TOWN OF SMITHFIELD ANNOUNCES A PARENTS’ FORUM TO DISCUSS SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
Smithfield, RI – On Wednesday, December 15th at 6:00 PM in the Smithfield High School Auditorium the Town of Smithfield and the Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI will be sponsoring a Parents’ Forum.
This important event will bring together many experts in the field of alcohol, opioids, addiction, treatment and recovery to provide the necessary tools for parents to keep our children safe.
David Neill, from the US Attorney’s Office, will begin the event by presenting the Circles and Silence film which has been nominated for five Emmy Awards. Circles and Silence is a remarkable sixteen minute film narrated by a diverse group of young adults whose personal true-life stories are mirror images of topics that impact every person who watches the film: Opioids, Addiction, Treatment, Recovery, and Life. Following the film, David and his co-presenters will have the opportunity to tell their story.
Deputy EMS Chief Jonathan Polak and Gateway Healthcare will share information about community resources and the Smithfield Safe Stations Program. The event will conclude with a Question and Answer Panel Discussion to include:
Catherine DeOrsey, MPT, IIN Health Coach
Integrative Healthcare Solutions
Founder, Executive Director
Robert Houghtaling
Director, Substance Abuse Prevention/Mental Health
Town of East Greenwich
Linda E. Hurley, MA, CAGS
President and Chief Executive Officer ~ CODAC, Inc.
Fred A. Trapassi
N.E. Region Chief Executive Officer
AdCare Rhode Island
John J. Tassoni, Jr.
Vice President of Operations, Community and Government Relations
The Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI
The rise in accidental fatal overdoses in Rhode Island emphasizes the need for such programs and interventions. After seeing a decrease by 8.3 percent from 2016 to 2019, accidental drug overdose deaths increased by 25 percent in 2020, and from January to April 2021, accidental drug overdose deaths increased by 7% to the same period in 2020 according to the Office of the State Medical Examiners (OSME), Rhode Island Department of Health.
We invite community members and the media to join us
on
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
The event will be held in the Smithfield High School Auditorium located at 90 Pleasant View Avenue and all are welcome.