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HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-08-2015 HS report Opiate Crisis Meeting of the Committee on Human Services Monday,July 27, 2015 Town Council Chambers 7:00 PM The Committee on Human Services met to continue the discussion of the opioid crisis and the progress on creating an Opioid Action Plan. Attending: Councilor Tony Palomba (Chair), Councilor Aaron Dushku (Vice-Chair), Councilor Susan Falkoff, Health Department Director Deborah Rosati, Recreation Department Director Peter Centola, Lieutenant Daniel Unsworth from the Watertown Police Department and Deputy Chief Tom McManus from the Watertown Fire Department. Also attending were Dr. Laura Kehoe (NIGH), Laura Kurman and Stephanie Sunderland- Ramsey (Wayside Youth and Family Support Network), Peter Airasian (Watertown Overcoming Addiction),Wendy Morrissey (Watertown Against Substance Abuse), Lynn Bratley (Improbable Players), Stephanie Venizelos (Watertown Together), Rhonda Lotti, (GRASP), Michelle Munroe,Jean Agrillo,Adam Sennott, Watertown Tab, and Dan Hogan (WCAT). Councilors Duskhu and Palomba opened the meeting by thanking everyone for attending and for their commitment to addressing the issue through the new coalition,Watertown Accessing Treatment, Education and Resources for Substance Use Disorders (WATERtown). Councilor Palomba reported on the need to reword the motions from the last Committee meeting so that they more appropriately reflected the working dynamic of the town council-manager relationship. He read the new motions and reported that the Town Council accepted them. Councilor Dushku spoke about a desire to establish a data-sharing and privacy agreement between the Watertown Police Department (WPD) and the Watertown Health Department. A short discussion followed and it was agreed that for concerns about patient privacy and confidentiality,that the Town Attorney should be consulted before further discussion. Lt. Unsworth reported on the drug drop-box at the Police Station. He estimated it would be two more weeks before the drop-box would be in place and that Acting Chief Dupuis was in support of the idea. He said that the Department was working on the logistics of the disposal of drop-box contents at the moment. He pointed out that the WPD will be participating in the September 26th national Drug Take Back Day. He also reported on progress in planning a new initiative, "Youth Opposing Use (YOU)"with the Superintendent Fitzgerald at the high school. -2- Councilor Dushku asked about follow-up policies for drop-box users but Lt. Unsworth said that the power of the box was the anonymity that it allowed and that literature and educational materials would be positioned next to it as well as voluntary sign-up sheets for follow-up. Health Department Director Rosati spoke about a grant that the town had received to locate 20 syringe drop-boxes in public and private locations around town and that the Department was working to finalize the list of locations. Deputy Captain McManus of the WFD spoke about the ease of use of Narcan and how unlike some medications, this was one that had no risk of allergic reactions. He expressed a willingness of the WFD to host a banner on the Main Street station during the Erase the Stigma awareness week. Lt. Unsworth reported that the recent collective bargaining agreement with the Police Supervisors Union had put in place a policy for supervisors to carry in their vehicles and administer it as needed, and that there is a Patrol Sergeant carrying NARCN on the streets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At this time there is no such provision for patrolmen. Ms. Rosati commented that the development of the Opioid Action Plan was the single best collaborative effort that she's seen in her 30 years of work in public health. She was very happy with the frequent meetings (every 2 weeks) and the willingness of the group to break off into working groups for specific elements. She reported that the group had chosen a name: W.A.T.E.R.town (Watertown Access to Treatment Education and Resources for Substance Use Disorder). She reported that on August 10 the task force would be having their next meeting and she welcomed several newcomers to the group that were in attendance. The remainder of the meeting focused on the status of the Opioid Action Plan and the creation of the Erase the Stigma week, October 19 through October 26. One of the goals of the week is to build awareness that a substance use disorder is a medical disease that is chronic, treatable, and preventable. The Committee heard reports from organizational representatives about: -a media campaign which included billboards, banners and public service announcements, - school activities including assemblies featuring a film, presentations by young adults in recovery, and skits by the Improbable Players, - a community-wide evening that featured poetry, music, and personal stories from Watertown residents in recovery, as well as refreshments and resource tables, - sermons at houses of worship about addiction on the Sunday before and the Sunday after the week, and - a small group meeting for parents, family members and friends of persons with a substance use disorder. The Committee closed the meeting by voting, 2 - 0 to continue the discussion of the opioid crisis and the Opioid Action Plan. The minutes were prepared by Councilor Dushku.