Massachusetts Municipal Opioid Abatement Conference
May 27, 2025
Intended for municipalities receiving opioid abatement funding
Please join us on May 27 from 9:00AM - 4:30PM for the second annual Massachusetts Municipal Opioid Abatement Conference, hosted by the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) and Care Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Municipal Opioid Abatement Conference Agenda
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| Time | Topic | Event Type | Breakout / Panelist Topic | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9-9:15 am | Opening Remarks | Full Group | N/A | Kiame Mahaniah and Julia Newhall, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) |
| 9:15 - 10:30 am | Abating the harms of the overdose crisis: A discussion with people with lived and living experience | Full Group - Panel | N/A | Andi Macone (Moderator), BSAS Julio Meran, Merrimack Valley Dream Center Derek Reynolds, HEALing Communities Study Community Advisory Board Jane Kimani, Uhai for Health, Inc. |
| 10:30 - 10:45 am | Break | |||
| 10:45 - 11:45 am | Laying the groundwork for effective use of opioid abatement funds | Breakout Sessions | The State Subdivision Agreement and strategies for managing and spending funds | Kate Lena, Care Massachusetts / JSI |
| Cheryl Sbara, Care Massachusetts / Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB) | ||||
| Needs assessment and strategic planning | Allyson Pinkhover, Holbrook Board of Health | |||
| Prioritizing and selecting strategies | Hannah Tello, Greater Lowell Health Alliance | |||
| 11:45 am-12:45 pm | Promoting collaboration within and between municipalities | Full Group | N/A | Jenn Robertson, Care Massachusetts / MAHB |
| Phoebe Walker, Franklin Regional Council of Governments | ||||
| 12:45-1:15 pm | Lunch Break | |||
| 1:15-2 pm | Networking sessions with municipal peers | Breakout Sessions | Getting started | Carly Bridden, Care Massachusetts |
| Assessment and planning | Wini Bakshi, Care Massachusetts / JSI | |||
| Implementation and program management | Guillermo Ronquillo, Care Massachusetts / JSI | |||
| 2-3 pm (Two 30 min rotations) |
Recommended and non-recommended opioid abatement strategies | Breakout Sessions | Beyond absintence-only prevention curricula: Introduction to Safety First | Bonnie Halpern-Felscher, Stanford Medicine |
| Why not Opvee? The research behind long-acting opioid antagonists | Mark Jachym, Clinical & Support Options | |||
| Weighing the pros and cons of naloxboxes vs. harm reduction vending machines | Sarah DeJesus, Berkshire Harm Reduction | |||
| Multiple pathways to recovery and investing in the recovery community | Danielle O'Brien, BSAS | |||
| First responder safety and the facts about fentanyl: SHIELD and SHIELD 2.0 | Leo Belesky, The Action Lab at the Center for Health Policy and Law | |||
| 3-3:15 pm | Break | |||
| 3:15-4:15 pm | Innovative strategies for using opioid abatement funds | Full Group - Panel | Boston Family Overdose Support Fund | Christian Arthur, Boston |
| Plymouth Grant Making Initiative | Michelle Bratti, Plymouth | |||
| Greenfield Opioid Commission / Advisory Board | Mike Theroux, Greenfield | |||
| 4:15-4:30 pm | Closing Remarks | Full Group | N/A | Deirdre Calvert, BSAS Julia Newhall, BSAS |
Hosted by the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) and Care Massachusetts: Opioid Abatement Partnership, the BSAS-sponsored training and technical service provider for opioid abatement.