When our office initially formed the Central Mass. Opioid Task Force in 2015, we were focused on combatting the opioid epidemic and reducing heroin overdoses.

Since then, the epidemic has changed, and our understanding of its root causes has changed and expanded, as well.

Over the years, the opioid epidemic evolved into a polysubstance crisis. The emergence of fentanyl continues to wreak havoc on our society as it leads to record-high overdose deaths. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a drastic increase in mental health and trauma-related challenges in individuals of all ages.

It was paramount that we pivot, respond to these evolving trends, and drive harder at addressing and understanding the root causes perpetuating this deadly overdose crisis.

We recently renamed our task force the Prevention and Support Network to be more inclusive of all the work we’re doing.

So many people with mental health challenges and trauma can find themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of using substances to self-medicate to treat a mental health disorder.

With this community we’ve built through the Opioid Task Force, we will continue working as the Prevention and Support Network to break this cycle.

We will find best practices for our prevention efforts. We’re building our Worcester County Drug Endangered Children’s Alliance and implementing Handle With Care programs in schools across the County to help address childhood trauma. Handle With Care connects police and schools, identifying when children have experienced a traumatic event and encouraging a warm handoff with the school system with a simple three-word message – “handle with care.”

Children who experience trauma are 50% more likely to end up with a substance use disorder and 50% more likely to end up in the criminal justice system. Children are the future of our country, and we need to invest in them with every resource we have.

Our network will also provide support to those suffering from a substance use disorder or facing mental health challenges.

Our office, working together with our law enforcement partners, is regularly offering this support through our Critical Incident Management System (CIMS) program. A recovery coach and a plain-clothes police officer knock on the doors of those who have survived an overdose within 72 hours of the incident and offer services. Of the 767 attempted follow-ups this year, 99% resulted in contact with the overdose survivor and/or their loved ones. Of those contacted, 57% of survivors accepted services or were seeking services.

We are so proud of the ongoing work our local police and our recovery coaches are doing with CIMS. This work saves lives.

Alone we go fast, but together we go further.

If you’d like to join the Prevention and Support Network, please email info@worcesterda.org.

On the evening of March 7, we will be hosting the Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Dr. Wilson Compton to discuss the latest news in addiction, the research on recovery, and the aspects of public health we should all consider as we work to address overdose deaths. We hope you will all join us for this important discussion.

Joseph D. Early, Jr. is the District Attorney for Worcester County