Vision: Collaborating —across agencies, organizations, sectors and stakeholders—to build a healthier Greater New Bedford community by addressing the misuse of substances.
Mission: To address opioid misuse and overdose in the Greater New Bedford community by increasing available (and leveraging existing) resources, enhancing infrastructure and coordination of efforts, and improving communication among community and organizational partners.
Overarching Goal: To address the issue of opioid misuse. We implement strategies that are data-driven and grounded in evidence-based programs which are monitored and evaluated for quality improvement. Using this approach, we are focused on reducing both the annual number of opioid-related fatalities and the number of nonfatal overdoses by 5 percent each year over the next 5 years.
The Executive Committee of the GNBOTF brings a wealth of experience and leadership in public health, law enforcement, substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. Membership includes:
- Stephanie Sloan, Director, New Bedford Health Dept./GNBOTF Co-Chair
- Paul Oliveira, Chief of Police, New Bedford Police Department/GNBOTF Co-Chair
- Dr. Holly Alexandre, Southcoast Health/GNBOTF Treatment Co-Chair
- Carl Alves, Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction (PAACA) President and CEO/GNBOTF Recovery Co-Chair
- Rev. David Lima, InterChurch Council Executive Minister/Harm Reduction Co-Chair
- Connie Rocha-Mimoso, SevenHills Director of Community Services/Harm Reduction Co-Chair
The task force follows the model of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF)
Prevention planners are pressed to put in place solutions to urgent substance misuse problems facing their communities. But research and experience have shown that prevention must begin with an understanding of these complex behavioral health problems within their complex environmental contexts; only then can communities establish and implement effective plans to address substance misuse. To facilitate this understanding, SAMHSA developed the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). The five steps and two guiding principles of the SPF offer prevention planners a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the substance misuse and related behavioral health problems facing their states and communities. The SPF includes these five steps:
1. Assessment: Identify local prevention needs based on data (e.g ., What is the problem?)
2. Capacity: Build local resources and readiness to address prevention needs (e.g ., What do you have to work with?)
3. Planning: Find out what works to address prevention needs and how to do it well (e.g., What should you do and how should you do it?)
4. Implementation: Deliver evidence-based programs and practices as intended (e.g., How can you put your plan into action?)
5. Evaluation: Examine the process and outcomes of programs and practices (e.g ., Is your plan succeeding?)
The SPF is also guided by two cross-cutting principles that should be integrated into each of the steps that comprise it:
Cultural competence. The ability of an individual or organization to understand and interact effectively with people who have different values, lifestyles, and traditions based on their distinctive heritage and social relationships.
Sustainability. The process of building an adaptive and effective system that achieves and maintains desired long-term results.
Sub-committees of the Greater New Bedford Opioid Task Force
Prevention: Bringing together diverse stakeholders to participate in comprehensive, evidence-based prevention efforts with the goal of preventing the next generation from initiating opioid use and supporting children impacted by the opioid crisis.
To join the prevention sub-committee, please contact Gioia at gioia.persuitte@newbedford-ma.gov
Harm Reduction: Ensuring the availability, accessibility, coordination and community awareness of services that engage people that use opioids—including those who have experienced non-fatal overdoses—as partners in reducing the harmful effects of opioid use.
To join the harm reduction sub-committee, please contact Connie at cmimoso@sevenhills.org
Treatment: Providing treatment services that are readily available, culturally responsive and trauma-informed that address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health needs of the “whole person” and their families through every step of the process and support them during transitions between care providers.
To join the treatment sub-committee, please contact Gioia at gioia.persuitte@newbedford-ma.gov
Recovery: Reinforcing individuals and their families on their chosen paths to recovery through facilitating ongoing connections to resources, services, and support systems that promote resiliency, wellbeing and empowerment across the life course.
There are multiple pathways to recovery and this group will focus on addressing these pathways as well as navigating individuals in recovery to appropriate services.
To join the recovery sub-committee, please contact Carl at c.alves@paaca.org
gnbotf.org 