A new coordinator has been hired by the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region — and it’s someone who has helped coordinate human services for the region in the past.
Debra L. McLaughlin, who will begin her new role on Feb. 13, replaces Paul McNeil of Easthampton, who resigned from the post in October. He had replaced the task force’s original coordinator Marisa Hebble, who left to take a state job in April.
The task force, formed in September 2013, has been working with more than 300 community members to address the region’s crisis of opioid and heroin addiction by focusing on prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery.
John Merrigan, task force co-chairman, said, “As a leader in the fight to address opioid use in the state, the task force is excited to build upon its achievements to prevent opioid use and abuse. We feel Deb has the skills and experience to lead us in this new and exciting chapter of our work.”
McLaughlin, an Ohio native, began her 25 years of social policy experience in Greenfield helping unemployed residents in Franklin County and the North Quabbin find training and employment. This led her to work from 1987 to 1994 as human services coordinator for Franklin County, prior to the county government’s transition to the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. In that role, she oversaw a staff of seven working on a set of regional initiatives to combat alcohol and other substance abuse, teen pregnancy, smoking and domestic violence.
Since then, McLaughlin, who most recently has been regions manager for the Vermont nonprofit Building Bright Futures, has worked in southern Vermont and Massachusetts at a variety of positions to help local and statewide initiatives support the well-being of children and families through early childhood, youth development, after school and art opportunities.
“I am delighted to join this incredible team of people who have been working tirelessly to address the opioid epidemic in the region,” she said. “The Opioid Task Force’s passion, compassion and commitment to innovative solutions to both prevent and address opioid addiction drew me to this position. I can’t wait to start.”
This region saw an increase from 13 unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths in 2014 to 20 deaths in 2015. In 2013, Franklin County saw 37 percent of treatment admissions due to opiates compared to 19 percent in 2010, according to data from the task force.
Franklin County Sheriff and task force co-chairman Christopher Donelan noted, “Law enforcement officials are often the first to witness the devastating impact of opioid use and abuse. The Opioid Task Force coordinator’s role is pivotal in harnessing our collective resources to mitigate this impact. We look forward to working with Deb, the Task Force’s staff and partners to ensure our fight continues.”
David E. Sullivan, the Northwestern District Attorney and task force co-chairman said, “Strong and healthy communities are the first line of defense to prevent opioid use. The Opioid Task Force’s work is essential in making sure all community members are doing what they can to address this serious issue. Having skilled staff in place to help us do that is key.”
McLaughlin’s experience specializing in public and private partnership models and practices to effect social change, the co-chairmen said, and her expertise in sustainability and strategic planning, project management, grant writing, meeting facilitation and marketing will be helpful in meeting the strategic aims.
Merrigan, who is also Franklin County register of probate, said that with McLaughlin moving into the new Franklin County Community Justice Center in the role to help coordinate prevention, treatment, intervention and recovery, the position will likely evolve into one that the community justice center was designed for.
“That’s what we’re looking to evolve into. We call it kind of an opioid task force 2.0,” Merrigan said. “It’s a work in progress, and she’s going to be able to help define what it looks like.”
McLaughlin said, “What really excites me about this opportunity, and particularly the broad vision they have, is that it’s really community-health or public-health focused, and basically it identifies various systems that help a person navigate their life successfully, whether it’s housing or employment. For people who may need extra support or guidance during this time, to be able to work closely with folks who can all put our heads together and figure out how to have a really strong community safety net, I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with folks who have been planning this vision for a number of years.”
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