0.BOH Job Aids TOC View Initiative

The purpose of the Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC) is to implement local policy, practice, systems, and/or environmental changes to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids and to prevent and reduce unintentional deaths and non-fatal hospital events associated with opioid poisonings throughout the 32 municipalities in Berkshire County.

The mission of the Berkshire Public Health Alliance (BPHA) is to promote, preserve and enhance Berkshire County’s public health by meeting community needs, improving capabilities and providing equitable access to affordable public health services

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission acts as a fiduciary agent for emergency planning and response activities.

Berkshire Public Health Alliance staff will work on FDA Food Standards 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, & 9.

Berkshire Public Health Alliance will hire a part-time Food Program Coordinator to maintain and work on FDA Food Standards 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, & 9.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) staff will continue to provide services to Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA) programs such as Septic Installer Certification Courses, Chokesaver to restaurants, and other programs/services as needed or requested by the Berkshire County Boards of Health and the BCBOHA Executive Committee.

This BE3C project is basing its collaborative work on the shared belief that when we as a community prioritize the health and wellbeing of Women and Girls of Color, that the wellbeing of all people will improve. With this knowledge, the BE3C partners, aided by BOAPC and WOCHE, will build a new way of doing substance misuse prevention planning: By creating a culturally-responsive, safe space where community members can come together to share knowledge, stories, and experiences, build new relationships, and create tools to address the identified needs of Girls of Color ages 5-11 in the community of Pittsfield.

This grant is designed to encourage municipalities to share public health services and build toward a more comprehensive set of shared public health services. It will allow the Berkshire Public Health Alliance to hire a full-time Public Health Nurse, an Administrative Manager and at least a part-time Inspector.

This grant will support the County Health Initiative (CHI) in developing and implementing a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for Berkshire County.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and Partners will participate in technical assistance meetings with Northampton Health Department to engage in capacity building, infrastructure, education co-learning, and program development.

This project will allow the BRPC Public Health Program to conduct a needs assessment relevant to improving equity in emergency management planning, preparedness, and response in Western Massachusetts.

This grant will allow the Berkshire Public Health Alliance to hire an epidemiologist and 1.7 Community Health Workers (CHW) to assist with COVID-19 contact tracing and other associated tasks.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in coordination with the Western Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps Advisory Group (MAG) serves as the fiduciary for the Berkshire Medical Reserve Corps (BMRC). The Berkshire MRC's mission is to build resilient and healthy communities by recruiting, training and deploying MRC volunteers.

Fairview Hospital, under an agreement with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), acting as fiscal host for Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA) acting as the Berkshire County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition will administer the Franklin County Medical Reserve Corps, as well as the Berkshire County Medical Reserve Corps.

This project is focused on the rural municipalities in central Berkshire County (Windsor, Washington, Dalton, Becket, Richmond, Lanesborough, Peru, and Hinsdale). The initial phase of this project will focus on meeting the immediate needs surrounding the response to COVID-19 possibly including assessment, COVID-19 education and outreach, information dissemination, supporting current and future vaccination needs, and implementing other state resources. The second phase will focus on supporting resiliency and addressing the factors that created poor outcomes during the pandemic, with a focus on a specific project or projects that aim to eliminate or reduce a barrier or factor.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), through the Berkshire Public Health Alliance is coordinating the Berkshire Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative. The purpose of the Berkshire Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (BOAPC) is to implement local policy, practice, systems, and/or environmental changes to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids and to prevent and reduce unintentional deaths and non-fatal hospital events associated with opioid poisonings throughout the 32 municipalities in Berkshire County.

Boston Medical Center (BMC) was awarded $89 million in funding to lead a research study with the goal of reducing opioid deaths by 40% in some of the most heavily impacted Massachusetts communities. BMC’s study is part of a bold, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid crisis. The approach of BMC's study will be to partner with 16 communities across the state to test the impact of a community-engaged intervention with an integrated set of evidence-based practices delivered across healthcare, behavioral health, justice, and other community-based settings. Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, via the Berkshire Opioid Addiction Prevention Collaborative, is the fiscal agent and the coordinator of the Pittsfield site.

The Berkshire Post-Overdose Program (BPOP) aims to send out field teams consisting of EMS and Peer Support Workers to provide outreach to those who have recently experienced an overdose and/or are at heightened risk for future overdose. These visits will include a wellness check, connection to naloxone, and linkage to recovery, harm reduction, and/or treatment resources that the person may be interested in.

These project funds are provided through the Massachusetts Healthy Community Fund and are committed to removing barriers to health, incuding structural and institutional racism, poverty and other power inbalances, through community-centered policies, systems and environmental changes approaches. The Pittsfield Gray to Green Project will engage the community and prioritize green planning in a social and racial justice context. Partners include Habitat for Humanity and Working Cities, 18 Degrees and the City of Pittsfield.

The Pittsfield Youth Prevention Coalition (PYPC) will establish a substance use prevention and protection collaborative for middle school and high school ages in Central Berkshire County. This initiative is intended to prevent and/or reduce misuse of substances of first use (e.g., alcohol, nicotine, cannabis) among youth and/or the consequences associated with substance use (e.g., driving under the influence, inconsistent enforcement of school chemical health policies).

This funding is to support public health activities related to the prevention and treatment of hepatitis C. BOAPC will reconvene the county-wide hepatitis C working group, work with clinical partners to engage more physicians/clinical partners in providing treatment for hepatitis c, and will take part/help facilitate 2 webinars related to the HCV care continuum and health equity (as it relates to HCV). An additional focus this year is making connections between the Berkshire County House of Correction and clinical partners.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) acts as the fiduciary agent for the Berkshire Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Funding supports local Boards of Health in Berkshire County to prepare for emergencies and disasters from a public health perspective. Berkshire County Boards of Health Association (BCBOHA) acts as the emergency preparedness coalition for Berkshire County.

Implementation and Expansion of the “Strengthening the Berkshire County Regional Food System with Locally-Sourced Mobile Farmers Market to Serve Low Access Populations” (Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market) project will build on prior and ongoing collaborative efforts to expand local food production and delivery systems as well as bring the benefits of fresh and healthy locally grown food to under served communities and individuals. By increasing the regional food supply network, the Berkshire Mobile Farmers Market Project will improve community resiliency by diminishing our reliance on long-distance food chains, improve equitable access to local, healthy food options, especially for low-income, remote, and rural families, educate the public on the availability and benefits of local foods, and mitigate the stigma of using SNAP benefits and food pantries. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission joins Berkshire Bounty, Berkshire Grown, and the Southern Berkshire Rural Health Network and partners with Berkshire United Way and Community Health Programs in this partnership. Each partner addresses a distinct food production, storage, purchase, and distribution aspect.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is serving as the fiduciary agent to the Berkshire Public Health Alliance to implement a regional Public Health Inspection Program in selected Alliance towns.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is serving as the fiduciary agent to the Berkshire Public Health Alliance to implement a regional Public Health Nursing Program in selected Alliance towns.