LUDLOW — A $900,000 federal grant will help the Hampden County Addiction Task Force fund the launch of a team of addiction specialists and medical professionals that will respond to reported overdoses in the county to provide treatment options and other services, law enforcement officials announced Monday.
The Hampden County Sheriff’s Department was the lead applicant for the grant, which runs until September 2023 and is from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program. Obtained on behalf of the Hampden County Addiction Task Force, the money will help fund a program coordinator for the task force as well as the launch of its “Rapid Response and Connection Program,” according to a statement released by the sheriff’s department.
In the past three years, opioid-related deaths have increased in Hampden County by 112%, according to the statement.
“While all the focus has been on the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the number of people hitting a dangerous point with their addictions,” Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi said in the statement. “The isolation and financial instability has led to a mental health crisis, and an unfortunate part of that is people turning to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain. But it only complicates their personal turmoil after the momentary relief, and many are hitting the wall. This effort will save lives and families by offering support and wrap-around services at a time when it is needed most.”
The Hampden County Addiction Task Force was launched in 2016 by Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni and is composed of both the district attorney’s office and Hampden county sheriff’s department, as well as Baystate Health, Mercy Medical Center and other community agencies. The task force’s goal is to “focus on a countywide approach to address drug and alcohol addictions, overdose, and prevention,” the statement said.
Within 24 to 72 hours of an overdose in Hampden County, the rapid response team will present treatment options and “wrap-around services” to those struggling with addiction and their families. In addition to this team and the new program coordinator position, the funds will help roll out a countywide database that will document overdoses, high-risk individuals and subsequent follow-up actions in real time.
“Aligning and mobilizing resources countywide to combat substance use and addiction disorders saves lives,” Gulluni said in the statement. “As the leading law enforcement organizations in Hampden County, we continue to strengthen our community-based partnerships in our efforts to prevent opioid-related deaths, reduce harm, and prevent needless loss for families.”
Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.