2019.07.08 Council Agenda Item 05

In 2018, GPCOG launched a project to help municipalities identify ways to address the opioid epidemic and selected Falmouth to participate. GPCOG provided staff and a public health consultant to support a working group of Town and School staff and they conducted a survey of policies currently in practice in town and identified where more work could be done. The working group organized a workshop for Town Councilors, School Board members, and other community leaders in January 2019, to educate them on the root causes of opioid misuse, present the findings of the policy scan, and gather feedback on what actions should be considered in the future. This feedback was used to create a draft action plan. The working group then organized a public forum, held in March 2019. This forum provided the public with the same information presented at the January workshop, and solicited public input on the draft action plan. The plan was further refined based on that input. 

The draft action plan attached summarizes seven problem areas to address, suggests action(s) to address them and identifies potential resources to aid the town's efforts.  Several actions in the area of staff training have already been implemented and St. Mary's has hosted an ongoing discussion series on the topic to further community education and visibility.

Public Health Consultant Liz Blackwell-Moore will offer a presentation on the project and some of the educational information provided at the public forum. A copy of the presentation, the action plan and the resolution are attached.