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Date: 2/13/2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield CARE Coalition, a group dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic, has recently hired its first full-time coordinator.
New York native Nikki Lewis is the first person to fill this position, which was made possible due to a drug-free community grant. The grant will fund the position for the next five years, totaling at $125,000 per year.
“We’re a substance-use prevention organization – the mission is really to collaboratively engage all of the sectors of our community and come together to provide education, intervention and prevention efforts to address and reduce substance use and really promote healthy choices in our adolescence,” said Lewis.
The Coalition is made up of a group of volunteers from multiple sectors, including municipal, school, youth, law enforcement, business, civic, health care, faith, social service agencies, local government, media and parents. Some of the representatives include, Kristen Stauffer from the Behavioral Health Network, Police Chief Ron Capricornia, Outreach Coordinator for the Mayor’s Office Carly Camossi and Dan D’Alema from the West Springfield Boys and & Girls Club.
Since its inception in 2013, the Coalition’s efforts are focused on creating change, launching a carefully crafted media campaign, offering community forums on underage alcohol and substance abuse and collecting data from youth and parents to increase effectiveness.
Lewis is now responsible for the “day-to-day” functions of the coalition.
“I’m constantly operating keeping in mind those goals we have. I oversee member recruitment and make sure we’re doing everything required through our grant,” said the coordinator. “I also do fundraising, any type of public relations and go out into the community to collect data anything – basically anything of that nature.”
Massachusetts is currently experiencing an epidemic of opioid-related overdose and death – opioid generally refers to a family of substances that include natural opiates, such as Morphine and Codeine, as well as synthetic and semi-synthetic opioids like Heroin, Oxyopidae and Festally.
According to Mass.gov, these overdoses are driven by underlying chronic disease of opioid addictions or opioid use disorders. Opioid-related deaths in the state were more than four times higher in 2015 than in 2000. The opioid-related death rate in MA has surpassed the national average, with an especially sharp rise in the last two years.
In a more recent study done by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, data shows that 67 of the 386 deaths reported for 15 to 24-year-olds between Jan. 2017 to Sept. 2017 were opioid-related. In ages 25 to 34, 281 of the 955 deaths for those months were confirmed to be opioid-related. The study also showed that men were more likely to die from opioid-related deaths than women. “It can be challenging at times – the idea of tackling the opioid epidemic and the substance use we’re seeing across the country.
It can be seen as daunting, but it’s extremely rewarding. I have the most incredible team to work,” Lewis stated. “The aspect that this is something that unites us is really powerful and rewarding.”
After her undergraduate education in Connecticut, Lewis received a master’s degree in Public Health at Boston University and attributes the school to her connection with the coalition.
She added that she has always been passionate about fighting substance abuse.
“I have always been interested in the subject of substance use – it’s always been a field I’m really passionate about. I’m incredibly motivated and excited about and coming in at a time when the organization has just received funding,” said Lewis. “It’s invigorating to work with everyone to make all of these efforts and turn them into a reality. The coalition has always been very active, and having this funding for the first time I think is going to skyrocket all of the activities we do.”
To learn more about the coalition, head over to the organization’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/01089cares/.