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Opioid task force to use settlement money for outreach signs, updated resource list and brochures
Summary
The Bristol Opioid Task Force agreed to use opioid settlement dollars for panhandling signs linked to 211, an updated community resource list and outreach brochures; members also discussed encampment concerns, drug take-back results and distribution plans for materials through first responders.
Chair opened the meeting and outlined recent uses of opioid settlement funds and priorities for outreach. She said $86,000 had been spent on Journey Home for efforts tied to the Prospect Street encampment, $124,000 went to Bristol Hospital (noted for cameras), and about $116,000 remained unencumbered in the city account.
The group updated one another on a successful April drug take-back (described by members as multiple full bags collected and later handed to the DEA for disposal) and discussed how to quantify that event for future reporting. Lisa Coates, Director of Practice Administration and Integrated Behavioral Health at Bristol Hospital, described continued momentum in offering treatment instead of arrest and said a new medicine card with a QR code is in circulation to keep resource information current.
A major focus was a plan to reinstate panhandling signage in downtown plazas that directs donations to 211 and local agencies. Members said the signs had been effective while installed previously and agreed to check with private property owners and Public Works about reinstallation; the city would fund printing and circulation as part of outreach tied to a new community resource list. Chair summarized the consensus: use settlement funds for signage and brochures, coordinate a social media campaign with nonprofits, and distribute printed materials through first responders and tabling events.
The task force also discussed the Pine Street encampment, noting a mix of public concern about hygiene and safety and the reality that many individuals decline services. Chair highlighted an upcoming probate hearing for an involuntary conservatorship for one resident, saying it could provide a pathway for intensive care if approved.
The meeting concluded with a list of follow-ups: collect metrics on the April drug take-back, circulate proposed sign artwork to property owners and the group, create a small team to finalize updated brochures linked to the website, and survey agencies about access to fentanyl test strips so distribution can be coordinated.
