SPOTLIGHT: Assessment on Substance Use in Barnstable County January 2023

Substance use has continued to be a critical community concern in Barnstable County. To examine the current impact of substance use, Barnstable County Department of Human Services (BCDHS) undertook a comprehensive community assessment in 2022 focused on substance use to:

  • Describe the mortality, morbidity, and societal costs of substance use.
  • Understand the community needs related to substance use.
  • Learn how these needs are and are not being met in the community.
  • Identify strengths and gaps in available resources.

The 2022 assessment builds on a previous assessment in 2014, both conducted in partnership with Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a non-profit public health organization. CLICK HERE for the complete report.

Substance Use Presentation to County Commissioners: CLICK HERE

Substance Use Presentation Slides: CLICK HERE

Mission of Barnstable County Regional Substance Addiction Council (RSAC)

The purpose of the Barnstable County Regional Substance Addiction Council (RSAC) is to establish a communication infrastructure across towns, providers, organizations, and individuals on Cape Cod. This allows us as a region to identify and address gaps and disparities in the service system, maximize inter-agency collaboration and to maximize funding and resource opportunities.

Barnstable County will have a coordinated and comprehensive regional approach to substance use across the continuum of prevention, treatment, intervention, and recovery.

The core functions of the Barnstable County Regional Substance Use Council are to:

  • Establish and maintain a Cape-wide Regional Substance Use Council
  • Establish a legislative and advocacy plan to effect policy change
  • Facilitate funding and support of identified regional priorities
  • Establish a communication strategy
  • Support evidence-based and promising practices and programs
  • Provide surveillance, information management, and technical assistance.

Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund

In 2021, Mass Attorney General Maura Healey announced a $26 billion settlement agreement with opioid distributors and manufacturers for their role in the overprescribing of opioids.
$500 million is coming to Massachusetts with the intent to bring relief to people struggling with substance use disorder. Funds are being paid out directly to multiple groups:

  • Individuals and their families
  • Towns and cities
  • Counties
  •  To the MA Department of Public Health (MA DPH)

As of January 2023, pending settlements with Walmart, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergan, CVS and Walgreens stand to bring an additional $421 million into Massachusetts.

In addition to financial penalties, industry changes are required which are designed to prevent this from happening again. To support this work, MA DPH has created the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council with representation from all over the Commonwealth including Cape Cod. For more information, please click the links below.

BCDHS Opioid Recovery & Remediation Power Point Presentation

Visit My Choice Matters…

A Cape-wide media campaign sponsored by the Barnstable County Regional Substance Use Council.

my choice matters logo

Governance

The Regional Substance Use Council adopted a Governance Statement in 2014, which was updated in 2022.

Meetings & Minutes

Calendar

Visit the Department of Human Services’ Calendar for RSAC meetings and their related documents, or navigate to the Meetings folder below.

RSAC Council Meetings
1st Thursday of every month from 3:00 – 4:30 PM via REMOTE participation until further notice per Open Meeting Law.

For agendas or meeting minutes from previous years, email humanservices@capecod.gov

Harm Reduction Work Group
The Harm Reduction Work Group meets virtually on the fourth Friday of every other month from 11:00am to 12:00pm.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela Rossi at angela.rossi@capecod.gov

Prevention Work Group
The Prevention Work Group meets virtually on the third Tuesday of every other month from 2:00pm to 3:00pm.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela Rossi at angela.rossi@capecod.gov

Recovery Work Group
The Recovery Work Group, meets virtually on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 11:00am to 12:00pm.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela Rossi at angela.rossi@capecod.gov

Treatment Work Group
The Treatment Work Group, meets virtually on the first Monday of every other month from 3:00pm to 4:30pm If you are interested in attending, please contact Angela Rossi at angela.rossi@capecod.gov

For questions, email angela.rossi@capecod.gov

Below please find folders containing Meeting Agendas, Associated Meeting Documents (if any), and Meeting Minutes for the Regional Substance Addiction Council meetings.  If you do not find what you are looking for, please contact angela.rossi@capecod.gov

Massachusetts Collaborative for Action, Leadership and Learning 3 (MassCALL3)

Barnstable County Department of Human Services (BCDHS) has received funding from BSAS since 2015 through SAPC and MOAPC grants to address youth substance use and opioid overdose and fatalities. BCDHS has provided strategic planning, technical assistance/data analysis, and sub-grantee funding new and existing town coalitions and has supported and serves on new coalitions (e.g. Cape Cod Alcohol Coalition). MassCALL3 funding will allow ongoing support of the County’s 10 town substance use prevention coalitions and will allow additional focus on assessing and planning for the needs of youth at disproportionate risk of first use of substances (e.g. youth experiencing homelessness, experiencing mental/behavioral health problems, LGBTQ youth, and racial/ethnic minorities). Support of community coalitions, provision of regional SUD-related assessment and analysis, and strategic planning and technical assistance to partners is consistent with BCDHS’s core mission: to plan, develop, and implement programs which enhance the overall delivery of human services in Barnstable County to promote the health and social well-being of County residents through both regional efforts and local support designed to improve coordination of human services.

Publications and Data

Barnstable County Department of Human Services provides critical documents, resources, and related links relating to substance use. For a repository of synthesized local data in original in-house publications and reports, visit the RSAC Publications and Data web page.

Support Groups

Support groups are non-professional peer groups comprising of members who share the same problem and voluntarily support one another in recovery. Although formal treatment is not provided in groups of this nature, these groups provide social, emotional, and informational support for persons throughout the recovery process and are a major component of a person’s recovery plan.
Visit Support Groups

Contact

  • Contact Angela Rossi at angela.rossi@capecod.gov
  • Read latest issues of the Regional Substance Use Council (RSAC) E-Newsletter.
  • Sign-up for the Regional Substance Use Council (RSAC) E-Newsletter
  • https://conta.cc/46zGws8To submit E-Newsletter Content click: Submission Form Link (provide: descriptive title, brief description, PDF attachments only, Website link, contact information of the person submitting and organization).

Barnstable County Regional Substance Addiction Coalition E-Newsletter

The Barnstable County Regional Substance Addiction Coalition E-Newsletter is the hub of timely information on substance use and related issues in Barnstable County. With a readership of more than 1000, the monthly e-newsletter reaches human service organizations, elected officials and County residents about upcoming trainings, funding opportunities, important community events and news.

Due to the vast number of submissions to the newsletter, the Department reserves the right to limit the number of times a submission is published. Email questions to humanservices@capecod.gov. To read earlier editions of the BC DHS and RSAC E-Newsletter, email humanservices@capecod.gov

County Supported Grants

More information coming soon.

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