[…]

The information booth offered people the chance to share their stories of addiction and recovery, whether it was them or a loved one. Duda said this is an issue that can be solved by having western Massachusetts people working together.

“It shows when people feel comfortable coming up and saying I would like to have this on hand that they will do it,” Duda said.

PICTURED: Community volunteers preparing for a local flower fundraiser to support the WRRC

HealthCareNews.com 5/21/21

[…] Programs supported by the hospital’s grant investments include the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium ($22,000) and the Wilbraham Police Department ($8,000).

The Western Massachusetts Training Consortium funding will help provide an enhanced recovery-support network to the region and improve access to harm reduction and multiple pathways to recovery services. The consortium will use its unique Recovery Coaching program and community partnerships to support local efforts to reduce the opioid death rate, decrease stigma, and increase safety for opioid users in the region.

“We are so grateful that Representative Smola has joined with other compassionate and responsive legislators who have been championing community-led efforts to address the opioid epidemic,” said Kristel Applebee, executive director of the consortium. “This funding will go a long way to help us channel the energy that is already so strong among the communities in the Baystate Wing service area, and connect those who have faced marginalization, oppression, or otherwise felt invisible with equitable recovery supports. We want to make sure everyone knows about the Ware Regional Recovery Center.”

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Contact: Mary Kate Farley
The Consortium
(413) 536-2401 x5511
[email protected]

Local health practice boosts community supports at peer recovery center

Atkinson Family Practice sponsors Ware Regional Recovery Center to address opiate use.

HOLYOKE, MA March 5, 2021 – Ware Regional Recovery Center (WRRC), a supported community of the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium and the Quaboag Hills Substance Use Alliance (QHSUA), recently announced a sponsorship from local Atkinson Family Practice (AFP) in Amherst and Northampton. AFP’s $2,000 sponsorship is a key example of WRRC’s collaborative efforts to centralize regional resources and create a vital space for people in recovery from substance use. There, they and their families can come together and find their own pathway to recovery while supporting health for all.

One project supported by the sponsorship is Belchertown Overcoming Addiction Together (BOAT), a peer-driven initiative to provide Narcan to the community. Narcan has gained increasing support as a life-saving measure to prevent fatal overdose from opiate use. To ensure availability in the community, BOAT has pioneered thoughtful ways to distribute Narcan under COVID-safe regulations throughout the past year. The project aims to continue these initiatives by utilizing different forms of virtual communication and mobile delivery by individuals supporting recovery efforts.

Mark Ryan, a PA-C and leader of Atkinson Family Practice’s Northampton Office Co-op Group, highlighted the value of recovery supports in Ware. “[AFP] is grateful for the opportunity to sponsor the WRRC in its mission to expand community efforts in treatment and prevention of substance misuse. Providing collaborative, compassionate care in a welcoming environment deeply resonates with the values of AFP.” This resonated deeply with Abaigeal Duda, WRRC Peer Recovery Project Coordinator. She noted, “[AFP’s] sponsorship of WRRC is not only a clear demonstration of [their] support, but also a model that people in our community do believe in the importance of our work to offer comprehensive support to people striving to live healthier, stronger lives.”

To learn more about the various offerings from or opportunities to become involved with Ware Regional Recovery Center, including the BOAT initiative, community members can Abaigeal Duda at [email protected]. They can also learn about the upcoming Ware/Belchertown HEALing Communities Study Coalition, set to start in 2022, by connecting with Belchertown/Ware Study Coordinator Alyssa M. Curran at [email protected]. Inspired community members who wish to contribute can find WRRC on Facebook or send a donation designated to WRRC or QHSUA at https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/theconsortium.

The Consortium, founded in 1975, is a learning organization committed to creating conditions in which people with lived experience pursue their dreams and strengthen our communities through full participation. To learn more, visit their website at http://wmtcinfo.org/.