Framingham Opioid Task Force Releases Survey. What They Hope To Find

The City of Framingham’s Opioid Task Force is seeking feedback from residents.

The Task Force is inviting those who live and/or work in the City of Framingham to contribute their voice to a community dialogue around the Opioid epidemic in our City via a Community Feedback Form.

The form is available in 100-plus languages through September 15, 2023.

The City of Framingham established an Opioid Task Force in 2022.

The purpose of this Task Force is to ensure the effective, informed, and efficient expenditure of Framingham’s share of Opioid Settlement Recovery Funds with the goal of making a meaningful difference in the lives of Framingham citizens impacted by opioid addiction.

“This is a really difficult problem we are facing, and it is so important that these funds are spent in the best way to help those affected by substance abuse, and especially by opioids,” said the City of Framingham’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Louise Miller.

Miller is chairing the City’s Opioid Task Force.

“The Opioid Task Force is aiming to develop strong and deep relationships with organizations that already exist in the Framingham community and to partner with them as the City uses its share of opioid settlement funding to address existing needs, as well as those that arise in the future,” said Miller.

“The Task Force understands how critical it is to consider the voices in our community who are directly impacted by the opioid crisis, and that’s why we are sharing this survey and asking residents of Framingham to respond and offer their thoughts on how these funds might best be spent to make a meaningful impact,” said Meghan Todd, the City’s Grants Manager and a member of the Opioid Task Force.

Over the course of 18 years, the City will be the recipient of $1.2 million in settlement funds, providing Framingham with the opportunity to invest significantly in addressing the impact of the Opioid epidemic in the local community.

The City is also receiving settlement funds from lawsuits against pharmacies and smaller pharmaceutical firms, which will become part of the City’s opioid response.

State guidelines for the expenditure of these recovery funds require municipalities to focus efforts on substance-use prevention, harm reduction, opioid treatment, and/or recovery support.

It is the desire of the 14-member Task Force to distribute funding thoughtfully and efficiently with the initial goal of aiding community partners who are already engaged in incredibly meaningful work to combat the opioid crisis in our City.