Overdose Prevention Center Updates
Hi neighbors,
This is Laura Sánchez-Parkinson, your Ward 3 City Councilor, representing parts of the Old North End and Downtown.
I wanted to share with you some updates and my take related to the Overdose Prevention Center (OPC), which is planned to be established here in our city.
For those entering this conversation: An OPC is part of a broader public health approach to reduce public drug use and provide a clean, supervised space where people can use drugs they have already obtained, with trained staff present to prevent overdoses and other harms. In Burlington, the OPC is also being designed to connect individuals with wrap-around services and case management, including referrals for recovery, housing, and other needs. The OPC is being funded as a pilot program with opioid settlement dollars distributed from the state, which also includes state guidelines on how to implement the project.
This week, the City Council received an update. You can find the slides, a community assessment report, and recording (starting at minute 58:00): https://burlingtonvt.portal.civicclerk.com/event/10091/files/attachment/17822
While the state grant is being managed by city staff, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform (VCJR) was selected as a city partner to implement the OPC. I have met with the VCJR team and let me tell you, they are an impressive team with decades of experience in supporting people with substance use and mental health disorders in our city. Not only have I learned about their existing work, I have seen them in action, how they engage with the most vulnerable in our community, offering timely services while approaching their work in a systemic way.
The implementation of the OPC is no doubt an incredibly important endeavor, one with high risks but one that also has the potential to have high impact in our community. I have a renewed commitment to support the OPC, not only do we have the funding and a team that I feel confident will implement the project with thoughtfulness and rigor, but most importantly, we have the need to provide relief to those struggling the most in a dignified private space.
What next? The OPC implementation team is laser focused on finding a location. While no location has been selected, the hope is to identify a space in an accessible and centralized place, this may include the Old North End or Downtown neighborhoods. I know many of you have already been engaged in these conversations and we hope you will continue.
Our perspectives and questions are critical in the planning and implementation process. Join us at the Ward 3 Neighborhood Planning Assembly (NPA) on Wednesday, November 4th at 6:30pm Sharon Bushor Conference Room or online to learn more and ask questions.
You may also be interested to join an upcoming community event on Moving Toward Recovery – Oct 13 at 4:30pm, Contois Aud. City Hall. A panel will feature community leaders in healthcare, housing, and coordinated community support.
As always, I welcome your questions, ideas, and feedback.
Laura Sánchez-Parkinson, Ward 3 City Councilor
IG: @sanchezparkinson_btv
