The Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council has completed an Analysis of Substance Abuse on Cape Cod: A Baseline Assessment.  View the Full Report and the Executive Summary.

The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of substance dependency, and the related costs, for Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It has been created to inform programming and policy needs to be defined by the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council.  The Council's goal is that Barnstable County will have a coordinated and comprehensive regional approach to substance abuse across the continuum of prevention, treatment and recovery, harms reduction and law enforcement.

If you have questions about the report, please contact Vaira Harik at vharik@barnstablecounty.org

Barnstable County, through its Chief Procurement Officer and on behalf of the Department of Human Services, seeks a qualified contractor to assist the Department in coordinating the "Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative" (MOAPC) in Barnstable County.  

To download the RFP, go to http://purchasing.barnstablecounty.org/.  Specifications may be obtained from the Barnstable County Purchasing Department, Superior Court House, P.O. Box 427, Barnstable, Massachusetts 02630.

Proposals will be received at the Superior Court House, Office of the County Commissioners, Purchasing Department, 3195 Main Street, P.O. Box 427, Barnstable, MA 02630, on or before April 7, 2015  DATE at 10:00AM.  

WE CAN Center renovations are complete and will be open for business on Wednesday, March 11th at their 783 Route 28 location, Harwich Port.  Behind the scenes, WE CAN has gained additional and efficient work space to serve clients better. 

WE CAN would like to thank all of their donors, their construction team and trade partners, and Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Trust for making this dream a reality.  An open house will be held later this spring.

Senator Wolf (D-Harwich) and Senator DeMacedo (R-Plymouth) announce that the "Commonwealth Conversations" tour

The Barnstable Youth Commission and the Town of Barnstable are currently seeking active community organizations and groups who are interested in setting up a table in our "vendor fair", to promote and offer their services to both students and parents.

The First Annual Seventh Grade Youth Summit will be held at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center on Thursday, March 19 from 5:30 - 8:00 PM and Friday, March 20 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  The Youth Summit will help provide students with a "game plan" to help them resist the temptation of drugs in their high school and adult lives.  For more information click here.

Hope Dementia & Alzheimer's Services Spring Conference will focus on some new and exciting alternatives available to us to stop problem behaviors from developing and add joy to the lives of those living with this disease.

Conference is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2015 from 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM at the Double Tree by Hilton Cape Cod, 287 Iyannough Rd, Hyannis.  Tuition is $95, includes materials, continental breakfast and 3.5 CEs. Register online, call 508/775-5656 or email info@HopeDementia.org.  Download, print and mail in this form with your payment.

Do friends and family tell you that you're a good listener? Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity where you can really make a difference? Then volunteering for The Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands could be a great fit for you!

Our volunteers are not counselors or therapists, so no experience is required in order to volunteer with us. All you need is the capacity to care and we'll help with the rest. Volunteers are trained in non-judgmental active listening so as to best assist our callers who are lonely, depressed, or isolated.

The next Crisis Line/Senior Outreach Volunteer Training

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

2015 Consolidated Plan Public Meeting

The Town of Barnstable's Growth Management Department will conduct a public meeting: Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 

At the hearing Growth Management staff and attendees will discuss the draft plans, suggestions, comments, and questions from Barnstable groups such as residents, public agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties. Comments and suggestions from this meeting will be taken in to account as the plans - Five Year Consolidated Plan, One Year Action Plan, and Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area - are prepared.  Read more... in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting or wishing to comment on the drafts may submit written comments to: Kathleen Girouard, Growth Management Department, 367 Main St., 3rd Floor, Hyannis, MA  02601 or by email at kathleen.girouard@town.barnstable.ma.us with CDBG Comments in the subject line.  Comments received by May 1, 2015 will be included in the final submission to HUD for approval.

Register today for the Gerontology Intensive Workshop Series at Cape Cod Community College 

You are invited to the Once of Prevention Conference 2015

For further information on the conference and to register view the event summary.  For questions contact Jennifer Fahey, AdCare Educational Institute, Inc. at 508/752-7313.

The Hyannis Parkinson's Support group will be meeting on the 2nd Tuesday each month at EMERITUS on Cape Cod, located at 790 Falmouth Rd. Meetings are from 10:30 AM and last about an hour. The next meeting is scheduled for April 14th. 

The focus of this support group is to bring together persons diagnosed with PD, family members, caregivers, and professionals to share personal experiences, provide information regarding treatments and advances in medications and research, and provide information regarding educational programs.

It is estimated that there are over one million people diagnosed with PD in America and 2% of the population of the Cape may have PD.

This event is rescheduled from January 28th

due to a snowstorm!

Join The Cape & Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition, Barnstable County Human Services/Regional Substance Abuse Council, and the Cultural Center of Cape Cod on April 16th from 6-8pm at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth for a screening of What Happened Here: the Untold Story of Addiction on Cape Cod. 

This documentary tells the stories of addicts, families, law enforcement, clinicians, and community leaders who are affected by addiction and recovery on The Cape.  Don't miss the opportunity to experience this powerful documentary and meet the local filmmakers, Sam Tarplin and Nate Robertson.

Free admission; donations welcome.  A portion of the donations will support students in recovery at Cape Cod Community College.

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Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition
suicideprevention@capecoalition.com

www.SuicideIsPreventable.net

ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE IS STILL AVAILABLE:  You can apply and enroll in MassHealth at any time during the year. If you are newly eligible for ConnectorCare Plans (subsidized public health insurance*), you can apply and enroll at any time during the year.  You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you have Qualifying Life Events, such as a marriage, having a baby, losing a job, new Massachusetts resident, etc. (Need to apply and enroll within 60 days of the event.)

