Waltham's Brandeis University Receives $70K Grant From RIZE MA

Waltham MA

16 December, 2021

11:18 AM

Description

WALTHAM, MA — Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management has received a $70,000 grant from RIZE Massachusetts, an independent nonprofit foundation working to end the opioid overdose epidemic. Brandeis is one of three institutions, including Commonwealth Medicine and National Medical Fellowships, who will receive a total of $350,000 for initiatives that will stabilize, strengthen, and diversify the behavioral health workforce ecosystem in Massachusetts. These workforce specific programs, made possible in part by funding from Mass General Brigham, will focus on the substance use disorder (SUD) care system that includes physicians, social workers, pharmacists, and recovery coaches. "The Commonwealth's workforce ecosystem is showing signs of stress and fatigue due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a growing behavioral health crisis impacting every community, particularly in communities of color and those facing socioeconomic barriers," said Julie Burns, president and CEO of RIZE Massachusetts, in a statement. "Through these new grants, RIZE will both better understand the state of the workforce and directly support efforts to train current and future professionals in practices that have proven successful in curbing the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts." Brandeis will use its part of the funding to conduct a detailed needs assessment of the harm reduction profession in Massachusetts through qualitative and quantitative research methods. Harm reduction, the approach that focuses on reducing the negative consequences of drug use and supporting individuals in embracing any positive change in their lives and health, can include services such as syringe exchange, overdose education, naloxone distribution, and drug checking. "The harm reduction workforce is small but mighty. We do a tremendous amount of work but are often dismissed by larger systems that work with people who use drugs," said Mary Wheeler, program director of the Healthy Streets Outreach Program at Health Innovations, in a statement. "Research focused on assessing and analyzing labor and pay gaps in the harm reduction workforce will help provide data to strengthen and sustain the harm reduction field." Fore more information about RIZE Massachusetts or to apply for a grant, click here.