Holliston June 2020

Page 2 Holliston Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com June 2020
COVID-19
continued from page 1
Internet. Without any recovery
support network, relapse is so
much more imminent.”
“It is absolutely accurate
that the pandemic has caused a
ripple effect in the systems put
in place to support those with
addiction and recovery,” agrees
Jackie Winer, Director of Holliston
Youth & Family Services,
who co-chairs the Holliston Drug
and Alcohol Awareness Coalition
(HDAAC) with Melissa Stacy.
“We have seen an increase in
overdoses as a result,” says Winer.
Winer says caregivers are
now needing support for family
members who suddenly end up
at their doorsteps. These family
members need support in helping
navigate recovery for their
loved ones home from a rehab or
who’ve been estranged.
Holliston residents of all ages
can still reach out to her office for
help, at (508) 429-0620. (
As for S.A.F.E., Knight says,
“Covid has drastically changed
how this coalition functions from
a very basic level. We had opened
up (our new location) with plans
to open a support group, but due
to Covid, all of that has been put
on hold.”
The pandemic forced S.A.F.E.
to confront how it can provide
electronically the same services to
the community while at the same
time maintaining a high level of
privacy. “Even 10 people was not
something we wanted to risk,”
says Knight.
All the S.A.F.E. services,
which are free of charge, then,
have moved to telephone or online
formats. Support groups,
which have seen a rise in demand,
include a Learn to Cope
group for families of those dealing
with substance use disorder
on Mondays, a Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren group on
the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, a
12-step program for parents on
Wednesdays, and another general
support group for parents
on Saturday. They also provide
peer mentorship, a grief counselor
and chaplain, information
on Section 35 and direct clinical
counseling in partnership with
Wayside Youth and Family Support
Systems.
To maintain anonymity,
Knight says, S.A.F.E. requires a
call first.
“If someone calls and wants
to join, we’ll have someone talk
with them about the group and
whether it will be a good fit, and
then we’ll share the (login) information,
to honor that privacy.”
The S.A.F.E. support line is (508)
488-8105.
S.A.F.E. Narcan training has
gone online as well.
“We’ve made a Narcan training
video,” says Knight. “If
someone wants to be trained
in Narcan, they can watch the
video, sign the electronic form,
and we can drop off Narcan in
their mailbox.”
HDAAC, the Holliston Drug
and Alcohol Awareness Coalition
stakeholders, also provides
Narcan, and stakeholders are
still virtually meeting weekly, says
Winer.
One issue she’s seeing during
this pandemic is the normalization
of drinking, which HDAAC
is looking at combating with
educational social media. Also,
those in methadone or similar
treatment are dealing with less
flexibility in obtaining treatment.
Isolation can also take a toll on
families, says Winer. “There are
some families that just don’t have
the resources they need to be
able to get through this in a way
that’s adaptive,” she says. “The
Mental Health Resources*
Helplines
• Call 2 Talk, a statewide service of United Way of
Tri-County. A mental health, emotional support,
and suicide prevention program run by
Mass211. Call 2-1-1 or (508) 532-2255.
• Crisis Text Line, a nationwide service. Text from
anywhere in the USA to text with a trained
Crisis Counselor. Text TALK to 741741.
https://www.crisistextline.org/
• National Parent Helpline. Call 800-4A-PARENT
to talk to an operator or go to the website for
a roundup of resources including health and
mental health, personal safety, parenting, child
development. https://www.nationalparenthelpline.org
• LGBTQ Parent & Caregiver Helpline, from Greater
Boston PFLAG. Call (866) 427-3524. https://
gbpflag.org/contact-us/
• Parental Stress Line, from Parents Helping Parents.
Trained volunteer counselors offer nonjudgemental
ways to relieve stress relating to
their children and parenting. Multiple languages
spoken. Call (800) 632-8188. https://
www.parentshelpingparents.org/parentalstress-line
• Veteran's Crisis Line, from the US Department
of Veterans Affairs. Call 800-273-8255.
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Community Resources & Referrals
• Network of Care Massachusetts: Comprehensive
statewide online resource to help anyone find
information on mental health and substance
use supports and services in their community.
challenge is reaching them, and
getting them to connect to us. We
think of ourselves as an access
point to which individuals can receive
support in the community,
(bridging) that divide if individuals
are having barriers to getting
mental health care, whether it’s
insurance, a transportation issue,
or sometimes families sometimes
just don’t know how to navigate
the system.”
Outside of Holliston, Winer
says, “If you’re confused and
don’t know where to turn, just
reach out to your town department
of social services, or if your
town doesn’t have one, perhaps
turn to an outreach coordinator
at your local senior center.” Another
option is to reach out to a
community member like a guidance
counselor, social worker or
doctor you trust.
https://massachusetts.networkofcare.org
• Holliston Youth & Family Services: Taking referrals
and supporting Holliston residents seeking
services. 508-429-0620.
• Resources to Promote Resilience and Well-Being,
from SPARK Kindness. https://myemail.
constantcontact.com/Supporting-Resilience-
--Mental-Well-Being-During-the-Coronavirus-Pandemic.html?aid=RYEgHfR_1u8&s
oid=1103746609693
Regional Direct Services
• SMOC Behavioral Healthcare Outpatient services.
Substance abuse and mental health outpatient
services to individuals, children and families.
https://www.smoc.org/behavioral-health-services.php
• Psychiatric Emergency Services, from Advocates,
Inc. Crisis team provides assessment and intervention,
via telephone and video, for people of
all ages who are experiencing a mental health
and/or substance use emergency. 24 hours
each day, call (800) 640-5432. https://advocates.org/services/counseling-psychiatry
Online Guide
• Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the
Coronavirus from the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network. PDF at https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/cms/lib/MA01907569/
Centricity/Domain/1622/NCTSN%20Caregiver%20Guide%20to%20Helping%20Families%20Cope%20with%20COVID-19.pdf
*compiled by the office of Sen. Karen Spilka
Winer encourages folks to embrace
the new telehealth format
of mental health care, pointing
to a study by McLean Hospital
that showed it to be just as effective
as face-to-face therapy.
“We want to encourage families
who are reluctant to try it,”
says Winer.
COVID-19
continued on page 2
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