Heroin Resource Guide
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The following resource guide contains information for individuals and organizations on treatment facilities, prevention and education information and law enforcement agencies. This guide is by no means comprehensive but does contain information on the best known organizations at this time. If you discover other resources that should be added to this guide, please contact Carrie Kimball Monahan in the District Attorney’s office at 978-532-4140.
TREATMENT
Finding treatment for a heroin or opiate addiction can be challenging. There are a lot of variables to finding suitable treatment such as insurance type, availability of beds, motivation of user, etc. The following is list of treatment resources in Northeastern Massachusetts to help one locate an appropriate treatment program.
There are several web resources that can assist you in locating a treatment facility. They are:
www.mass.gov/dph/bsas
www.jointogether.org
www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
www.drugrehabresources.com
Local treatment providers include:
Detox
Baldpate Hospital |
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Community Health Initiatives
Acute Treatment Services
Lowell Community Health Center
365 East Street, Unit 1
Tewksbury, MA
978-858-0533
Residential and/or Outpatient Treatment
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| Twelve Step Education Program |
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| Leland Unit, Beverly Hospital |
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Habit Management Institute |
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Project COPE | Link House |
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Turning Point | The Psychological Center |
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Team Coordinating Agency | Baldpate Hospital |
NOTE: For inmates incarcerated in the Essex County Correctional Facility there are treatment programs available to them. Substance Abuse Treatment Community for Offenders (SATCO) is an intensive program that provides counseling, 12-step programs, employment training and other services. Drug and alcohol counseling is also available to inmates. (Contact: Joe Steriti, Essex County Sheriff’s Department, 978-750-1900)
The Office of Community Corrections provides a range of services including substance abuse counseling and drug testing as a condition of probation. (Contact: Carol Higgins-O’Brien, Essex County Sheriff’s Department, 978-750-1900)
PREVENTION AND EDUCATION
Perhaps the best tool when fighting drugs is prevention and education. It is not always possible to know which messages will stop someone from doing drugs in the first place, so it is important to use a thoughtful and science-based approach. It is also important to provide a consistent clear message about drug use. While these programs may not stop everyone from using drugs, it is clear that efforts to reduce drug use through prevention and education do pay off over time.
In terms of heroin and opiates, there are not many proven methods to reduce use of these specific drugs through prevention programs. Most prevention programs that target young people deal with the range of drugs – from tobacco and alcohol to cocaine and heroin. However, there are not many programs that can be effectively pulled off the shelf and simply applies to a given community. The best approach involves coalition building and data collection to understand the nature of the drug program in a given community and then develop an appropriate response. This takes time and patience.
There are some resources available to communities and organizations looking to develop a prevention and education program to combat heroin and opiate use.
Centers for Northeast Healthy Communities (NCHC) is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. Formerly part of the Prevention Center System, it is 1 of 6 Regional Centers for Healthy Communities in Massachusetts. The NCHC offers a range of services that support prevention and health promotion efforts. Among the priorities at NCHC is aiding community groups in the development, implementation and evaluation of substance abuse prevention programs. The NCHC staff will assist community groups and agencies to address substance abuse with a variety of services including:
- Training and technical assistance in choosing and implementing effective science-based prevention models and curricula.
- Access to a variety of health resources through an extensive library collection.
- Assistance with local data collection and dissemination.
- Support for policy makers and law enforcement in developing and implementing effective regulations to reduce youth access to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
- Support for community coalitions, agency staff, parent leaders and youth leaders through prevention training and professional development.
- Assisting community groups in sustaining prevention efforts through grant writing and locating support and funding.
- Supporting partnerships among local and regional public health organizations such as coalitions and CHNAs.
Contact the Centers for Northeast Healthy Communities at 978-688-2323
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health awarded Heroin and Other Opioids Comprehensive Environmental Planning and Implementation grants last June to communities throughout Massachusetts to examine and develop a response to the heroin threat in their communities. The following local communities were awarded planning grants:
The City of Gloucester, Jack Vondras, Health Department, 978-281-9771
The City of Lynn, Mary Ann O’Conner, Inspectional Services, 781-598-4000.
