October meeting notes for WMARI

WMARI Meeting 10-4-17

Present: Skip Mowatt, Wayne Gallant, Brendan Schauffler, Tonia Mason, Kelly West, Robert, Jessica Abbott, Matt Baker, Bill Wentworth, Janice Davis, Kathy Ring, Father Bill

Financial Report
1. Balance of $2,078.73
2. Used quite a bit on Recovery Rally expenses,
3. Jessica has invoiced RVHCC (fiscal sponsor) for $3,200 of reimbursement from our “account” with them
4. Dave Preble is planning on passing along $500 award that he received to WMARI, sending it to RVHCC
5. May be approaching the point where we can begin to use finances for offsetting costs for people seeking treatment
Subcommittee Report Outs
1. Education/Outreach
  1. Have WMARI logo
  2. Working on brochure, have it in draft form
    1. When approved it will go to graphic designer who will make it look pretty and send it off to the printers
    2. Funded by MEHAF grant award to OCWC
    3. Have draft of Powerpoint presentation that will be used to speak to civic and community groups in an effort to boost awareness and participation
    4. This group will separate into Education and Outreach Subcommittees
How to join a committee
1. Flip charts hung on wall with list of committee members
2. What do committees do?
  1. Education/Outreach
    1. Working on “Stall Talk” initiative to boost awareness in high schools, website and brochure, Powerpoint presentation for groups, etc.
      1. How could school social workers be trained to pick up on kids who are impacted by addiction?
    2. Tonia will join!
    3. Jen is interested in community presentations
    4. Health Fair at High School is on November 4th
  2. Legislative
    1. No current work because of where the legislative session is
    2. Have been working with local reps about finding coverage for people seeking treatment who go to jail (changing federal ruling that removes coverage for people who get put into jail)
    3. Have also been working to make sure that Narcan is available
      1. Which departments don’t have Narcan?
        
        Dixfield
        
        Norway
        
        Oxford
        
        Some departments seem to think that ambulances might be able to get there faster
        
        Addressing this issue is something that can happen within this committee (instead of forming a specific Narcan group), and the Sheriff will begin to make some phone calls around this issue
  3. Wraparound Services
    1. Trying to ensure that all resources are in order so that people are supported in their various needs (transportation, housing)
    2. Idea that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), or childhood trauma that goes unresolved, and which includes things like a parent/guardian with substance use disorder, a parent/guardian who is incarcerated or dies, can lead to serious health issues down the line (greater likelihood of disease, substance use, early death, suicide, etc)
      1. How are the needs of kids who are experiencing the trauma of their parents’ addiction being taken care of? If they aren’t taken care of, will the opioid crisis produce a generation impacted by ACEs who has similar substance use issues?
        
        SA counseling services encourage counseling for children
      2. Safe Families program can take kids in the case of a crisis where parents don’t have resources to take care of them
    3. Could older adults be recruited to take care of kids when their parents are in crisis? Would a daycare donate a certain number of scholarships?
  4. Recovery Coach
    1. Recovery Coach Academy Training is being offered in Brewer on Oct 21/22
      1. We’ve been offered 2 free slots, people must have completed Recovery Coach training first
      2. Jess will fill one slot, working on a couple of candidates to take second slot
        
        Jess will reach out to candidates ASAP
      3. Group will being to meet again, will find a time soon (had been on hiatus while many members were working on Recovery Rally)
      4. Skip shared that the majority of the people that he’s helped get into the program say that they get into trouble because they can’t afford their meds
        
        Can we look into funding for ways to help people pay for their treatment meds?
        
        Perhaps first 30 days of Suboxone, plus comfort meds during withdrawal
        
        May be ~$600/m onth
        
        Depending on time of year, Catholic Charities may have funding out of wraparound services, can call Bill (money goes very quickly though)
        
        Father Bill will supply $200-300 worth of Wal-mart cards, which will be administered and used when accompanied by Recovery Coach
        
        Also issue that people with MaineCare who lose children because of addiction lose their MaineCare and then can’t afford a bunch of state-mandated requirements like mental health counseling
        
        Seems like legislative issue
        
        Sheriff will look into issue of why people lose Suboxone prescriptions when they enter jail
  5. News, Project Save ME & other updates
    1. Lost someone 2 weeks ago in Hiram
  6. Spotlight ideas for upcoming meetings
    1. Safe Families
    2. CCI (re: universal intake process)
    3. We can take turns focusing on our work
  7. Misc
    1. There is a need for sober activities for the Recovery community
    2. Could WMARI help to facilitate this?
      1. Outreach could reach out to resources in the community about possibility of offering low/no cost things to do for sober groups (e.g., XC skiing, sledding, paddling, hiking, movie showings, etc)
    3. Tonia raised issue of “Rose in a glass stems” being sold in local stores, along with Chore Boy (which is used as a screen), which are used together as crack pipes
      1. This is an obvious way to make it easy for people to smoke crack (and dabs)
        
        Also a trigger for people in recovery (sold near cigarettes in stores)
      2. It would be hard to get these Rose stems banned, but we could speak to the owners of the stores directly
    4. Human trafficking is a related issue that needs to be addressed
      1. 300-600 reported cases a year in Maine
      2. SAPARS addresses this locally (along with Polaris Project)
        
        Could be a meeting spotlight

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