Springfield, MA – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and city officials joined with the Springfield District Court for a Department of Justice grant announcement on Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. City officials including Chief Development Officer (CDO) Tim Sheehan, Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers, Housing Director Geraldine McCafferty, Hope Program Manager Stephanie Tonelli, and Police Lt. Brian Elliott, along with BHN Program Manager Hallie Beth Hollister, BHN Senior Vice President Kathy Mague, CHD’s (Center for Human Development) Vice President of Diversion, Shelter & Housing Will Dávila, and representatives from Mercy Medical Center John Baker and Ivelisse Burgos were in attendance.
The City of Springfield has been awarded over $1 million from the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) grant program Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (COSSUP). The grant seeks to improve access to treatment and recovery services for people with substance use disorders who are homeless. The total grant award is $1.3 million and covers a 3-year period from October 1st of this year through September 30, 2027.
Housing Director Gerry McCafferty explained, “This grant will help build connection to treatment for individuals struggling with substance use and homelessness. The presence of BHN clinicians on the streets and in the District Court will provide new pathways to recovery.”
There are two main components of the program. The first is Multidisciplinary Street Outreach, one of the many tools in the toolbox that the city will expand on. The COSSUP grant will support the partnership between Behavioral Health Network (BHN) and Springfield Police Department. Teams made of a BHN clinician along with a police officer will perform street outreach during evening and night hours, with the goal of finding and engaging people who are homeless. The presence of the BHN clinician will support ready access to substance use and mental health treatment for those who want these services. The outreach work will be supported by a full-time civilian social worker in the police station who will make follow-up connections between people encountered during outreach and ongoing supports, including with the daytime street outreach team staffed by Mercy Health Care for the Homeless. The civilian police staff will coordinate between the city departments who are called to respond to people who are homeless in the city, including the Mayor’s Office, Department of Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management, the Office of Housing, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Works, and Police.
The second component is Pre-Arraignment Support in the Springfield District Court. The grant will fund a full-time clinician from BHN to be present in the Springfield District Court. The clinician will be available to meet with people who have recently been arrested to assess need for substance use treatment and recovery support, and connect individuals directly to services
The grant will also fund a research partner from University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst School of Public Health, who will evaluate the success of the project.
Mayor Sarno states, “I deeply appreciate the support from the Department of Justice as we continue to combat the fallouts of the ongoing opioid crisis. We all have or know of a family member or friend that has been affected by the scourge of opioids. Some beat it but some do not. We also know that there is a national housing crisis and we have also had increased need for mental health supports. We are all coming together to provide a path forward and to try and reach more people, more effectively. With this 1.3-million-dollar grant from the DOJ, our dedicated clinical partners and police with be able to more meaningfully engage and provide sustainable options to those in need. I commend all our street outreach partners including BHN, CHD, Mercy Medical Center, as well as our city team and appreciate their efforts to help people turn their lives around. I would also like to thank the Springfield District Court and District Attorney Anthony Gulluni for their efforts within the court system to help people on a sustainable path. I am looking forward to joining for the Emerging Adult Court of Hope program graduation ceremony on Thursday. I will continue to be steadfast in working with my dedicated city team and all of our community partners and stakeholders to help those in need and secure whatever resources are necessary.”
