Treatment of Inmates with Opioid Use Disorder Project” M EDFORD, Mass. – The Middlesex Sheriff’s Offi ce (MSO) has been awarded a $1.15 million federal grant to help support justice-involved individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and their families, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian announced during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, November 17. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSAP) grant was awarded to MSO by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The funding will be used to launch the Involving Families in Treatment of Inmates with Opioid Use Disorder Project. “This grant will help us enhance and expand our nationally recognized Medication Assisted Treatment And Directed Opioid Recovery (MATADOR) Program by supporting eff orts to directly engage families of incarcerated individuals with Opioid Use Disorder,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “Families are critical supports for individuals with Opioid Use and all Substance Use Disorders. By SCHOOL | FROM PAGE 1 being withheld because additional information, including an itemized list of expenditures, needs to be sent to the City Council. “The city is not denying the schools any money,” said DeMaria. Preliminary investment plan In other news, the committee voted unanimously to accept Tahiliani’s Preliminary Investment Plan for fi scal year 2021. “We are maximizing every single dollar to make targeted investments,” said Tahiliani. She said those investments include $2.8 million for remote learning as well as $1.2 million for professional development and providing teachers with MacBook Air laptops. An additional $1 million will be used to support the district’s family liaisons and to fund translation services. Tahiliani also spoke about adopting a fi ve-part program known as the Whole Child Approach. “It is a powerful way to encourage children’s learning and thinking,” she said. providing loved ones with crucial information, tools and even counseling, we believe we can improve outcomes for individuals, families and our communities.” In addition to building off the existing MATADOR program, the project will also build on the MSO’s Family Resource and Outreach Coordinator initiative. The Family Resource and Outreach Coordinator position was established earlier this year to engage families through outreach and education, as well work with correctional staff to respond to inquiries, requests and concerns raised by family members of individuals in MSO custody. As part of the Involving Families in Treatment of Inmates with Opioid Use Disorder Project, the MSO will: • Develop and implement naloxone trainings and naloxone distribution for family members of incarcerated individuals with OUD. • Establish a comprehensive family services program for incarcerated individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). This includes outreach to famEPS parent speaks out against delaying hybrid learning Parent Kristen Barrows asked the committee to reconsider postponing the district’s transition to the hybrid learning model. “Parents should have a voice and opinion on it,” she said. “I have a child who is normally an A-B student and is now failing.” Barrows said she spends two to three hours every night with her son on just one subject. “At fi rst, he wants to just give up,” she said, adding that online navigation quickly becomes challenging with five tabs open. “I can see why some kids get overwhelmed and frustrated. How much longer can parents try to help their kids, especially after a long day of work and trying to get dinner ready and whatnot?” Barrows also said increased screen time has started to take its toll and that social interaction has dropped off significantly. “They’re missing that engagement piece,” she said. However, in reviewing the city’s COVID-19 metrics, Tahiliani SCHOOL | SEE PAGE 19 ilies, educational programs on SUD, family counseling and support groups. The project will be advised and evaluated by Dr. Andrew Kolodny and Gail Strickler of Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. “Involving families in addiction treatment is a best practice supported by strong evidence,” said Dr. Kolodny. “Opioid addiction is a life-threatening disease and improving outcomes means saving lives.” Since its launch in 2015, over 900 individuals have participated in MATADOR. There are currently nearly 420 active MATADOR participants, 340 of whom are receiving post-release care, while approximately 80 are presently receiving care at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction. Of all those who completed six months of post-release MATADOR services, just 13 percent recidivated within one year. To view the November 17 virtual press conference in its entirety, please visit the Middlesex Sheriff ’s Offi ce YouTube page.
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