The City of Malden was awarded an implementation grant. (Malden is not in Essex County but is the closest community doing an implementation program.)
Contact: Christine DiPietro, Director of Human Services, City of Malden, 781-397-7060.
The Channing Bete Company publishes booklets and other educational resources for schools, public health organizations, and private and government agencies and is a leading developer of positive youth development programs, including the Communities That Care prevention planning system. Communities That Care is a science-based program that helps a community work together to prevent adolescent problem behaviors.
Contact: David Henshaw, Director, National Sales, Communities That Care, 1-888-834-6634.
This program is currently being implemented in the City of Lynn to address the heroin problem in that community. For more information on that effort contact: Wendy Kent, Project COPE, 781-593-5333 ext. 322.
Health & Education Services, Inc. (HES) provides a wide range of community based mental health and substance abuse, prevention and addiction services to Massachusetts' Greater North Shore and Lower Merrimack Valley residents. HES provides substance abuse treatment and counseling in communities throughout Essex County. In addition, HES is involved in prevention initiatives working with communities to build coalitions to address substance abuse issues. Contact: HES, 131 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915, 978-921-1293,
The Stop Heroin Overdose Committee is a multi-disciplinary group that meets to explore and implement prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the rate of heroin overdoses in the Lynn community. Contact: Emily Herzig, Neighborhood Legal Services, 781-599-7730.
The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery is a group of persons in recovery and their families and friends who educate the public about the value of recovery as well as provide prevention strategies and support to families and friends of addicts. Contact: MOAR – Mary Ann Frangules 1-877-423-6627
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law enforcement agencies – from the local police department to federal special agents – are working hard to stop the flow of drugs onto our streets. While your local police department is an excellent resource if you have questions or concerns about drug activity in your community, there are other agencies that offer programs and information to communities, schools, businesses and other organizations.
The New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, (NEHIDTA) works with multiple agencies to promote cooperation in identifying, disrupting and dismantling Colombian/ Dominican and other significant drug trafficking and money laundering organizations that are operating in New England. The HIDTA Program provides federal assistance to better coordinate and enhance counterdrug law enforcement efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in areas where major drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution flourish. The HIDTA Program designates geographic areas to which federal resources are allocated to link local, state, and federal drug enforcement efforts and to optimize the investigative return on limited fiscal and personnel resources. Contact NEHIDTA, 13 Branch Street, Suite 9, Methuen, MA 01844, 978-691-2550
The Essex County Drug Task Force is a function of the District Attorney’s Office and is a joint operation of the District Attorney’s Office, state and local police. The Task Force conducts drug investigations and operates out of offices in Lynn and Lawrence. Lt. Gregory Dern heads the Lawrence office and Det. Ken Gill heads the Lynn office. Task Force members can be reached through the District Attorney’s office at 978-745-6610.
The Essex County Sheriff’s Department operates a Security and Investigations team which collaborates with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies on drug investigations. These agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorney’s Office and local police departments. The Sheriff’s Department also provides its Canine Unit to local law enforcement agencies or school departments for drug searches. This is done only by request. For more information contact the Sheriff’s Department at 978-750-1900.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Special Investigations and Narcotics (SI&N) Division coordinates and prosecutes multi-jurisdictional criminal cases including large-scale drug trafficking organizations. Attorneys, State Police Officers and investigators assigned to the SI&N Division also work with and provide technical, legal, and other forms of investigative support and assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Customs Service, the Department of Corrections, District Attorney's Offices, and various state and local police departments and task forces throughout the Commonwealth and, in some circumstances, across the country. These joint undertakings include investigations of many criminal enterprises including large-scale drug distribution. Contact Attorney General Martha Coakley's office at 617-727-2200