News  International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD): Alumni Strong, Recovery Lifelong

Members of the Fall River Recovery Court team and alumni at the Fall River’s 2025 International Overdose Awareness Day event.
Left to right: Alumni Ron Viveiros, Alumni Justin Mauricio, Alumni Mathew Medeiros, Probation Officer Erinn Lanczycki, Recovery Court Clinician Jossara Rodrigues, Lieutenant Steven Burt, Hon. Cynthia Brackett, Alumni Tara Ketzler, Alumni Jordan Miranda, Defense Attorney Lisa Luongo, and Specialty Court Program Coordinator Christine Lattouf.

On August 29, 2025, members of the Fall River Recovery Court team, alongside five proud alumni of the program, attended Fall River’s observance of International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). This event is held annually to honor the lives lost to overdose and to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis. It was a meaningful and powerful opportunity for the Fall River Recovery Court Alumni to engage with the community.

This marked the first official community engagement event for the Fall River Recovery Court Alumni Program, and the alumni made their presence known to the community that they are a strong united front. Their custom shirts - funded by the District Attorney’s Office - featured bold messages: the front stated their affiliation with the Fall River Recovery Court Program, and the back highlighted their continued commitment through the Alumni Program with the phrase: “Alumni Strong, Recovery Lifelong.”

This message captures the essence of what the alumni represent: not only successful graduates of an intensive treatment and probation program, but living proof that recovery is a lifelong journey. Their participation symbolized the power of second chances and personal transformation - showing the community that recovery does not end with graduation, but extends into a lifetime of purpose, service, and personal growth.

During the event, members of the Fall River Recovery Court team, led by the Honorable Cynthia Brackett, spoke with members of the public, as well as local service providers and organizations, about the program’s structure. The alumni engaged with members of the public, sharing their personal stories and experiences with the Fall River Recovery Court Program and how it has positively impacted their lives. Their voices added authenticity and hope to the event, illustrating that treatment-based probation and accountability programs like the Fall River Recovery Court change lives.

As part of the commemoration, the Fall River Recovery Court team displayed an electronic candle in remembrance for all those who have lost their lives to overdose - particularly those connected to the Fall River Recovery Court program. It served as a symbol of the lives lost, the loved ones left behind, and the ongoing fight to break the stigma surrounding substance use disorders.

The presence of the alumni at this event is a milestone for the Fall River Recovery Court, showcasing the long-term success and resilience of its graduates. It also demonstrated the program’s commitment not only to individual recovery, but to community healing and engagement. 

Through this event, the Fall River Recovery Court Alumni affirmed that recovery is possible, it is lifelong, and it is a vital force in transforming and healing our communities.