Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey was in Greenfield Friday celebrating the opening of a family drug court, the first of its kind in the state.The Democrat, who spoke at a later stop in North Adams, says the Franklin County Family Drug Court is part of a holistic approach to addressing Massachusetts’ opioid crisis.
“When somebody comes in the door you’re going to look to get that person into a treatment recovery scenario, but you’re also going to use that opportunity to reach out to their children to engage in trauma-based interviewing and assessment which is really important,” Healey said. “You’re going to work with grandparents who are going to be in need of support and services.”
Between 2000 and 2015, an estimated 88 people died from unintentional opioid overdoses in Franklin County. Half of those deaths occurred between 2012 and 2015.