FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Isabella Nowak, PAARI Public Relations – isabella@paariusa.org
Watertown, CT – March 24, 2025 – The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is pleased to announce the next installment of its Partner Spotlight Series webinar. Taking place at 3:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 25th, this month’s event will feature Watertown, CT Chief Joshua Bernegger and Lauren Pristo, Director of Community Engagement at McCall Behavioral Health Network and Statewide Project Manager for Connecticut’s Community and Law Enforcement for Addiction Recovery (CLEAR) program.
Chief Bernegger’s department was selected as a pilot community for the CLEAR program, and in this presentation, he and Lauren will highlight the program’s success since its inception. Through the CLEAR initiative, a team of Community Engagement Specialists partners with local law enforcement and a network of collaborative partners to:
- Conduct post-overdose or suspected pre-overdose follow-ups
- Offer service navigation and ongoing support
- Coordinate and provide harm reduction services
- Work with families and loved ones to develop recovery plans and coping strategies
- Provide community-based training on current trends, available resources, and overdose response
“It’s a privilege to collaborate with PAARI and share Watertown’s story,” said Chief Bernegger, who also serves on the nonprofit’s Public Safety Council. “We hope to spark conversations and encourage other towns to adopt similar strategies to support their community members with SUD.”
“We’re excited to spotlight the incredible work happening in Watertown,” said Brittney Garrett, PAARI Senior Director of Public Safety Strategy and Engagement. “Chief Bernegger and Lauren’s insights will be valuable for other PAARI partners looking to strengthen their programs.”
To register for the Partner Spotlight presentation, please visit the registration page HERE.
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ABOUT PAARI: The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help law enforcement agencies nationwide create deflection programs (i.e., non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery). Founded alongside the groundbreaking Gloucester, Mass., Police Department Angel Initiative in June 2015, PAARI has been a driving force behind this rapidly expanding community policing movement. We provide technical assistance, strategic guidance, connection to training resources, and other capacity-building resources to more than 800 police departments in 46 states.
PAARI works with more than 160 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone. PAARI and our law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion and deflection programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Our programs and partners have saved tens of thousands of lives, changed police culture, and reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic since its founding in June 2015. Learn more at paariusa.org.
ABOUT WATERTOWN PD: The Watertown Police Department is a state-accredited law enforcement agency. The Watertown Police Department is a community-oriented agency. We work hard every day to serve and protect our citizens in our daily practice. We embrace the community-oriented policing concept. It is our goal to provide exceptional service through a partnership with our community, keeping in mind that our best work often depends on your help. Learn more at watertownct.org
