Director of Public Health Colleen Fermon would like to announce that the Ipswich Public Health Department, in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential, is holding a community forum for residents and local organizations to learn about the Massachusetts Opioid Abatement Settlement funds.
The Community Forum will be held on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 5-6:30 p.m. in Room A of Ipswich Town Hall, 25 Green St.
Director Fermon, Ipswich’s Opioid Abatement Coordinator, will be conducting a needs assessment and strategic planning process in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), a Sudbury-based behavioral health consulting firm. Their findings will guide the community’s use of its opioid settlement funds.
The Town has been receiving municipal abatement payments since 2023. So far, the Town has received approximately $230,000 in funding, and it is estimated that the Town will receive more than $750,000 by 2038. The amount of funds distributed each year will vary.
The community forum will be a resource for the community to learn about the background and intended purpose of the funding and hear the plan for gathering data and community input, including ways that community members can contribute to the Town’s efforts.
The team from AHP will also be in attendance, allowing the community to meet the people working on this initiative and address any questions or concerns they may have.
“The Town of Ipswich is committed to involving community members in the process, focusing on people with lived and living experience, who have been most affected by the opioid epidemic,” said Fermon. “This is a great way for our community’s needs to be met, and I hope everyone is able to attend.”