About Together in Recovery

In April 2019, RIZE launched the Together in Recovery: Supporting Informed Decisions (TiR) initiative. TiR aims to foster an accessible, integrated treatment and recovery network in Massachusetts that champions evidence-based approaches, supports multiple pathways to recovery, and puts people in charge of their treatment choices.

Toward a Unified Vision

In collaboration with C4 Innovations (C4), this initiative provides an opportunity for the exchange of diverse viewpoints and experiences to deepen awareness of the full range of treatment and recovery options for opioid use disorder (OUD) and builds momentum toward a shared vision to make these options available to all. Phase One of TiR was guided by a Change Team of 44 diverse influencers spanning peer, clinical, policy, family, and community roles. The Change Team met eight times between June 2019 and February 2020 to build a vision for driving future collective action across the recovery and treatment network in Massachusetts.

Over 12 months, TiR convened stakeholders to develop trust, facilitate learning and information exchange, define common ground and shared values, build collective commitments, and identify shared priorities for action. Through these activities, TiR formed a strong foundation that represented diverse roles, functions, perspectives, and communities across the Commonwealth. With a carefully crafted and facilitated dialogue process, TiR engaged key stakeholders in one-on-one conversations, regional meetings, and a statewide event to deepen understanding of evidence-based approaches and person-centered strategies. The recommended priorities in the blueprint for action are a result of this process. They promote an overall framework for achieving an accessible, integrated treatment and recovery network, provide varied perspectives of treatment and recovery, and offer specific steps for implementation.

Given the success of Phase One, and the important work underway, RIZE launched Phase Two in late 2020.  A Together in Recovery Advisory Committee (TRAC), a subset of the original Change Team, will provide advice, strategic thinking, idea development, and industry knowledge towards achieving the goals, objectives, and priorities of this phase of work.

To learn more about Together in Recovery, please contact Julie Burns, President & CEO at RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (julie.burns@rizema.org) or Livia Davis, Chief Learning Officer at C4 Innovations (ldavis@c4innovates.com).

TiR Change Team Members and Advisory Committee

Change Team Members

Peter Babineau
Learn to Cope

James Baker, MD
Merrimack Valley Hospice

JJ Bartlett
Fishing Partnership Support Services

Lisa Blanchard, LMHC
Spectrum Health Systems

Julie Bunch
Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery

Deirdre Calvert, LICSW
Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Sheila Casey
Specialty Courts

Matilde Castiel, MD
Department of Public Health, City of Worcester

John Christian
Modern Assistance

Josephine Cuzzi
New England Culinary Arts Training

Tori Cyrus
Everett Fire Department

Diliana De Jesus
Casa Esperanza

Jaime Dillon
Life Connection Center

Kenneth Duckworth, MD
Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts

Sydney Durand
The Phoenix

Maryanne Frangules
Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery

Paul Greeley
New England Carpenters Benefit Funds

Marisa Hebble
Massachusetts Community Justice Project

Haner Hernández, PhD
Behavioral Health Workforce, Leadership Development Institute

Jim Hiatt, MSW
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers 

Jonna Hopwood, JD, LICSW
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, Beacon Health Options

Natalie Kaufman
State Representative Elizabeth Malia

Abigail Kim
State Senator John Keenan

Brendan Little
Office of Recovery Services, City of Boston

Julie Lunstead
Adolescent Substance Abuse Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

Catherine Madden
Office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey

Larissa Matzek
Massachusetts Alliance for Sober Housing

Madelyn Murphy
MassHealth

Brian Nee
Boston Fire Department

Roger Oser
William J. Ostiguy Recovery High School

Albie Park
Harm Reduction Hedgehog 413

Katie Raftery
Moms Do Care, Massachusetts General Hospital

Windia Rodriguez
Partners HealthCare

Brian Scott
Cole Resource Center, McLean Hospital

Richard Smillie
Community Member

William Soares, MD
Baystate Health

Adam Stoler
MassHealth

Steve Tolman
Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Kristin Wason, NP
HEALing Communities Study, Boston Medical Center

Scott Weiner, MD
Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Fr. Joe White
Archdiocesan Addiction Recovery Pastoral Support Services

LaToya Whiteside, Esq.
Prisoners’ Legal Services

Advisory Committee Members

JJ Bartlett
Fishing Partnership Support Services

Lisa Blanchard, LMHC
Spectrum Health Systems

Julie Bunch
Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery

Diliana De Jesus
Casa Esperanza

Sydney Durand
The Phoenix

Marisa Hebble
Massachusetts Community Justice Project

Julie Lunstead
Adolescent Substance Abuse Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

Noel Sierra
MOAR

William Soares, MD
Baystate Health

LaToya Whiteside, Esq.
Prisoners’ Legal Services

Together in Recovery Resources

Your Rights in Recovery Toolkit

Tus derechos en recuperación guía práctica

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Video Resources

Video resources include Myths About OUD and other myth busting vignettes, FAQs About OUD, and Why is Person-centered Care So Important?

Priorities for Action

Statement of Principles

Case Study

Take the Words Matter Pledge