Giving Police a Chance to Get Addicts to Treatment

NEWTON, MA - Based in Newton, the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I), announced recently that the Cornerstone Recovery Center joined the team of recovery centers around the country that assist addicts.

Cornerstone Recover is located in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

“As our list of partner treatment centers continues to grow, so does our hope that we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those who suffer from addiction,” Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello said in a statement. “We are thankful for treatment centers like Cornerstone Recovery, who can see the need for additional resources for our participants, and are willing to step up to meet that need.”

Chief Campanello and Newton businessman John Rosenthal launched P.A.A.R.I. -- a nonprofit organization created in response to Gloucester Police Department’s ANGEL Initiative - just this summer.

The idea was that rather than “arrest their way out of the problem of drug addiction,” police departments would instead have a treatment program to send addicts for help. Partnerships with P.A.A.R.I continues to grow.

“Cornerstone Recovery Center is honored to partner with P.A.A.R.I. and begin giving back to such an amazing organization,” said Elliott Stewart, admissions director at cornerstone recovery center in the announcement. “We feel this program has, and will, continue to grow to be an amazing resource to those who are lost in their addiction. Cornerstone is dedicated to helping individuals overcome their fears, put their addictions to rest, and start living happy and healthy lives.”

Cornerstone Recovery Center is a 30-bed facility which offers a variety of treatment programs including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, aftercare treatment, and alumni services.

“We are continually humbled by the amount of support we have received from treatment centers like Cornerstone Recovery, who reach out to P.A.A.R.I. looking for ways to get involved,” Rosenthal said. “We are eager to begin working with this new center and continue on our mission of saving lives.”

The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.), said its website, was started to support local police departments as they work with opioid addicts. Rather than arrest our way out of the problem of drug addiction, P.A.A.R.I. committed police departments:

• Encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery
• Help distribute life saving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses
• Connect addicts with treatment programs and facilities
• Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic