2007- Children Witness to Violence- Brockton, MA Pilot Project
Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz’s office partners with Trauma learning Policy Initiative and Brockton Public Schools to conduct a pilot training program on community and domestic violence for school personnel.
(This pilot program was replicated in multiple school districts across Plymouth County, the state of Massachusetts and the state of West Virginia.)
2007- District Attorney Tim Cruz trains the West Virginia Center for Children on his Childhood Trauma Initiative’s Children Witness to Violence Program
2012- The opioid crisis escalates in Massachusetts
A significant increase in opioid related deaths are recorded
2013- The opioid crisis worsens in Plymouth County
Unattended death records show opioid overdose deaths tripled between 2013-2015
August 2015- Creation of The Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force
Plymouth County District Attorney collaborates with Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald to create the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force. The initial meeting identified stakeholders within Plymouth County
September 2015- Plymouth County Drug Abuse discusses need to track overdose data
An intake form was created by Kelley Research Associates and sent to all 27 Plymouth County Police Chiefs for their input regarding relevant data. Letters were sent to area hospitals requesting their input regarding relevant data.
October 2015- District Attorney Cruz discusses the needs to address and support Drug-Endangered Children
Care & Protection numbers have surged. There are a high number of individuals with substance use disorders who have children that are now being raised by their grandparents. The District Attorney would like to start tracking the data on cases with drug-endangered children.
December 2015- Plymouth Police announce their Project Outreach Program, East Bridgewater Police announce their Drop in Centers
Plymouth Police have begun to offer intervention to substance users who have overdosed and are vulnerable within that 12-24 hour window. A police officer and a counselor go to individuals home to check in to provide support & resources within that timeframe.
May 2016- District Attorney Cruz hosts- Role of the Educators- Drug Endangered Children’s Conference
Held at Bridgewater State University, District Attorney Cruz and members of the West Virginia Center for Children present on the “Handle With Care” program that stems from District Attorney Cruz’s Childhood Trauma Initiatives- Child Witness to Violence program
October 2016- District Attorney Cruz presents at the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
December 2016- The Plymouth County Outreach Initiative
The chairs of the Public Safety Subcommittee combine the Plymouth Police model of Project Outreach with East Bridgewater Police’s model of the Drop in Center to form the Public Safety Subcommittees new initiative PCO. An MOU between District Attorney Tim Cruz, Sheriff Joe McDonald an all 27 Police Chiefs across Plymouth County is signed, and the program is launched.
February 2017- District Attorney Cruz presents at the CADCA 27th National Leadership Forum
District Attorney Cruz presented on his Drug Endangered Children’s Initiative (DECI) along with his Childhood Trauma initiative and the Handle with Care program
April 2017- Initial Launch of the Plymouth County Drug Abuse Task Force Database
District Attorney Cruz contracted with Kelley Research Associates to create and develop a centralized database to track overdose data across Plymouth County in real time, thus enhancing the success of the Plymouth County Outreach (PCO) initiative.
