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

From OCHE & BSAS

 

🗣️           In case you missed it: We launched our first-ever evaluation survey of OCHE’s community engagement initiatives, with responses reviewed by a neutral third party, and welcome any feedback you want to offer to ensure we’re doing what we can to meet your needs. If you’d like to share about your experiences, you can do so here by August 28.

We also invite everyone – individuals, organizations, and government staff – to complete our Community Partner Contact + Feedback Form once or as many times as you’d like. The form will make sure we have the right information as we transition to a new relationship management system, and also offers space to share your priorities, barriers, and thoughts to inform BSAS’ work.

⚠️           Due to recent state and federal action, BSAS expects widespread disruptions in the availability of kratom products, including both natural and synthetic products. These products can act like potent opioids. Information on the temporary placement of kratom and resources for the public, health care providers, and municipalities, can be accessed at http://www.mass.gov/kratom.

🗓️           From our BSAS colleagues in Regional Operations: Tewksbury Hospital will host a FREE Substance Use Disorder Summit on September 3. There is a QR code on the attached flyer to register. For questions, contact Jennifer Malizia (jennifer.malizia@mass.gov).

🗓️           MOAR’s 2026 Recovery Day Celebration will take place on September 24 from 9am-2pm. This BSAS-sponsored annual event brings community together in unity to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and celebrate the fact that recovery is not only possible but a common outcome that can be found all around us each day. register here to join us!

💡  Did you miss our July Community Office Hours featuring BSAS’ Trans + Gender Expansive Community Advisory Board, or are ready to dig deeper exploring how to support gender expansive individuals? Register for the virtual Pathway to Inclusion: Foundations to Gender Diversity and Transgender Communities training on September 16 from 10am-12pm, presented by TGE CAB co-chair and Mass Trans Political Coalition team member MG Xiong. Scholarships may be available if the $15 registration fee is a barrier.

 

From our partners

🤝           A community co-designed extreme-heat campaign built through cross-bureau collaboration, shared from our partners in DPH’s Division of Community Engagement (DCE) and Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health (BCEH) – This partnership promotes three heat-safety messages: celebrating safely, staying hydrated, and remembering to rest. The team facilitated virtual working where community members co-created culturally relevant graphics and tag lines for posters and social media. The result was a set of trusted, community-owned messages that resonated with residents — and a replicable model for co-designing public health communication.

We encourage organizations to access, use, and share these resources to help spread practical, community informed heat safety messages across Massachusetts. Access the Community Heat Resources and Toolkit here, and sign up for DCE Alerts and updates here.

🗓️           Haitian Community Partners Foundation invites you to attend or table at their 5th annual Summerfest on August 15 from 10am-4pm at Salisbury Park in Brockton. This free community event will feature local DJ’s, community organizations, hands-on activities, face painting, Ice cream, Backpacks and more. Contact mamedee@hcpfoundation.org for more information

🗣️           The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Community Health Equity Survey (CHES) is now live! This is your opportunity to make sure your community’s priorities show up in the data that state government and community organizations use to make decisions about funding, services, and policies. Take the survey here, access the outreach toolkit to help other voices in your community be heard, and visit the CHEI website for ways to stay connected and learn more.

🤝           Commonwealth Mental Health & Wellness Center is hiring a Licensed Clinical Supervisor to anchor their growing Lynn, MA location. This is a blended role for an independently licensed clinician (LICSW or LMHC) who wants to step into leadership without giving up the client work they love. If you’re a clinical leader who cares about accessible, culturally competent, family-focused care, or you know someone who’d be a great fit, visit https://cmhwc.com/index.php/careers/ to learn more.

💡  The Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is pleased to announce its first-in-the-nation Essential Deflection and Diversion Certification. These self-paced online trainings provide the foundational knowledge needed to support successful deflection and diversion pathways. The certification includes the following courses: Addiction 101 For First Responders, The Trauma-Addiction Connection for First Responders, Deflection and Diversion Foundations for First Responders. Learn more and register for courses here or by contacting training@paariusa.org.

🤝           Health Imperatives in southeast MA is hiring several clinical and administrative positions with a focus on multilingual professionals – see descriptions attached for more details. Interested candidates can contact SRHSinfo@healthimperatives.org.