Local communities learn how to practice the art of connectedness
Rhode Island is poised to emerge as a leader again in training and collaboration — and in building up community responses — pushing back against substance use. But looming Federal cuts pose a big risk, promising to undo a decade of progress.
Amy Copperman, Esq., executive director of Legal Key Partnership for Health and Justice, or Legal Key for short. expresses her belief that we all live off hope.
Even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.
— Bob Dylan
In response, for the last decade, there has been an orchestrated response by local, state, and federal authorities to push back against the illegal flow of drugs — and to promote long-term recovery by focusing on the support systems needed to help families bridge the tragedies in their own lives.
On a macro-scale, much of the illegal trade in drugs such as fentanyl has been fueled by what has been termed the “iron river” of illegal guns flowing from the U.S. south across the border to Mexico.
As author Ieva Jusionyte told ConvergenceRI in an April 2024 interview, her book, “Exit Wounds,” redefined the shape-shifting narrative around borders, guns, violence, and women.
“The book provides a narrative that links some of the most critical, urgent issues in the United States today – gun violence, drug addiction, migration, and border security – showing how we have created this vicious circle of violence, in which we have been stuck,” she said. “Our guns are going south to Mexico and Central America and beyond into the hands of organized crime groups that smuggle the drugs that fuel the addiction epidemic in our communities.”
Jusionyte continued: “Because of the violence of these groups, we are also seeing thousands of migrants and refugees arriving each month desperately seeking safety on this side of the border. It is all linked and the guns are a key element in this chain.”
On a local level, here in Rhode Island, the focus has been on collaborations — building networks and hotlines and emergency response teams — and even a converted “Dignity” bus to house those at risk of homelessness in Woonsocket. The bus is now run by the Community Care Alliance. Many of those efforts have been resourced from legal victories won by Attorney General Peter Neronha against unscrupulous drug manufacturers such as Purdue Pharma and their consultants, such as McKinsey and Company.
The state, under two successive administrations, has kept an inclusive Task Force meeting monthly to coordinate strategies. A new Harm Reduction Center is planned to open this year.
The problem, of course, is that the opioid epidemic keeps evolving, despite all of the progress being made to arrest the substance use conundrum.
From addictive painkillers to heroin to fentanyl to animal tranquilizers, the drug of “choice” keeps morphing, and strategies that worked against one illicit substance do not necessarily work on others. At the same time, alcohol and legal marijuana use has not subsided.
What’s required is a flexible approach to training the professionals and counselors to keep them fully up-to-date with the latest strategies moving forward.
One initiative launched this week was TRAIN RI, the Training Resources and Information Network of RI, created by the Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of RI.
The new pilot program will offer a range of affordable courses taught by experienced instructors.
A second ongoing initiative, the statewide Community Overdose Engagement (CODE) Summit, first convened in 2017, recently brought together more than 300 stakeholders invested in ending the local overdose crisis at its 2025 summit.
CODE Summits are designed to bring together Rhode Island stakeholders invested in ending the local overdose crisis.
Preliminary data discussed at the 2025 CODE summit showed that Rhode Island saw an 11 percent decrease in drug overdose fatalities during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023. This continues the momentum Rhode Island saw in 2023, when the percentage of drug overdose deaths decreased by 7.3 percent. However, state and local officials agree that more work is needed to prevent overdoses and save lives.
“Collaboration is at the heart of Rhode Island’s response to the overdose crisis,” said Dr. Jerry Larkin, Director of the Department of Health. “This Summit represents an invaluable opportunity for community leaders, treatment and recovery specialists, healthcare professionals, and many others to share resources, learn about new prevention strategies, and build community together.”
The training agendas.
ConvergenceRI recently interviewed John J. Tassoni, Jr., president and CEO of SUMHLC.
ConvergenceRI: What advantages does TRAIN RI bring to the discipline to set it apart from other competitors?
TASSONI, JR.: For decades, the Leadership Council has served as a central hub for training and technical assistance. We have been building strong relationships with the provider community that distinguish us from others. These partnerships are crucial in making a positive impact on local workforce and development, and also addressing the unique challenges specific to Rhode Island. We continue to be committed in working with our local partners working in various fields. Our new training program will allow us to continue to collaborate with local providers and community members, support workforce retention, and assist with recruitment and on-boarding at many of the local agencies. We offer a multitude of continuing education units (designed for) social workers, chemical dependency and mental health counselors. Additionally, we are keeping the price of our trainings affordable for those seeking to upkeep their licenses, or who are applying
ConvergenceRI: How does this new initiative improve access to local expertise?
TASSONI, JR: This initiative aims at customizing training to meet the specific needs of our provider community while continuing to offer essential courses and incorporating current and trending topics. We plan to conduct needs assessments periodically as well to ensure that what we provide is relevant and helpful. We’ve recently advertised for a request for trainers to our provider community, and have been met with an overwhelming response. Many of these trainers are local professionals bringing both their expertise and community experiences to the table.
In communities across Rhode Island, many residents straddle life-and-death situations of despair, without food, money, housing or support.
Whether or not the community agencies are willing to speak out depends on how courageous their leaders are, in the face of active intimidation tactics by those in the new Trump administration, who have now gone after Judge Jack McConnell, threatening him because of his strong legal decisions against the slashing cuts proposed to federal spending.
