For Immediate Release
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
*Media Advisory*
Six Maine and New Hampshire Police Departments to Partner with PAARI to Launch Addiction Recovery Initiative
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — A half dozen police departments in Strafford and Rockingham Counties in New Hampshire and York County, Maine will announce tomorrow plans to launch the Community Access to Recovery (CAR) program.
Through the CAR program, the police departments will partner with the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) to open the doors of their police stations to those suffering from the disease of addiction to come and seek placement into treatment.
The departments have set intake hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and have worked with P.A.A.R.I. and local partners to create a brief intake process, conducted by a police officer, who will then provide or ensure transportation to the nearest hospital or recovery program that is participating in the CAR program.
A trained recovery coach will meet each participant at their destination to help navigate treatment options and recovery support systems. The program is designed to help communities address the local side of the nationwide opioid crisis by connecting individuals to resources and learn about treatment options.
Program partners at launch include:
- Eliot, Maine Police
- York, Maine Police
- Kittery, Maine Police
- Portsmouth, N.H. Police
- Dover, N.H. Police
- Newmarket, N.H. Police
- Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
- York Hospital
- Portsmouth Regional Hospital
- Frisbie Memorial Hospital
- Safe Harbor Recovery center
The press conference will announce the program to the public and discuss opportunities for the community to engage in making the program a success.
The CAR program is modeled on the Gloucester, Mass. Police Department ANGEL Initiative and the Scarborough, Maine Operation HOPE program. Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello and Massachusetts businessman John Rosenthal teamed up to create P.A.A.R.I. last June, to help spread the message of recovery to other police departments. The Scarborough Police Department was one of the organization’s first partners.
Rosenthal will be on hand for tomorrow’s event in Portsmouth.
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
10:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Safe Harbor Recovery Center
865 Islington St.
Portsmouth, NH 03801
WHO:
- Eliot Police Chief Theodore Short
- York Police Chief Doug Bracy
- Kittery Police Chief James Soucy
- Portsmouth Police Sergeant. Dave Keaveny
- Dover Police Captain Dave Terlemezian
- Newmarket Police Department representative
- P.A.A.R.I. Co-Founder and Chairman John Rosenthal
- Justin Looser from Portsmouth Regional Hospital
- Sandi Coyle from Safe Harbor Recovery Center
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