Can we arrest our way out of the opioid crisis?

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – A community meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 23 will ask the question “Can we arrest our way out of the opioid problem?” The event will take place at the Rockingham Free Public Library from 6-8 p.m. and will discuss how the community can address the opioid crisis.

This event builds upon the shared vision of saving lives and fostering dreams following the Importance of Hope forum in February and the Bringing Hope Home event in May. The evening will begin with a discussion of restorative justice by the Greater Falls Community Justice Center. There will be story telling, which will highlight the impact of their work in healing and restoring our community. One goal of the meeting is to share stories and experiences that community members have had with restorative justice.

Members of the Advanced Above the Influence (AATI) youth leadership group will lead the second part of the meeting. The members of the group will conduct youth-led circles, which will enable deep discussion on the topic of opioids and addiction in our community.

According to Susie Belleci, director of the Greater Falls Restorative Justice Center, “It can be frustrating to look to Washington, D.C. or Montpelier to solve this problem. Through restorative justice, we believe in our own community to solve our problems. It doesn’t take a lot of money. We can immediately create home grown solutions. It’s Bellows Falls solving Bellows Falls’ problems.”

Greater Falls Connections, Greater Falls Community Justice Center, Turning Point Recovery Center of Springfield, and Parks Place Community Resource Center are sponsoring this community conversation. Funding is being provided by a grant from the Vermont Department of Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs (ADAP), which was recently awarded to Greater Falls Connections to build community efforts to respond to the opioid crisis. The grant includes an innovative approach to combating the problem by having youth leaders conduct community circles and promote restorative justice. This process generates solutions that will make an impact on breaking the cycle of addiction and preventing future cases of opioid abuse.

The grant will allow for the continued development of youth leadership, through the Advanced Above the Influence youth group. As part of this work, the youth leaders are participating in the planning, implementation, and facilitation of this community meeting. This is a unique model for youth-led recovery and prevention, which can protect at-risk youth from generational addiction and trauma. The meeting will enable greater community involvement in helping to solve the opioid crisis.