Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council Updated October 2015 Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

About the Barnstable County Department of Human Services The Department’s mission is to: 1.Plan, develop, and implement programs which enhance the overall delivery of human services in Barnstable County and, 2.Promote the health and social well-being of County residents through regional efforts that improve coordination of services. The Department has a record of organizing regional approaches that promote health and wellness for underserved populations by mobilizing a community response to needs identified through community-based research and evaluation. Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council Our purpose is to have a coordinated and comprehensive regional approach to substance abuse across the continuum of prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. Barnstable County Department of Human Services | The Council works to establish a communication infrastructure across towns, providers, organizations, and individuals on Cape Cod related to substance use. Our work as a region is to identify and address gaps and disparities in the service system, maximize interagency collaboration, and to maximize funding and resource opportunities.

Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council o The Barnstable County Department of Human Services, under the auspices of Barnstable County Commissioners, formed the Regional Substance Abuse Council in January o Barnstable County is the regional government for the 15 towns that make up Cape Cod, and the Regional Substance Abuse Council aims to have representatives from all 15 towns. o The RSAC membership is a diverse group of stakeholders that includes town representatives, healthcare professionals, elected officials, members of the recovery community, law enforcement, treatment providers, and community coalitions. ​ o The RSAC meets every other month. These meetings are open to the public. Meeting agendas and minutes are available online at Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

RSAC Core Functions  Establish and Maintain Cape-wide Regional Substance Abuse Council  Convene and Support Domain-Related Workgroups  Prevention/Intervention Workgroup  Treatment Workgroup  Recovery Support Workgroup  Establish Legislative Agenda and Advocacy Plan  Policy Change to Facilitate Prevention  Facilitate Funding and Support of Identified Priorities  Establish Communications Strategy for RSAC  Support Promising Practices and Programs  Provide Surveillance, Information Management, and Technical Assistance Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Our Process o Follows SAMSHA’s Strategic Prevention Framework – 5 step planning process – Assessment, Capacity Building, Planning, Implementation, & Evaluation o Based on data o Utilizes a public health framework = population health and policy change Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Baseline Assessment Purpose o Provide a snapshot of substance dependency, and its related costs, for Barnstable County, Massachusetts o Inform programming and policy needs as defined by the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council (RSAC) Report o Uses a “public health-oriented approach based on the four pillars model of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and public safety”. o The report’s findings are organized by: o 1. Epidemiological data on the prevalence and incidence of substance use and associated mortality o 2. Cost analysis by substance across the domains of harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery, and law enforcement o 3. Environmental scan of existing services and resources. Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Epidemiological Findings o 7.9% of Cape residents are addicted to alcohol o 71% of all substance use disorder related deaths are attributable to alcohol, 14% to heroin/opioids, and 14% to other drugs o Deaths from heroin and prescription opioid abuse have more than doubled since 2012 Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Cost Analysis o Total costs by substance: o 53% Heroin/Opioids o 43% Alcohol o 1% Marijuana o 4% Other o Research suggests that for every $1 of direct costs, there can be an additional $3 in productivity costs such as work loss due to premature death, illness, incarceration, and lost days of work Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

For More Information The full text and executive summary of the Baseline Assessment is available at For more information, please contact Vaira Harik, Senior Project Manager An visual representation of this information is also available online. Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Regional Action Plan o Summarizes local scope of the problem o Incorporates statewide planning o Summarizes county-specific epidemiological and cost findings o Summarizes the March 2015 Preliminary Recommendations Three working groups have been formed to implement the Regional Action Plan: Prevention/Intervention, Treatment, and Recovery. Participation in these working groups has been extended to individuals outside of RSAC Representatives. Barnstable County Department of Human Services | The full text of the RSAC Action Plan is available online at

Current Grant Funded Projects SAPC o Awarded May 2015 o $700,000 over 7 years o The Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC) grant provides staff and funding for our region in order to help prevent underage drinking and other drug use. o Work on the SAPC grant is implemented in the Prevention/ Intervention Work Group MOAPC o Awarded January 2015 o $500,000 over 5 years o The Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) grant provides staff and funding in order to implement local policy, practice, systems, and environmental change to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids and to prevent/reduce the number of unintentional overdoses. o Work on the MOAPC grant is implemented through the Prevention/Intervention Work Group Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Timeline January 2014: – Council convened March – December 2014: Development of Council structure and governance, focus on foundational learning, hire staff, assessment process for baseline analysis January 2015: Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative grant funding awarded to Barnstable County by the MA Department of Public Health March 2015: Analysis of Substance Abuse on Cape Cod: A Baseline Assessment approved by Council members May 2015: Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative grant funding awarded to Barnstable County by MA Department of Public Health August 2015: Addressing Substance Use on Cape Cod: Action Plan, 2015 – 2020 approved by Council members November 2015: Implementation of the Action Plan begins with the first meeting of the RSAC Working Groups Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Behavioral Health Web Portal and Service Directory The Behavioral Health Web Portal is a resource for individuals, families, and agencies with behavioral health questions or concerns. It provides information about behavioral health services in our region, including a robust Service Directory. Throughout the site, you can learn more about key health topics, current legislation, and organizations that provide assistance to behavioral health clients, families, and service providers. Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Other Online Resources Stay in Contact with the Regional Substance Abuse Council The e-Newsletter from the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council is designed to provide timely information on substance abuse and other related topics for people living and working in Barnstable County. To receive our e-newsletter, visit us online at Find us on social media: Barnstable County Department of Human Services |

Contact Information Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council Contact Us 3195 Main Street, PO Box 427 Barnstable, MA (508) (508) (TTY) Barnstable County Department of Human Services |