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Date: 5/4/2022
HAMPDEN COUNTY – Since 2014, the Quaboag Hills Substance Use Alliance (QHSUA) has served communities in Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties, with a focus on substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.
QHSUA is a partnership of local hospitals, school districts, behavioral health agencies, religious organizations, police departments, businesses, youth groups and organizations, substance use treatment service providers, and community members who care about community-based substance use prevention, treatment and recovery support.
Gail Gramarossa, co-facilitator of the alliance, explained that the program is co-sponsored by the Department of Public Health.
With a variety of coalitions in different communities, Gramarossa said they needed one that focused on prevention, treatment, recovery and support. With the establishment of QHSUA, they were able to create that.
Through their diverse partnerships, Gramarossa said they have been able to assist in numerous ways. For example, she said the schools hadn’t been discussing these necessary topics before their alliance stepped in. By conducting a survey, collecting and analyzing data, she said they were able to learn a lot about what students were doing and not doing, in relation to substance use.
“Most [were] not using substances,” said Gramarossa. “They tend to go to alcohol, nicotine, marijuana.”
Aside from students, Gramarossa expressed concern about parental education and prevention, regarding substance use. She said that they are working to provide both parents and youth with more information surrounding these topics. “With COVID-19, we are doing a lot more around social media,” said Gramarossa. By communicating online or even with a friend, they are hopeful to get the word out about the alliance and their offerings.
Gramarossa said they discovered that adults in their area carry a lot of influence. “We [QHSUA] try to educate them about their role.” The alliance works to achieve this goal by providing as much information as possible through various programs, both in-person and online.
Abaigeal Duda, community engagement coordinator for the Quaboag Hills Prevention Partnership, a project of the town of Ware and the QHSUA, said they had their first space in Ware, in fall 2020. “It was a great location in the center [of town],” she noted.
As the space opened amid the coronavirus pandemic, Duda said a lot of their work has been conducted virtually. She recognized a greater attendance during in-person meetings, when attendees have someone to go with.
Regardless, Duda said they welcome anyone and everyone. From grandparents raising their grandchildren and looking to be educated on substance use, to individuals with an eating disorder, Duda said they have seen it all.
Gramarossa added to this point and said there isn’t a particular age in which they serve. “There are families with young teens and many families up to grandparents.”
QHSUA works to determine what treatment and support is necessary for everyone.
Duda said they have hosted informational meetings, art exhibitions and more. “[We want people] to see a positive side of recovery and see how transformative [it can be]. There are a lot of positive things about it,” she added.
Once a month, she said they hand out free Narcan in Grenville Park in Ware, in addition to offering it at every public event. The alliance hosts weekly meetings, creative writing workshops, wellness groups, among other initiatives.
Currently Duda is working on creating a safe storage event to teach families how to properly dispose and lock up substances such as pills.
Gramarossa encourages people to attend their various events, to see what is out there and learn more about their offerings. “There are so many services in town and that we have here [QHSUA],” she said.
She went on to say that there is a stigma around reaching out for help and she is hoping to change that. Gramarossa said receiving support for something such as mental health, or perhaps a loved one who is battling cancer – “it’s all the same to me,” she said. “I’ve been in healthcare a long time. I will support this [substance use] the same as any other thing. There’s no judgment.”
Moving forward, QHSUA hopes to sustain their partnerships and continue their efforts in helping everyone, no matter what their battles may be.
The towns in which QHSUA serves are Barre, Belchertown, Brimfield, Brookfield, Hardwick, Hubbardston, Holland, Monson, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Palmer, Spencer, Wales, Ware, Warren and West Brookfield.
More information on QHSUA can be found on their website at https://qhsua.org/.