News November 2018
Recovery Voices on
State Commissions
What is a Commission?
A Commission is an independent body consisting of members who are appointed by public officials, usually the Governor. Commissions are created in two ways, either by statute enacted in the State Legislature, or by a Governor’s Executive Order.
Serving on a commission is a way for policymakers to make sure that concerned persons are involved and engaged in the governing of their communities. Service on a board or commission is an important way to make a positive difference and get involved in state government.
What are Commissions Working on?
In August, Governor Baker signed the H.4742 "An Act for Prevention and Access to Appropriate Care and Treatment of Addiction" also known as the CARE Act. This bill created several commissions to study and report on crucial issues related to addiction and the opioid epidemic.   MOAR  is honored to serve on 4 of these commissions:

  1. Recovery Coaching Commission
  2. Special Commission on the Use of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
  3. Involuntary Treatment (Section 35) Commission
  4. Prevention Commission

There were also two commissions created that MOAR is not directly serving on:

  1. Harm Reduction Commission
  2. Commission on Evidence based treatment for insurance carriers to develop a provider network

These Commission have mandates from the legislature to study specific issues around these topics. For instance, the Recovery Coaching will be examining a credentialing process for Recovery Coaches. The MAT Commission will be looking at the use of medications in correctional institutions.
Why does this matter?
Within a certain time frame, each commission will be producing a report that will then be used to craft legislation and influence policy decisions in the future. We welcome the opportunity to provide a Voice for Recovery as the state studies public policy related to addiction issues. At MOAR,  we want to use our seats to bring in as many perspectives from the Recovery Community as possible.  Last spring,  MOAR  shared that these commissions would be strengthened by including positions for people with lived experience in addiction and recovery. We are happy to report that in addition to MOAR staff, most of these commissions include individuals from the community with lived experience. We believe that the inclusion of people in recovery will help create more informed policies that will better serve everyone.
How Can I Get Involved?
Most of the commissions have already chosen members, however, there are many opportunities to use your voice to educate the commission's conclusions:
 
1.   Reach out to MOAR!  We are here to bring your Recovery Voice into to the table. In the next few weeks, we will be releasing a Public Policy Survey that will give you an expedient way to share your knowledge. We would love to hear from you via email, phone, or in person about anything related to the work of these commissions:   Jared@moar-recovery.org 617-423-6627 .
2.   Come to a MOAR Meeting.  MOAR Regional Action for Recovery Meetings provide a place for you to interact with MOAR staff, learn about policy issues, and provide feedback. We then take this feedback into commission meetings and other policy work. See the calendar below and the one on or  visit our website  to find a meeting in your area. Please come to our Holiday Celebration on Dec. 4th (See flyer below). In addition to the regional meetings, we are facilitating special meetings to develop strategies for the Recovery Coaching Commission. The next meeting of this Recovery Coach Strategy Group is on December 14th. Please email  Maryannne@moar-recovery.org  if you are interested in attending or joining online.
3.   Contact the Commission!  Websites have already been set up for the Recovery Coaching  and the  Section 35  commissions. You can visit these sites to learn more about the commission, meeting schedule, and contact information to provide input.  MOAR  will provide links to the sites for other commissions when they are available. Commissions will be inviting expert panels to provide information on different aspects of each topic. If you are interested in nominating a person to a panel, please reach out to  MOAR  or directly to the Commission with your suggestions.
4.   Go to a Commission Meeting.  Most of the commission meetings are open to the public but only invited presenters and commission members are able speak. However, some of the commissions will be hosting public listening sessions across the state in the spring.  MOAR  will keep you posted.
MA Organization for Addiction Recovery
617-423-6627
Jared@MOAR-Recovery.org