Gloucester Police Department Press Release

For Immediate Release

Monday, July 20, 2015
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003

A New Start Treatment of Florida Signs on as a Partner with The Gloucester Initiative

ANGEL Initiative Has Now Placed 58 Participants Into Treatment

GLOUCESTER — Police Chief Leonard Campanello and Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken are happy to announce A New Start, based in Florida, is joining the Gloucester Police Department’s ANGEL Initiative.

As of Friday morning, 58 people have been placed into treatment programs by the Gloucester Initiative since June 1, when the program began. 

The ANGEL program allows people who suffer from addiction to turn over their remaining drug supply and paraphernalia to the Gloucester Police Department without the threat of arrest. Those in need of help are put into treatment programs as opposed to jail cells. The policy went into effect last month in an effort to address a growing opioid epidemic and to reduce the number of overdoses in Massachusetts. Click here to view the official police policy document.

“We greatly appreciate the commitment from A New Start,” Chief Campanello said. “Their support and dedication to the program allows us to continue to help all those who walk through our doors looking for a way to combat their addiction get the assistance they require.”

A New Start will offer a full scholarship for intensive out patient care to the Gloucester Initiative.

“Every time a treatment center joins the Gloucester Initiative, it strengthens our cause,” Mayor Romeo Theken said. “We are happy to welcome A New Start as one of our valued team members.”

Chief Campanello and businessman John Rosenthal have launched The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) — a new nonprofit organization created in response to Gloucester’s revolutionary drug addiction program and the immediate positive feedback from local, state and national organizations.

“A New Start, a premiere treatment facility in West Palm Beach Florida, is proud to announce it will be partnering with the Gloucester Police Department Initiative and the Angel program to help those struggling with addiction be able to receive top notch care and clinical services,” said Colin McMasters, A New Start’s Community Outreach Specialist. “A New Start provides unmatched clinical care through an intensive out patient setting while providing unrivaled sober living with the structure and tools available to all clients to achieve and maintain a life beyond their wildest dreams through long term recovery.”

About A New Start:

A New Start offers structure, accountability and therapy to help participants achieve long-term sobriety while facing real world issues through a 16-week curriculum designed by master’s level clinicians. The organization provides an intensive out patient program, featuring nine hours of group work with certified addiction professionals and one-on-one sessions with a therapist.

Participants receive case management services for job placement, resume building and life skills courses while working to complete the 12 steps program to help achieve long term sobriety. A New Start randomly drug tests a minimum of three times a week as well as breathalyzer clients nightly.

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