FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Annette Garcia, Regional Health Director,
Announcements from the Shrewsbury and West Boylston Regional Opioid Task Force
West Boylston and Shrewsbury, MA: The Regional Opioid Task Force for Shrewsbury and West Boylston is pleased to share the following announcements:
PATH Grant: For 10 years, Veterans Inc. has operated Independence Hall (IH), an inpatient substance use treatment center in Shrewsbury providing complementary care alongside intensive Clinical Stabilization Services treatment, including yoga, tai chi, exercise, and art. With FY27 PATH Grant funding, Veterans Inc. will launch a Recovery Through Complementary Care program, hiring a part-time Care Coordinator to help residents remain engaged in treatment and leave IH with a stronger foundation for lasting recovery.
As Emily Walker, Chair of the Regional Opioid Taskforce said, “One of the most powerful outcomes of our community listening sessions was hearing directly from individuals about what they need to sustain recovery: connection, belonging, creative expression, and peer support. This grant is a direct response to those voices and an opportunity to invest in community-based spaces that recognize recovery as an ongoing journey, strengthened by meaningful relationships and opportunities for engagement.”
This support will be especially valuable on weekends, when patients may experience increased isolation and miss home and family. The Care Coordinator will provide meaningful activities and connection during these vulnerable periods. Residents, including people with lived and living experience of substance use, will provide ongoing feedback on activities, barriers, interests, and unmet needs. This input will shape programming and help identify opportunities to make complementary care more accessible, welcoming, and responsive to different ways of engaging in treatment.
The proposed program is intended to benefit residents of Shrewsbury and West Boylston by strengthening access to treatment, recovery support, and complementary care services at IH. The role will also provide opportunities to expand local outreach and engagement through relationship-building with community organizations, healthcare providers, and local businesses. Through these relationships, the Care Coordinator will help extend the program’s reach into surrounding communities, connect individuals with appropriate treatment and recovery resources, and build a stronger local network of support.
Community Advisory Members: The Task Force is pleased to welcome Reginald Steele and Sullivan Roberts as Community Advisory Members representing the Town of Shrewsbury on the Task Force. Recruitment for this role prioritized people with lived and living experience of substance use to ensure these efforts center the voices of those with direct experience of the opioid crisis. In this capacity, they will share their first-hand experiences and perspectives regarding priority opioid prevention and response strategies and activities.
| “Almost everyone is touched by the Opioid crisis. Raising awareness and removing stigmas is how we fight back.” Reggie has been a resident of Shrewsbury for over 35 years. He currently serves as an Investigator with the Massachusetts State Treasurer's Office. Reggie lost his daughter Catherine to an accidental overdose in 2016 and since then he has been dedicated to raising awareness and offering recovery support. |
| “As a person in long-term recovery, I'm honored to help my community, combat stigma against substance use treatment and recovery support services, and continue the fight against the opioid epidemic." Sully Roberts is a public health professional who has worked in substance use treatment, veteran services, and outreach to folks struggling with addiction and homelessness. He currently serves on the Recovery Evaluation Committee for the Unified Recovery and Monitoring Program (URAMP) in the Department of Public Health. |
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For any questions, please contact Annette Garcia, Regional Health Director, at .