Ipswich Angel Program Connects People to Services

IPSWICH, MA – Six months ago, Ipswich launched a program inspired by Gloucester's angel initiative, which seeks to change how law enforcement approached addiction services.

Ipswich's program, HOPE – Heroin Opioid Prevention Effort – sprung from members of the First Church in Ipswich in conjunction with law enforcement. Like the angel initiative, HOPE allows addicts to come forward and be connected to addiction services without getting arrested on drug use charges.

Ipswich Police Chief Paul Nikas said this week that the program is going well, and has helped people get in touch with addiction services. However, no one has fully participated in the program.

Anyone is still welcome to seek help by going to the Ipswich Police Department between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. any day of the week.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health keeps track of the number of confirmed unintentional opioid overdose deaths by each town in Massachusetts, off of data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

According to that data, there were three fatal opioid overdoses in Ipswich in 2015. To view the full chart, click here.