In the News

HOLYOKE — A hundred community health workers will get year-long training at Holyoke Community College in the fight against opioid misuse and addiction due to a $1.89 million federal grant announced Friday.

And the need for the trained community workers is growing, especially with the job loss and social isolation of the coronavirus pandemic, said Jay Breines, CEO of the Holyoke Health Center, one of the partners in the program.

"We are seeing it on the streets of Holyoke," he said at Friday's announcement.

Under the program, Holyoke Community College has received $1.89 million over four years, with $399,676 coming in year one, $525,918 in year two, $530,000 in year three and $438,000 in year four from the U.S. Department of health and human Services' opioid impacted Family Support program.

Holyoke Community College along with Holyoke Health Center, Behavioral Health Network and MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board will train 100 community health workers — 25 a year — so they can work on integrated opioid use disorder teams at Holyoke Health Center and Behavioral Health Network.

The program pays, according to Holyoke Community College, for $3,000 toward the cost of tuition, fees and supplies for each participant as well as an annual stipend of $5,000 or $7,500 depending on the training they had when the entered the program.

Breines said the idea is to support families where a person is suffering from addiction and to bring more people into treatment programs.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, joined Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal for the announcement Friday.

Neal, who is running in the Democratic primary against Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, described how and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, identified the opioid crisis.

"Everybody knows someone, a friend, a family member, dealing with the addiction," Neal said.

Royal said the program fits Holyoke Community College's mission because it prepares students for an in-demand career, can help students earn more money and fulfills a need in the community.

As with all its programs, Holyoke Community College plans to teach as much of this program as it can remotely.