Pandemic hasn’t erased the opioid epidemic

Press Coverage

October 9, 2020

By CommonWealth

HE HAD JUST LOST his father to COVID-19. His dad had succumbed to this relentless disease while living in a long-term care facility. He was just beginning to cope with that loss.

Then, it got worse.

Two weeks later, he lost his son. His son died after a long-term battle with opioid addiction, stolen by an epidemic that has been raging since well before the pandemic – and still rages today.

What made these losses even more traumatic? Unable to hold a funeral or have any real way to join together with loved ones, he couldn’t say good-bye to either. The pandemic had taken that from him as well.

This is the tragic story of one family in Massachusetts. The pandemic has impacted so many more. And for those struggling with addiction, or who have a loved one who is, it’s brought a whole new set of challenges and hardship.

Across the country, studies have shown that drug overdoses have risen by as much as 18 percent during COVID-19. According to a survey by the CDC, 13 percent of respondents in June said they started or increased substance use to deal with stress related to COVID-19. And with the pandemic hitting black, Latinx and native people the hardest, it is no coincidence that overdoses have disproportionately impacted communities of color.

As leaders of local health care and recovery support organizations, and board members of the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand the challenges for those in opioid recovery during this health crisis.

It has forced many into isolation, unable to access much of the in-person support they need. This has contributed to a greater number of relapses for those in long-term recovery. Even the arrival of stimulus checks – a lifesaver for most – brings a new source of anxiety and temptation for those battling addiction.

The availability of affordable, long-term recovery beds also remains a challenge. Many treatment providers have had to reduce capacity due to COVID safety restrictions. Finding long-term recovery beds for women is an even greater battle. And the costs remain prohibitive for far too many.  At Learn to Cope, we recently tried to find an affordable bed for a man we had just helped come back from a southern state. When we couldn’t, he disappeared. We now wait to hear from him again, fearing what that next call will bring.

We also know reducing the high prescribing rates of opioids remains a work in progress. A recent investigation into all areas of prescribing – medical and dental included – showed that enough prescriptions are being written for half of all Americans to have one.

For all the challenges to those in recovery, the impact on the families of those we’ve lost to addiction has been equally difficult. Unable to hold funerals or to gather with friends and families, many people have cobbled together makeshift, socially distant memorials. Some people’s families put candles in their yard. One family had friends drive to a cemetery and stay in their cars while they buried their son.

The time to act is now.

Specifically, more resources are needed to build capacity for identifying and treating OUD, particularly among people of color. We must continue to limit opioid prescribing and educate doctors and dentists about alternatives for pain management.  And we must reduce the stigma that too often prevents people from seeking help. At DentaQuest, we and our employees are taking a simple pledge to eliminate harmful, stigmatizing terms when discussing addiction. We hope the many other good-hearted Massachusetts employers will do the same.

Finally, for families who lost someone to addiction, there is deep trauma associated with the inability to say goodbye in the way that they need. The way their loved one deserved. They have been robbed of something so necessary by COVID-19.

That is why it is our hope that we will come together as a community – as soon as it is possible – for a day of remembrance for all those lost during the COVID-19 crisis, including those lost to addiction. It could include a public ceremony for all to watch and pause and remember. Every family deserves a day to honor their loved one, not in isolation, but supported by family and community.

September was National Recovery Month, and it was like no other before it. The pandemic hasn’t erased the opioid epidemic. It has only increased the challenges for those who need treatment and services. We must continue to support those in the ravages of this still raging epidemic.

And by coming together to honor the loved ones we have lost during these difficult times, perhaps we can help the healing of all those who have been left to move forward in their memory.

Steve Pollock is the president and CEO of DentaQuest and Joanne Peterson is the executive director of Learn to Cope. Pollock is the board chair and Peterson is a board member of the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation.

Position Summary

Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic), funded by the MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and powered by RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE), is a partnership like no other. It is a unique, public-private collaboration designed to support initiatives that are addressing the opioid overdose crisis in communities that have been historically underserved and have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths.

The funding for Mosaic comes from the Massachusetts Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF), which resulted from the historic legal effort to demand justice from several private companies for the harms caused by the opioid epidemic. This is one of the first public-private partnerships of this magnitude using settlement funds for community-led initiatives.

In partnership with BSAS and municipalities receiving opioid abatement funds, RIZE manages the Municipal Training and Technical Assistance (Muni TTA) Program. This program aligns with Mosaic’s mission to ensure that opioid abatement funds are invested and remain in the communities most deeply impacted by the crisis while also fueling transformative change through grassroots, community-led efforts.

The Muni TTA project manager provides project management, data, and operational support, ensuring the Muni TTA Program runs smoothly, is well documented, and is grounded in data. This role translates program strategy into concrete workplans, tracking systems, and reporting products, and provides day-to-day task direction to the program coordinator on project deliverables.

