By Lou Manzo
Special to the Reporter

In response to a July 27th meeting between the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and Dorchester citizens, the Neponset Health Center has taken the lead by applying for a BPHC grant to address mounting heroin and OxyContin usage among Dorchester youths. The health center application is a collaboration with the Irish Immigration Center, Caritas Carney Hospital, Dorchester probation officers, and the Greater Boston Alliance for Community Health. The $8,000 grant seeks to educate youth about the dangers of drug use. The grant will not solely focus on prevention, but also on treatment.

The collaborative effort has been dubbed the Neponset Substance Abuse Coalition. Members of the coalition are attending community meetings across Dorchester to gather more information about the drug problem. They are asking representatives of various civic organizations to fill out surveys so the grant money can be most effectively spent. Currently the grant's focus is threefold, although the uses may expand as the coalition gains more data.

In early October, the coalition hopes to offer a 4-6 week education program for caregivers.

"We found the issue is about support," Eleni Kontogli, the marketing director of Neponset Health Center said. "A lot of parents ask themselves 'Is this my fault?' This program will address some of their concerns."

The grant will also help fund a 12-week program for substance abusers. By collaborating with Parole Officers at Dorchester District Court, this part of the grant will focus directly on breaking the cycle of addiction for chronic abusers. "We want the police, the courts, everyone involved in this so we can tackle this problem," said Chris Brooks, the program director for behavior health services at Caritas Carney Hospital.

Finally, Caritas Carney will be hosting a "Dinner with Mom and Dad" in November where parents and children will listen to a panel of drug experts. "Our goal is to educate families and kids and show them ways to fight drug addiction," Brooks said. He also stressed the need to increase the visibility of Carney's outpatient drug abuse services.

Ultimately the goal of the grant is to create a "circle of services," to act as a directory of resources for parents, social workers, and community organizers. One of the main concerns of coalition members is the failure to connect the growing drug problem with existing solutions. By creating a directory of resources they are hoping to maximize the impact of services that are already provided both in Dorchester and beyond.

The grant does not currently include funding to keep community centers open longer, which is something many parents believe would help keep their children off the street and away from drugs. Instead, the grant focuses mostly on education.

The Neponset Substance Abuse Coalition will find out if they have received the grant by the end of the month.

The renewed activity around the drug issue in Neponset was sparked earlier this summer by the overdose death of Patrick Joseph Flavin, a 19 year-old resident who friends and family say struggled with heroin and OxyContin addictions prior to his death. Flavin's passing- and anecdotal reports about an increase in drug abuse in the Dorchester neighborhoods- prompted a community meeting at the Murphy Community Center on July 27, in which the need for a coordinated response was pushed by parents, health officials and activists.

"On July 27, we found out the need [for drug education] was greater than we thought. We need to take action before the drugs get out of control," said Kontogli.