[MA Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Office of Community Health & Equity (OCHE)]

From OCHE & BSAS

⚠️ Correction In our last post, we accidentally listed the wrong date for Seven Truths from 7 Stops! What Fathers in Recovery Need You to Know – this will take place on May 19 and you can register here.

🗓️  We’re thrilled to announce a new opportunity to learn about BSAS systems and processes as one of OCHE’s growing community capacity building initiatives. Our first Contracts Community Academy 101: Contracting With DPH will take place on Wednesday, May 20 from 12-1pm and will provide an introductory overview of the DPH contracting process. This may be of interest to members of our Living Expertise Advisory Pool (LEAP) hoping to get involved in community consulting projects, organizations seeking future contracts with the state, current providers who want to better understand what happens behind the scenes, or anyone who wants to know how we at BSAS work to serve the public. Register here to join us!

🗣️ An Opioid Settlement Funds Listening Session focusing on Hampden County will take place on May 13 from 1-3pm in Springfield. Register here to join virtually, or provide feedback at your convenience using this survey that is open to Massachusetts residents in all counties.

🗓️  Our final Procurement Community Academy 101: Intro to BSAS Fundingof fiscal year 2026 (ending June 30) will take place on June 3 at 9am. This presentation provides an overview of CommBuys and may be of interest to community partners interested in seeking DPH funding in the future. This is also a requirement for LEAP members before becoming eligible to join procurement review teams. If you can’t make this one, we’ll offer it again in fiscal year 2027 along with new topics! Register here.

 

From our partners

🗓️ Health And… Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Policy, taking place on May 4 and hosted by the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health, will explore evidence-based and interdisciplinary solutions to address substance use. Michael Botticelli, member of former Director of National Drug Control Policy for the Obama Administration (and former BSAS Director!) will be the keynote speaker. Join virtually by registering here.

🗓️ Kickoff the 2026 Heat Season: Celebrate Safely in Massachusetts with a DPH webinar on May 7  at 12:30pm. This webinar is aimed at community-based organizations, local partners, and others who help support residents during the heat season. The session will highlight DPH heat tools, alerts, and programs, and share ways organizations can help communities prepare for heat season and celebrate safely during hot weather. Register here.

🗓️ The Drug Policy Alliance will offer the second in a virtual series on May 14 at 4:30pm titled We’ve Been Here Before: How to Do Drug Research in Challenging Times, curated to guide and support researchers and community leaders through dissemination challenges, a quickly changing policy environment, and funding cuts. Register here.

🗓️ United Communities and Weymouth Public Library will host Love, Identity and Real Stories: A Community Talk Featuring Local Authors on May 13 from 6:30-8pm at Weymouth Tufts Library. Register to attend here.

💰Scholarship Alert Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) invites you to apply for or nominate someone for the Stephanie Jesi Scholarship, providing $1000 to three people in long-term recovery to be used for education, housing, transportation, childcare or debt relief. Learn more and complete the application form here by May 20.

🗓️ The Cornell Health Policy Center Journalism Series will host a webinar titled Supporting Data-Driven Journalism on Substance Use and Policy on June 24from 1-2pm to help reporters strengthen news coverage on substance use and related healthcare policies. This session will highlight high-value data sources, explain how to interpret them, and surface common pitfalls in reporting on trends in substance use and substance use disorder, including treatment and policy impacts. Register here.

🗓️  Faith leaders of all belief systems are invited to attend a Faith-Based Support Specialist Conference on June 26 at Harvard Divinity School, co-hosted by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, the Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), and the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). register here.

ℹ️ You may be interested in this information posted on the Root Cause Solutions Exchange from Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center: See Where Your Priorities Show Up in the House Budget – Sharing this early analysis from Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center on the House Ways and Means FY27 budget proposal. It’s a helpful look at where funding is directed—and where gaps remain.