RIZE seeks someone for this position who is passionate about ending the overdose crisis and unafraid of new ideas. Success will require a positive, can-do, learning mindset and a collaborative, team-oriented approach. We are looking for candidates who understand how complex and interconnected issues, such as funding, data systems, and municipal government structures, intersect with addressing the overdose crisis.

The project manager supports the implementation of the Muni TTA workplan and Salesforce data infrastructure, coordinates monthly and quarterly reporting, provides project management support to four regional community advisory boards (CABs), and manages the logistics and content pipeline for the program's webinar series and newsletter. This position reports to the chief program officer (CPO) and works closely with the senior program officer (SPO).

 

Key Responsibilities

1. Workplan & Data Management

  • Oversee the Muni TTA workplan and Asana project management structure across six program goals: Proactive Outreach; Communications and Engagement; Quality Assurance and Team Development; Evaluation and Reporting; Intermunicipal Collaboration and Partnerships; and Community Advisory Boards. Monitor and keep progress, and identify risks or adjustments needed to keep deliverables on track
  • Set and monitor Salesforce data quality standards, oversee the Mosaic Muni TTA dashboard in coordination with the program coordinator, and produce reports; identify data quality issues and recommend adjustments to tracked metrics as the program evolves.
  • Monitor case documentation and tracking; compile monthly quality-review summaries for senior management review.
  • Support municipal capacity assessments by synthesizing results, identifying gaps, and helping the SPO draft action plans that reflect program priorities and municipal needs.

2. Reporting & Leadership Support

  • Compile regular qualitative reports, drafting the consolidated narrative of outcomes, barriers, and strategic adjustments for the SPO to finalize.
  • Develop regular progress updates, data summaries, and briefing materials for senior leadership, translating program activity and outcomes into clear talking points for internal review and external stakeholder discussions.
  • Coordinate senior leadership meeting preparation by identifying needed inputs, shaping agendas around key decisions, and ensuring materials are ready for review and follow-up. Coordinate post meeting follow-up.
  • Participate in cross-sector coordination meetings as needed to support data, reporting, or project management needs.

3. Community Advisory Board & Event Support

  • Provide project management for CAB implementation tracking progress and outcome metrics.
  • Direct administrative support for CABs, including materials preparation and outreach coordination.
  • Coordinate logistics, timelines, materials, follow-up, and slide preparation for regional and statewide presentations, meetings, and events.

4. Communications & Content Pipeline

  • Project-manage Mosaic TTA webinars: in coordination with the program coordinator maintain the topic and speaker pipeline, coordinate scheduling and logistics, and track post-session evaluations.
  • Project-manage Muni TTA bulletin and newsletter production, coordinating content collection, drafting, and oversee program coordinator with distribution timelines, and tracking engagement analytics.
  • Direct the program coordinator's development of training materials and slide decks; review for quality and program alignment before routing to senior leadership for approval.

 

Qualifications

Required

  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and virtual meeting platforms
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

  • Experience in public health, behavioral health, or harm reduction
  • Familiarity with workforce development initiatives
  • Experience supporting coalitions or multi-partner collaborations
  • Experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by substance use and overdose

Core Competencies

  • Commitment to harm reduction philosophy and health equity
  • Cultural humility and trauma-informed approach
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative mindset
  • High level of discretion and professionalism
  • Bachelor's degree in public health, public administration, business, or a related field and a minimum of five years of relevant experience; or a master's degree and a minimum of two years of experience.
  • Demonstrated project management experience, ideally within a public health, government, or nonprofit setting.
  • Strong data and systems management skills; experience with Salesforce, or a comparable CRM/database strongly preferred.
  • Experience managing workplans, timelines, and reporting cycles.
  • Experience with supervision preferred.
  • Excellent written communication skills, including experience drafting reports and briefing materials for review by senior staff.
  • Proficiency with Salesforce, Asana, Microsoft Office 365, and virtual conferencing platforms; familiarity with Canva, WordPress, and Constant Contact a plus.
  • Knowledge of the Massachusetts opioid settlement funding landscape and municipal government structures preferred.

Skills, Abilities, Attributes

  • Strong organizational skills and sound judgment in a fast-paced, small-team, collegial environment.
  • Comfortable managing competing priorities and shifting timelines with minimal oversight.
  • Demonstrated track record of sustained high-quality, independent work in fast-paced environments.
  • Effective relationship-builder able to coordinate across internal teams and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information.
  • Motivated by a keen sense of mission and values with a willingness to embrace and actively support RIZE's agenda.

Work Environment

The Municipal TTA project manager is a full-time, hybrid role. RIZE is in downtown Boston; travel, primarily in-state, will be required for meetings and events as needed. This role may require evening and occasional weekend work.

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