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Dartmouth reports early successes for opioid‑settlement programs: after‑school clubs, naloxone kits and a 'Feel Good' fair
Summary
Public-health coordinator Rachel Dezalo reported 201 students served in a six‑week after‑school prevention program funded by opioid-settlement dollars, installation of naloxone kits at multiple town locations, and plans for naloxone training and Overdose Awareness Day events in August.
The town’s substance-use program coordinator told the Select Board Monday that Dartmouth has begun investing opioid settlement funds in prevention and harm reduction, reporting early positive results.
Rachel Dezalo said Dartmouth Public Schools partnered with Dartmouth Advocates for Addiction Recovery and Treatment to run a six-week elementary after-school program this spring that served 201 students across three schools; post-program surveys (74 responses) rated parent satisfaction 9.3/10 and student experience 9.7/10. "Parent satisfaction was scored a 9.3 out of 10 overall," Dezalo said, and staff reported strong interest in refacilitating sessions. Dezalo also described the town’s installation of public naloxone (opioid reversal) kits at Town Hall, libraries, the Council on Aging, beaches and the maritime center, and announced free drop-in naloxone trainings in August and a memorial/awareness event on Aug. 27.
Dezalo said the town is interviewing vendors to complete a community needs assessment that will guide future spending from a multi‑year settlement stream; she emphasized including people with lived experience and making application processes accessible to grassroots groups.