If you are currently on MassHealth and received a Renewal Notice, it is important to enroll by the deadline noted in your letter from MassHealth or you may experience time without health insurance.  View flyer.

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands has certified MA Health Connector Navigators trained to help you! To schedule an appointment or for more information: call 508-771-1727 or walk-in at 372 North St., Hyannis, MA. (We offer services in Falmouth and on Nantucket, by appointment only.)

On March 2, 2015 Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito unveiled a series of reforms aimed at reducing family homelessness and proposed a $20 million 'End Family Homelessness Reserve Fund'. The proposals reorganize efforts around prevention, support aggressive casework to shorten the length of shelter stays and task the Executive Office of Health and Human Services with implementing the new policies to combat homelessness.

These reforms and the $20 million 'End Family Homelessness Reserve Fund' proposal will be part of the administration's Fiscal Year 2016 budget. An additional $2 million for homelessness support services at the Department of Mental Health is also included in the budget, and the administration has identified an additional $1.5 million for the HomeBASE program, which provides short-term housing assistance.  Read more...

A renewed emphasis on prevention - a hallmark of the Cape & Islands strategy for years!

Operation Military Kids Cape Cod has a new name: Military Family Outreach Cape Cod beginning April 1, 2015.

An Eight-Week Support Program for
Suicide Attempt Survivors

It is Cape Cod Volunteers' mission to promote volunteerism on Cape Cod and to connect and engage more people with organizations within the community.  Consider becoming a member of Cape Cod Volunteers to help us continue our work.  Membership is $100 for the year.  To learn more about the benefits of becoming a CCV member and to register as a member visit www.ccvolunteers.org/membership/ or download and print the membership form to send in by mail.  For questions call 508/362-0242.

Volunteer Coordinators Roundtable is planned for Monday, March 30, 12:30-2:00 PM at Bridgewater State University Cape Cod Campus, 1175 Route 28, South Yarmouth.  Topic for the Roundtable is volunteer Recruitment.  Please bring your own lunch and CCV will provide beverages and snack.  These meetings are open to any person who has responsibility for managing volunteers.  RSVP at info@ccvolunteers.org.

Be a Challenge Partner.  Have you been logging your volunteers' hours or encouraging them to log their own hours.  We are just about to 200,000 community volunteer hours with a goal of 250,000 by April 1.  Log hours here.  Help Cape Cod meet the collection 1,000,000 hour goal!

Please remember to update your agency profile and post new volunteer opportunities on the website.

Hope HouseCalls announced it has added two physicians and a new care management service to its practice to address the growing demand for its services.  Hope HouseCalls provides primary care to patients in the safety and convenience of their homes throughout Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth and parts of Middlesex counties.

Effective last month, Hope HouseCalls added a nursing-based, care management service.  Medicare began paying for chronic care management in January to promote coordinated, higher-value care.  This service is designed to be helpful to patients and to increase collaboration and communication between health care providers, their patients and caregivers.  Read more...

Volunteers are needed across Barnstable County for our Meals-on-Wheels program.  Just an hour a week can help ensure our homebound elders have a warm meal.  Mileage reimbursement is available.  Please contact Nancy Wolf at 508-394-4630 or nancy.wolf@escci.org at Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands.

The ManKind Project, Cape and Islands Community with collaboration of Independence House, Inc. is call all men and boys, singularly or in collective groups to attend an important event on Sunday, May 31, 2015, 1-4:00 PM  at the Hyannis Youth Center.  March and say "No MORE" to domestic violence and sexual assault.  Registration details can be found at https://indhouse.ejoinme.org/march.  March is FREE.  Suggested donation is $20.

Independence House in collaboration with Cape Cod Community College will take part in a 2-day FAIR at the college on April 14 & 15 as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  The National Sexual Violence Resource Center 2015 campaign and focus is 'Preventing Sexual Violence on Campus'.

Did You Know?... Independence House workshops and seminars are available for schools, small businesses, community organizations, social clubs and more.  Contact Independence House at 508/771-7507 for more information.

Families with children who have experienced the death by suicide of a close family member are invited to attend this one day FREE event for a day of mentorship, support and group activities on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at Camp Harbor View, Boston, MA.  Program is for youth ages 5-17 and their parents, guardians or designated family members.  Loss must have occurred a minimum of 3 months prior to the date of the program.  Registration is required by May 15th.  All services are free of charge.  Read more...  For more information visit www.comfortzonecamp.org/samaritans.  Call 781/756-4840 with questions or email MA@comfortzonecamp.org.

Through a partnership with Kognito Interactive, the MDPH Suicide Prevention Program is engaging in a pilot program to provide FREE on-line training for high school and middle school staff to recognize At-Risk youth and manage conversation with the student with the goal of connecting them with the appropriate support.  Read more...

The Greater New England Chapter'S Financial Assistance Program aims to support independence, safety, health, and quality of life for people living with MS. We support needs in the following categories: air conditioners; transportation to medical appointments; emergency needs; short-term counseling; home and auto modifications; medical equipment; and home and respite care. We also help to identify other potential funding sources.

Eligibility: Any person diagnosed with MS, living in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont, may apply for financial assistance. A person is eligible to receive financial assistance from the Greater New England Chapter once per year. All applications must be approved before the purchase of goods and/or services. We are unable to provide reimbursement for items or services already purchased. To learn more or to receive an application, call us at 800-344-4867 or e-mail us at generalmailbox@nmss.org