SHREWSBURY, MA — Two longtime advocates will bring personal and professional perspectives on substance use to a regional public health initiative.
Reginald "Reggie" Steele and Sullivan "Sully" Roberts have been appointed as Shrewsbury's Community Advisory Members on the Regional Opioid Task Force. They will help guide opioid prevention and response strategies by sharing their firsthand experiences, the the Shrewsbury and West Boylston Regional Opioid Task Force announced on Wednesday.
Recruitment for the advisory positions prioritized people with lived or living experience of substance use, ensuring that the task force's work reflects voices directly affected by the opioid crisis.
"Almost everyone is touched by the opioid crisis," Steele said. "Raising awareness and removing stigmas is how we fight back."
Steele has lived in Shrewsbury for more than 35 years and works as an investigator with the Massachusetts State Treasurer's Office. His daughter, Catherine, died from an accidental overdose in 2016. Since then, Steele has worked to raise awareness and support people in recovery.
Meanwhile, Roberts is a public health professional with experience in substance use treatment, veterans services and outreach to people experiencing addiction and homelessness.
"As a person in long-term recovery, I'm honored to help my community, combat stigma against substance use treatment and recovery support services and continue the fight against the opioid epidemic," Roberts said.
Roberts also serves on the Recovery Evaluation Committee for the Unified Recovery and Monitoring Program in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
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