On Thursday, May 15, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI) hosted the second Massachusetts Statewide Situation Table Convening at the Lynnfield Police Academy in Lynnfield, MA. The event brought together over 50 individuals from organizations across the state involved in Situation Tables, providing a platform for partners to connect, collaborate, and share insights.
The event began with Zoe Grover, PAARI Executive Director, welcoming attendees. She then passed the event on to Dan Cortez, founder of the Chelsea Hub. Dan began by leading introductions around the room and then initiated a discussion about the filter four process, asking attendees what their process typically looks like and inquiring as to whether anyone has strayed from the original Situation Table model.
After a short break, Mike Botieri, Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National Vice President of Business Development, followed Dan’s remarks by leading a conversation about data collection. He showed a visual of the current risk-tracking database and asked attendees about various ways they collect and capture data.
This discussion was followed by Caelann Wood, City Wide Hub Coordinator for the City of Boston, who broke attendees into small groups to discuss table challenges, barriers to their practice, and outreach strategies. After attendees had time to discuss the topics with their group members, Caelann opened the discussion to the broader audience.
After a short lunch and networking break, the afternoon kicked off with a first responder-led panel discussion led by Boston PD Officer Artie DePhino. This was followed by a panel discussion with schools and then healthcare, both led by Dan. Audience members were able to ask questions and learn about varying roles in the hub and the importance of a wide range of careers at the table.
The event hosted individuals from the following organizations:
- Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office
- Boston Police Department
- Center for Human Development (CHD)
- Chelsea Police Department
- City of Malden Health Department
- City of Medford
- City of Worcester
- Community Development Dept. City of Lawrence
- Department of Children and Families
- Harbor Area Family Resource Center – Home for Little Wanderers
- Lawrence Methuen Community Coalition
- Madison Park Development Corporation
- Malden Health Department
- Malden Police Department
- Medford Police Department
- Methuen Cares
- Neighborhealth East Boston
- North Adams Public Schools
- Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
- Office of Planning & Development
- Overdose Response Strategy
- Plymouth County Outreach
- Project NORTH EOTC
- River Bend
- Rockland Police Department
- Roxbury Stone House
- Vinfen
- Walker Therapeutic and Education Programs
- Worcester Fire Department
- YouthConnect
