Opioid Working Group

City of Lynn Opioid Working Group Seeking New Members

The City of Lynn Opioid Working Group is looking for 2 Community Members with recent lived experience who would like to join the Opioid Working Group. 
The Opioid Working Group makes recommendations to the Mayor’s office on how Opioid Abatement Settlement Funds should be spent. 
Community members would attend monthly meetings on a voluntary basis.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Opioid Working Group please fill out the application using the link below or in-person at the following address:

For in-person application:
Lynn City Hall
3 City Hall Square
Community Health Resource Room, 103
Lynn, MA 01901

For online applicants:
Member Application

If you have any questions please contact Candice McClory at 781-598-4000 ext. 6940.

Community Engagement Efforts

The Opioid Working Group is gearing up to engage the community via focus groups, surveys and community forums to gain feedback from those most affected by the Opioid Epidemic to guide spending. Our robust community engagement plan focuses on highlighting voices with recent lived experience.
 
Community Survey has been translated in Spanish, Khmer, Arabic, Haitian Creole and Portuguese:

ENGLISH: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WLdnP3LNc2dc3dJ5MX4zEbNWWnEDOuht5cjYZKflDc4/edit
PORTUGUESE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_5n37_tPkycxMdtC0ctMNyeNk9azthv3ExFDeYLmopw/edit
SPANISH: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LbkySggwQ_xT0KopwbObXeumM92s2J4ZZWKWLCybQ6k/edit
ARABIC: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1C0YPNCtIZ76EIB94t7PLUqRZf4etMhHAihKi3mBYUrE/edit
KHMER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JBt-Q64NiymkzPRcCDPf6YzOARyCw14Mua-iayfZUWk/edit
HAITIAN CREOLE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1J_e9YZdlnB1T46XrGHMnjnsHaMtP_5sNsNGay_9fL-k/edit
RUSSIAN: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13kd4zwppNvAeVhmuDu9F6mkE9mhS-eWq3H0OWMe-N74/edit 

For any question regarding the Municipal Opioid Abatement Funds, please contact the John Snow Research and Training Institute (JSI) by:
EMAIL: [email protected]
Phone: 617-385-3655

Who Are We?

The Opioid Working Group is responsible for making recommendations to the City of Lynn regarding the expenditures of the Municipal Abatement Funds recovered from the statewide opioid settlements which have been allocated to the City of Lynn to supplement and strengthen resources available to the Lynn community and families for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.

The Opioid Task Force was developed with a community centered approach and is comprised of individuals with or working in: lived experience, harm reduction, at risk youth, behavioral/mental health, healthcare, City Council, Public Health, Police, Fire, and a representative from Mayor's Office.

Members of the Opioid Working Group/Task Force:

  • Faustina Cuevas, Diversity Equity Inclusion Officer and Sr. Advisor to the Mayor
  • Candice McClory, Opioid Program Specialist
  • Jennifer Almonte, Public Health Nurse
  • Antonio Gutierrez, Lead Outreach Advocate Lynn Youth Street Outreach  
  • Lieutenant Peter Alexander, Lynn Police Department
  • Lieutenant Stacy Borjeson, Lynn Fire Department
  • Mary Wheeler, Program Director Healthy Street Outreach Program
  • Leighanne Magnarelli, LSW Clinical Coordinator Jail Diversion Lynn Behavioral Health Unit 
  • Dr. Elizabeth Quinn, MD Family Medicine/Team Medical Director Lynn CHC, Program Lead Moms Do Care
  • Terrell Patterson, Director of Substance Use Disorder Services, Lynn CHC
  • Brian Field, Councilor At Large, Chair Opioid Subcommittee
  • (3) Community Members with lived experience

For more information, please contact Candice McClory, Opioid Program Specialist
Phone: 781-598-4000 ext. 6940
EMAIL: [email protected]

What Have We Done So Far?

  • Establish a group that is all-inclusive, representative of our community, with lived experience to advise the City on expenditures.
  • Incorporate and elevate the most vulnerable voices in the community that may be lacking the platform due to decades of systemic policy failures.
  • Expanded low barrier access to overdose education and Narcan distribution through the Community Harm Reduction and Wellness Accessibility Initiative. This initiative includes:
    • Community Overdose Awareness and Response trainings.
    • 5 Naloxone Cabinets - Purchased and placed in high risk overdose areas which were identified using Lynn Police Department Community Overdose heat mapping data.
      For locations of the Naloxone Cabinets, please visit the following page: Substance Use Disorder - Naloxone Cabinets
    • In the procurement process for a Harm Reduction Vending Machine.