2019 -- H 6221

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LC002617

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE BURRILLVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE CREATION

AND SUCCESS OF THE "BURRILLVILLE ADDICTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

(BAAP)"

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Place, Newberry, Filippi, Shekarchi, and Kennedy

     Date Introduced: June 13, 2019

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, During a six week period in 2014-2015, the Town of Burrillville endured

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the tragic deaths of six people due to overdose, giving the Town the troubling distinction of

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having the highest per capita death rate in the nation due to overdoses. These deaths had a

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devastating impact on the Town; and

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     WHEREAS, In response, the Town immediately reacted by passing a number of

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measures to address the crisis. All Burrillville Police Officers were issued Narcan to carry at all

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times which has resulted in numerous “Narcan life saves” by multiple Burrillville Police Officers;

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and

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     WHEREAS, The Burrillville Town Council, upon receiving Burrillville Police Chief

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Colonel Stephen J. Lynch’s proposal to fund a program with a full-time Coordinator who would

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offer treatment paths for those seeking to end their addiction, passed and fully funded the

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Burrillville Addiction Assistance Program (BAAP), which officially commenced in January of

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2018, with the hiring of Coordinator Michelle Harter. The BAAP Program is embedded within

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Burrillville Police Department and provides 24/7 service. In addition, the Town of Burrillville

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funded the hiring of a Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, who works closely with BAAP

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to counsel young people about the dangers of drug use and to help those suffering from drug

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addiction; and

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     WHEREAS, Since April of 2019, BAAP has placed more than 140 people into treatment

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and recovery programs, has distributed NARCAN to at-risk individuals in Burrillville and has

 

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partnered with local and state recovery centers including WellOne, Adcare, Community Care

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Alliance, Anchor Recovery, Parent Support Network, and the Pain Solutions Center to assist

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recovery efforts for Burrillville residents; and

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     WHEREAS, The Burrillville Addiction Assistance Program formed three different

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addiction/family support groups which meet weekly at the Burrillville Police Station, hosted,

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trained and graduated 28 members to become certified Peer Recovery Specialists, performed

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door-to-door outreach in conjunction with the Burrillville Police Department to assist those in

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need of substance abuse guidance, co-hosted Burrillville’s first Town Hall Forum on the subject

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of Opioid Use Disorder, and, thanks to its success, is often contacted by other communities in

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Rhode Island for assistance in planning similar programs for their cities and towns; now,

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therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby congratulates the Burrillville Police Department on the success of

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the “Burrillville Addiction Assistance Program (BAAP)”; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Colonel Stephen J. Lynch, Police Chief, Town

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of Burrillville.

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LC002617

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