10-15-21 Mission: End the Stigma of Drug Addiction & Substance Abuse Prevention with Griswold PRIDE
Pam Patalano, the host of Awakened Soul Stories, will sit with Miranda Mahoney of Griswold Pride and Kelly Barrett of Matt’s Mission to discuss what they are doing to help combat drug and alcohol addiction through their dedication and passion along with their organizations. They will discuss how they help those that suffer from these diseases. They are both from Griswold Connecticut, and they understand the direct ramifications and consequences of addiction in our society and are here to help fight this fight.
Kelly Barret is the sister of Matthew Barrett. Matt, unfortunately, lost his battle with addiction in 2015. Born out of this tragedy was “MATTS MISSION”. Kelly and her mom, Kathy have worked hard to create and get funding for MATTS Mission. Matt’s Mission is a grassroots non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that connects individuals battling substance use disorders to treatment and services, as well as providing education and awareness of the disease of addiction.
My son, Matthew lost his 12 year battle to drug addiction at the age of 32 on 11/23/15. Losing my son, was the most devastating experience I have ever faced. My life was forever changed. There are no words to describe the loss of a child and parents should never outlive their children.
I decided to channel my grief into something positive in the memory of my son, Matthew with a non-profit organization called “Matt’s Mission – End the Stigma of Drug Addiction”.
Our mission is to end the stigma of drug addiction and to provide awareness of addiction as a disease, focusing on treatment, not punishment. Individuals suffering from substance use disorders will be treated as patients of the healthcare system, not criminals. They will receive the treatment they desperately need and deserve without shame, stigma, or judgment.
With your support, Matt’s Mission is working hard to end the stigma and shame associated with addiction and makes a difference in the lives of individuals impacted by substance use disorders.
“When we talk about addiction, we are dealing with a disease. It’s not just someone who is weak-willed or choosing to go down this particular path . . . We can visibly see, through the use of imaging technology, where drugs bind in the brain and what impact they have on the brain.”
— Dr. Jack Stein, Director of the Office of Science Policy and Communications The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Together we can and will make a difference!
Miranda Nagle Mahoney Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist And Community Organizer
Miranda Mahoney is a Prevention Specialist with Community Health Resources and serves as the Coordinator of the Griswold PRIDE substance use prevention coalition. The coalition works collaboratively to reduce and prevent underage drinking and youth substance use while reducing adult substance use and its impact on the community. They utilize a data-driven approach to identify evidence-based strategies to create community change.
Griswold PRIDE is challenged with a history of community and family norms around underage drinking and substance use as well as a high ratio of overdoses and opioid use disorders. Together with their partners, like Matt’s Mission, they provide outreach, resources, information, and connections to services.
Miranda has over 20 years of experience in the substance use prevention field, and has worked with 4 different coalitions in eastern CT. Her work with the CT State Police on their pilot program, the CRISIS Initiative, received an award from the US Attorney’s Office, for Excellence in Community Policing. Most recently, under Mrs. Mahoney’s leadership, Griswold PRIDE was selected as the State of CT Association of School’s Distinguished Friend of Education for 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/griswoldpride
https://www.griswoldpride.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Griswold-Resource-Guide.pdf
https://www.griswoldpride.org
Learn more about Pam here:
https://www.facebook.com/AwakenedSoulStories
https://www.facebook.com/TreeOLife222/
Contact Pam: 401-533-1864 or pampatalano@gmail.com
