Opioid Task Force

The Town of North Attleborough's Opioid Task Force is tasked with overseeing the town's opioid settlement fund. The group includes the Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief, School Department, Board of Health and more key stakeholders.

The mission of the North Attleborough Opioid Task Force is to identify community programs relating to opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and harm reduction and fund these programs with Opioid Settlement Funds. 

Opioid Settlement Funds

According to CareMass, the organization that oversees opioid settlement funds, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) entered into settlements with opioid distributors, manufacturers, pharmacies, and other companies in the opioid industry to hold them accountable for their role in creating and fueling the overdose crisis. As part of the settlement, Massachusetts and several municipalities are expected to receive over $1 billion through the year 2038 to abate the harms associated with the opioid epidemic.

The Massachusetts State Subdivision Agreement (SSA) dictates how statewide opioid settlement funds will be distributed and sets forth the abatement strategies that municipalities are allowed to fund, the reporting requirements that must be met, and the resources that will be available to support municipal opioid abatement efforts.

North Attleborough Opioid Settlement Financials

As of February 2025, the Town of North Attleborough has received $735,000 in opioid abatement funds. Over the next 14 years, the Town of North Attleborough is expected to receive $1,716,791.24 with an average annual distribution of $122,627.  

 Using settlement funds, towns can choose to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services.

Williams James College INTERFACE Referral Services

ALL North Attleborough Residents and public-school students to Benefit from INTERFACE Referral Services beginning August 1, 2023.

We are excited to announce that starting on August 1, 2023, INTERFACE Referral Services will be available to ALL North Attleborough residents and public school students. INTERFACE, an outpatient mental health resource and referral helpline, will be accessible at no cost, offering a crucial service to community members in need. 

Ongoing Projects 

• Monthly Opioid Task Force meetings with the Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief, School Department, Board of Health
• Collaboration with the School Department on programming for students
• Meet with CareMass to get guidance on how to utilize opioid settlement funds
• Attend a CareMass conference to learn how other municipalities are utilizing their opioid settlement funds
• Co-Response Mental Health Clinician for the North Attleboro Police Department
• Community forum to get feedback from residents

Resources

• Interface Referral Service (Mental Health Referral Hotline): 1-888-244-6843
  
• Massachusetts Substance Use Hotline: 800-327-5050
  
• Mental Health Support Hotline (Available 24/7): Call or Text 988
  
• Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline: 833-773-2445