On January 2, during his Inaugural Address, Mayor Carlo DeMaria emphasized his greatest concern, which is the current opioid crisis that our country is facing today. The Mayor passionately addressed the audience that he will not sit idly by and watch another person die through no fault of their own.
The Mayor announced that his administration has established a Roadmap to Recovery Program. As part of the Roadmap to Recovery program, the DeMaria administration will start drop- in nights, which will be held on the fourth Thursday of every month and will start on January 25. This initiative aims to aid families and individuals in navigating the accessibility of resources in our community and to provide information and possible solutions for Substance Use Disorder.
The Roadmap to Recovery Drop-in Nights will take place every fourth Thursday of the month from 5:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. at the Connolly Center. The dates are listed below:
January 25th
February 22nd
March 22nd
April 26th
May 24th
June 28th
July 26th
August 23rd
September 27th
October 25th
December 27th
Mayor DeMaria stated, “We know that thousands of people, young and old are dying every day. For the second year in a row, our life expectancy as Americans has dropped- this type of drop was last seen in the 1960s. And the reason is opioid overdoses. This is unacceptable.”
The City of Everett is committed to improving the health and safety of all residents combating the disease of addiction.
Last February, Mayor Carlo DeMaria hired the City of Everett’s first-ever Substance Abuse Clinician, Tori Cyrus. Since that time, Ms. Cyrus has been working with the Fire and Health Departments as well as other City Agencies in assistance with the substance abuse epidemic.
The DeMaria Administration has also the integrated the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) model into overall prevention systems by hiring a Program Coordinator to oversee and coordinate grant-supported programming in youth prescription drug misuse prevention. The coordinator, Paul Guarino, is paid through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). Mr. Guarino works out of the Health Department and focuses on implementing local policy, practice, systems, and environmental changes to prevent past 30-day use of prescription drugs and alcohol among high school-aged youth.
In addition, in partnership with PAARI and AmeriCorps, the City has hired a program coordinator modeled after the City of Gloucester’s successful program to help those in crisis get into the recovery program.
Dennis Doris, was announced as the Program Coordinator for the “Roadmap to Recovery” program. Doris, in his primary role, serves as Recovery Coach seeking referrals from the Everett Police Department Special Criminal Investigation Unit, in addition to referrals from other departments and residents looking for direction in breaking away from narcotics addiction. These referrals will offer help to individuals seeking treatment.
Dennis will be available for consultation at the Shute Library on Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Consultations and the Roadmaps to Recovery are free. Dennis Doris can also be contacted at 978-999-2050 or email at [email protected]