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Welcome Melissa Janiszewski, New MOAPC Coordinator

New Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) Program Specialist, Melissa Janiszewski will coordinate the Barnstable County’s MOAPC grant.  Melissa has a Master’s Degree in Social Work focusing on Sustainable Development/Global Practice and Animal-Assisted Therapy from the University of Denver, and has been working in the public health sector for over 10 years. Melissa’s background has primarily been in Harm Reduction, HIV Prevention & Care, Tobacco/Marijuana control and Health Policy.

Previously, Melissa worked with The AIDS Foundation of Chicago, managing a statewide coalition that works towards increasing needle-exchange access and funding, streamlining education, training and access around Naloxone and safe needle disposal.  More recently, Melissa served as a Chronic Disease Health Specialist at Denver Public Health, where she implemented a Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach into passing difficult city ordinances and policies around youth health and safety. Melissa collaborated with local, state and federal coalitions, public health departments and key stakeholders to address health disparities in Colorado.

Welcome Melissa!


The Massachusetts Opioid Abuse Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) grant is part of a comprehensive approach to substance use prevention across the state. Its aim is to implement local policy, practice, systems, and environmental change for two key purposes: 1) To prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids, including first use; and 2) To prevent and reduce unintentional deaths and non-fatal hospital events associated with opioid overdoses. The MOAPC grant is part of a comprehensive prevention effort in Barnstable County utilizing the public health model and evidence-based approaches. MOAPC partners include the towns of Barnstable, Bourne, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Sandwich, and Yarmouth. Administered by the Barnstable County Department of Human Services, the MOAPC grant is integrated with the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council (RSAC) and the Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative (SAPC) grant to coordinate regional efforts to combat substance use on Cape Cod. Funding for the grant is provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.