Article 3 - Hear Reports of Committees - 2018 CAASA Annual Report

Source page 1

Report of the
CANTON ALLIANCE AGAINST SUBSTANCE ABUSE (CAASA)

STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Charles Doody, Chairman                                                                       801 Washington St.
Kenneth Berkowitz, Vice-Chairman                                                             Canton, MA 02021
Janet Donnelly, Secretary                                                                Telephone 781-821-5000
Elizabeth Francis, Department of Parks and Recreation                                     www.cantonalliance.org
Ryan Gordy, School Department
Cynthia Bonner, Board of Health

MISSION

The mission of CAASA is to reduce the use of drugs and alcohol in the community by encouraging healthy
decision making by our youth and providing resources that address prevention, intervention, treatment and
recovery throughout the lifespan.

REPORT

The Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA) was originally established in 2013 to address youth
substance abuse. CAASA consists of a diverse representation of invested community partners from Public
Health, the Schools, Fire Rescue, Police, Parks and Recreation, Canton Public Library, the Council on Aging,
the Norfolk County DA’s office, students, clinicians, and parents. Our collaboration allows for a 360-degree
perspective on the issues affecting Canton and how best to address them.

At 2016 ATM, CAASA was adopted as an official town committee and was allocated the sum of $10,000 to
collect data, execute programs, and provide educational resources. The members of CAASA, appointed by the
Board of Selectmen, embody a cross section of municipal departments and residents. This year, CAASA
continued its a speaker series on various substance abuse topics for the general public, co-sponsored a
successful town meeting article to prohibit the retail sales, distribution, and manufacture of marijuana,
established the first Drop In Center in our area, hosted a Celebration of Life event at the Council on Aging in
honor of International Overdose Day and supported the efforts of Project SAVE students in their mission to
educate middle and high school students about substance use disorder. CAASA was also awarded a $30,000
grant by the Department of Public Health to help Canton continue its efforts to provide resources to residents
who are struggling with substance use disorder.

CAASA is a part of a grant funded Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC), a cluster of coalitions
representing the communities of Stoughton, Canton, Holbrook, and Walpole. The Committee meets on the third
Monday of each month. Meeting notices are posted on the Town’s Website. For more information about
CAASA, go to www.cantonalliance.org.

Many thanks to our residents who volunteer their valuable time and talents to the committee including Harriet
Burak, Barbara Casaly, Phyllis Moore and Carolyn Elkort. Finally, thank you to the Congregational Church of
Canton for hosting our monthly Drop-In Center.