PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city now has a body dedicated to tackling one of the most hard-hitting issues it faces.

At its last meeting, the City Council accepted a slate of appointments to the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Advisory Committee.

This was a campaign promise of Mayor Peter Marchetti, who met the goal of creating it in his first 90 days in office.

"Many families experience daily struggles finding the help and resources they need for mental health and substance use disorders while service agencies face the challenge of having enough people on their staff to do their work. These two factors are at the heart of much of our crime and homeless issues that hold our city captive," he wrote to the council.

"We need to open the lines of communication so that all feel safe and most importantly those that need services receive them. We must bring together key stakeholders at all levels of government and in the community to address these concerns head on. We must eliminate the negative stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders."

The committee includes 30 members who represent service agencies, nonprofits, law enforcement, and other city and state departments. Brien Center President and CEO Christine MacBeth, Christian Center Executive Director Betsy Sherman, and Assistant Deputy Superintendent of Community Engagement at the Sheriff's Department Jason Cuyler are amongst the appointees.

Marchetti reported that he will be working with the committee to set up its first meeting and will share updates on its work in the months ahead.

The panel's vision is to ensure that all residents have access to proper mental health and substance use disorder care in a judgment-free environment and to strengthen the partnerships among providers. It is expected to collaborate with community stakeholders to ensure that providers have the resources they need to give individuals and families timely and adequate treatment.

An executive committee will be formed out of the 30 members and subcommittees as needed.  Marchetti noted that additional people and agencies may be added if necessary.

He outlined a number of working items which include: mapping current services offered, identifying gaps in service, identifying opportunities for collaboration between agencies, and identifying ways to make these services more accessible and humane.

The committee will also look to find potential funding sources or resources to fill the gaps identified and ways to reach out to the community on the topic.

In 2022, there were 48 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County — 29 just in Pittsfield. According to Berkshire Health System's 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, Berkshire County had one of the highest rates of mental health emergency department visits in the state in 2019 and the highest in the region.

The city is slated to receive more than $2 million in Opioid Settlement Funds, with an initial settlement installment of $510,711.79 accepted earlier this year.

In July 2021, the attorney general entered into an agreement with the major distributors of opioids. This includes payments to communities to address issues associated with opioid addiction and prevention and the city expects to receive $2,221,991.49 over its term.

Documents show that payments are scheduled until 2038.

Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren said he is not "keen" on these committees because they are a "narrow exception to the Open Meeting Law." Nonetheless, he supports the committee and was glad that Marchetti made it clear that he would be in close communication with the council about the distribution of the opioid settlement monies.

"I feel comfortable that this mayor has communicated with us significantly on many issues," he said.

• Most Read

• Most Comments

• All News

• Blogroll

• Photos