New Hampshire Public Radio’s daily call-in show The Exchange will be in Nashua for a special community conversation on the depth and impact of the state’s opioid issue.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, New Hampshire has the second highest-rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in the country. The city of Nashua offers a unique perspective on the opioid epidemic for the various approaches the community is taking to tackle the issue.
- In the fall of 2018, Nashua was named one of nine regional ‘recovery hubs’ throughout the state where services are specially targeted to reach sufferers and aid in recovery.
- Nashua is a ‘Safe Station’ city. Through this designation, opioid addicts can freely walk into any city fire station – free of reprisal – to be connected with essential recovery services.
- The Mayor’s Opioid Task Force (MOTF) brings together a group of community leaders and concerned citizens, using a community-wide, ‘collective impact’ model to tackle various dimensions of this public health issue.
- As a border city, Nashua neighbors the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts, where many communities have been hit hard by the opioid epidemic, shaping a cross-border perspective on different approaches.
Before a live audience at the Nashua Public Library, host Laura Knoy will lead a conversation about the current landscape around opioid usage, and discuss some of the challenges, opportunities, and approaches unique to this serious public health issue.
Laura will be joined by a panel of community experts, including:
- Bobbie Bagley, Director of Nashua’s Division of Public Health & Community Services.
- Melbourne Moran, Director of Integrated Care and Population Health at Harbor Homes Inc. Moran oversees the Mobile Crisis Response Team, Safe Station, the transitional housing program, and outpatient behavioral health services. He is also a licensed clinical social worker focusing on trauma-informed care and workforce development in healthcare.
- Jessica Parnell, a recovery coach at Revive Recovery Center in Nashua. Parnell is the city’s first publicly-funded recovery coach.
- Brian D. Rhodes, Chief, Nashua Fire Rescue
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the event. Members of the public can also e-mail their questions/comments in advance of the event to: exchange@nhpr.org.
The Exchange’s appearance in Nashua is part of NHPR’s ongoing, comprehensive coverage around opioids. Crossroad: The NH Opioid Reporting Project explores how government, the healthcare system and local communities are responding to the opioid crisis. The work is supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Join NHPR at the Nashua Public Library for this special event, free and open to the public, or follow NHPR on social media for updates.
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Thursday, February 7, 2019
LOCATION:
Nashua Public Library, Chandler Wing
2 Court Street
Nashua, NH 03060
TIME:
5:30 p.m. – doors open
6:15 p.m. – audience seated
6:30 – 8 p.m. - The Exchange, recorded for later broadcast
8 - 8:30 p.m. – Reception and Meet-and-Greet with Laura Knoy and NHPR staff
[NOTE: The program will be broadcast Thursday, Feb. 14, on NHPR from 9 to 10 a.m., and again that evening from 7 to 8 p.m.]
REGISTRATION:
The event is free, but registration is required. Please register online at: www.nhpr.org/events.
TUNE IN:
- The Exchange is New Hampshire’s only locally-produced, statewide call-in talk show, hosted by Laura Knoy. The program airs live from 9 to 10 a.m. on NHPR Monday to Friday, and is rebroadcast from 7 to 8 p.m. weekday evenings.
- Follow the program on Twitter: @NHPRExchange, Instagram:nhprexchange or Facebook @nhprexchange
About NHPR
Since 1981, NHPR has shaped the media landscape in the Granite State and beyond. Our mission is “Expanding minds, sparking connections, building stronger communities.” NHPR is broadcast from 14 different sites, making it by far New Hampshire’s largest (and only) statewide radio news service. Every week, NHPR is the choice of more than 175,000 listeners as a primary source of in-depth and intelligent news coverage, with thousands more viewing NHPR.org and NHPR social media sites. Each day, New Hampshire Public Radio delivers several hours of local news reported by its award-winning news team. Locally-produced programs include The Exchange, Word of Mouth, The Folk Show, Outside/In, Civics 101, and numerous podcasts. NHPR is the exclusive outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life.
