Wayland panel maps opioid settlement spending on Herren talk, trainings

WAYLAND — October 18, 2022 — Wayland Youth Advisory Committee details opioid settlement spending plan. At Tuesday's meeting, staff member Jason told the committee that the bulk of the town's first Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement payment will bring former Celtic Chris Herren to Wayland High School on Feb. 9 for an all-student daytime talk and a community evening session, calling the presentation "very raw" and "very real." Settlement money will also fund mental health first aid and ASIST suicide prevention trainings through the Plymouth County Suicide Prevention Coalition, which is discounting ASIST to roughly $200 per participant. Chair Lisa Raftery pushed for a better online resource hub, calling the town's existing websites "abysmal." Clinician Dossie retires Nov. 9; clinician Kelsey has applied internally to succeed her. A middle-school youth night out is set for Nov. 18, and Wayland Cares relaunched at waylandcares.com.