WILBRAHAM –  In a recent release, State Rep. Angelo Puppolo praised the recently-passed state budget of $43.1 billion for Fiscal Year 2020 The budget went to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk on July 22.

“This balanced budget continues our ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis, invest in high-quality early education and care, seniors, veterans and makes another significant deposit into the state’s Stabilization Fund,” stated Puppolo.

Puppolo said in a statement that he had specifically targeted community assets in Wilbraham, including Fountain Park, the Wilbraham Nature and Cultural Council, and Rick’s Place for increased funding.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Puppolo has sponsored Rick’s Place, a non-profit that supports grieving children, teens, and their families. The funding started at $25,000 and has increased to $50,000, said Diane M. Murray, executive director of Rick's Place.

“It just means so much to our grieving children and families,” said Murray.

The increase in funding has meant that Rick’s Place has been able to add services on summer evenings, a monthly meeting for grieving families who are waiting for a new session, and a “Family Day” camp for children this August.

“I really want to honor Rep. Puppolo for looking out for Rick’s Place for all these years,” Murray said.

Puppolo also reported that he was, “pleased to help get funding for Trial Court mediation programming and a new line-item for our Sheriff Nick Cocchi directly related to treatment and care services for addiction.”

A $1 million line-item is designed to help the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department with civil commitments, a process wherein a loved one, doctor, or law enforcement officer can petition the court to commit a person to substance abuse treatment if they are deemed to be a risk to themselves or others.

“It is used quite frequently,” Cocchi said, describing it as “a last effort” to get someone into treatment. Since the program began a year ago, 855 people have been treated at the Stony Brook Stabilization and Treatment Center in Ludlow.

“It’s a staggering number,” Cocchi said.

At the treatment center Cocchi said people are treated as clients, not prisoners, and they receive intensive, round-the-clock, medical care. He said many people then step down to the less intensive facility at Stony Brook in Springfield. The treatment program includes detoxification, education, and life-skills components.

Cocchi said that he began the program last year with reallocated funds, but with the dedicated line-item, the program will have the funding to continue to help people. Cocchi expressed gratitude to Puppolo, state Reps. Joe Wagner, Michael Finn, John Velis, and Brian Ashe, and state Sen. James Welch for working to put the funding in place.

Another piece of the budget that Cocchi applauded was the increased access to discounted naloxone for EMS and ambulance companies. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid overdose reversal medicine.

“Our job is not to judge,” Cocchi said, acknowledging the controversial nature of naloxone, “it is to preserve lives.”

The budget provides increased funding to a number of educational initiatives and programs, including $5.17 billion in Chapter 70 state education funding and $75.8 million for Regional School Transportation reimbursement. Transportation costs and state funding have been a point of frustration for the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD)’s School Committee.

“We are very excited and openly optimistic,” about the education funding in the budget, said School Committee member Sean Kennedy. “We’ve been lobbying really hard and pushing for more funding than we have been getting.”

The education funding in the FY20 budget also includes a special education reimbursement, additional money for Head Start, and the establishment of the Supporting Health Alliances Reinforcing Education (SHARE) program, which will address “non-academic barriers to school success.”