P.A.A.R.I.
John Rosenthal, Co-founder & Chairman
186 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 0193
For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
P.A.A.R.I. To Honor Law Enforcement Leaders At Two-Year Anniversary Celebration And Awards Ceremony
Acting Director Of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy To Attend
GLOUCESTER — To celebrate its second year and recognize law enforcement leaders committed to its mission, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) will host an anniversary celebration and awards ceremony.
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 28, 6-9 p.m.
WHERE:
The Gloucester House Restaurant, 63 Rogers St., Gloucester
WHAT:
Since June 2015, P.A.A.R.I. has grown into a national movement of law enforcement agencies who believe in and are committed to treatment of those struggling with drug addiction rather than arrest and incarceration.
P.A.A.R.I. has placed more than 550 people into treatment through the Gloucester Police Department’s ANGEL Initiative alone, and placed another 10,000-plus individuals via its partner agencies across the United States.
“These two years have been truly incredible,” Executive Director Allie Hunter McDade said. “Our partner agencies have been active participants in a major shift in policy that has helped improve lives and put thousands of people on the road to recovery.”
To celebrate, P.A.A.R.I. will honor several law enforcement officers and program supporters who have been instrumental in transforming the approach to addiction and recovery nationwide.
“Law enforcement has been a game changer in the fight against the opioid epidemic and in reducing barriers to treatment,” P.A.A.R.I Co-Founder and Chairman John Rosenthal said. “I am very proud of our police department and treatment center partners in 30 states and we look forward to continuing to work with them to increase our police based access to life saving treatment.”
Due to the unending support of Steve Jesi and Cheryl Marlow, P.A.A.R.I. will present four ANGEL Initiative participants — Richard Naugle, Patrick Anderson, Benjamin Muse and Lillian Salah — with the Stephanie Jesi Memorial Scholarship in order to help them on their journeys toward recovery.Steve Lesnikoski, the first participant in Gloucester’s ANGEL Initiative, will also be in attendance.
“I’m honored to receive P.A.A.R.I.’s Leadership Award,” said Richard Baum, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “The opioid epidemic has devastated communities all across the country, from right here in Gloucester to Ohio, Arizona, and beyond. Solving this problem requires new ways of addressing addiction, including bringing law enforcement and public health together. Efforts like PAARI and the ANGEL Initiative that help connect people to treatment are key to turning the tide on this crisis.”
The anniversary celebration and awards ceremony, which is sponsored by Eastern Bank, is open to the public. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by clicking here.
The following people, many of whom are scheduled to attend, will be recognized at the ceremony:
- White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Acting Director Richard Baum and two senior ONDCP staff members
- Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken of Gloucester
- Interim Chief John McCarthy of the Gloucester Police Department
- Sgt. Brittney Garrett of the Jeffersontown, Kentucky Police Department
- Chief Tim Lenz of the Covington, Louisiana Police Department
- Katie Donovan of Families Against Narcotics/Hope Not Handcuffs in Michigan
- Chief Scott Allen of the East Bridgewater Police Department
- Chief Michael Botieri of the Plymouth Police Department
- Joan Whitney of Healthy Gloucester Collaborative
- JJ Bartlett of Fishing Partnership Support Services
- Ed Leahy of Adapt Pharma
- David Rosenbloom of the Boston University School of Public Health
- Hillary Dubois Farquharson of High Point Treatment Center
- Leslie Darcy, Chief of Staff for Massachusetts Health and Human Services
- Secretary Marylou Sudders
- Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona
- Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts Sate Sen. Stan Rosenburg
- State Representative Bob DeLeo of Massachusetts
- Chuck Wexler of Police Executive Research Forum
- Kevin Norton from Lahey Health Behavioral Services
- Mike Duggan from Wicked Sober/Recovery Centers of America
- Barry Reiman from Satori Waters