The Saugus United Against Substance Abuse (SUASA) Coalition was developed after the Town of Saugus and its neighboring communities of Revere, Chelsea and Winthrop were awarded the Massachusetts Opioid Addiction Prevention Collaborative (MOAPC) grant. Together these cities and towns formed the Winnisimmet Regional Opioid Collaborative (WROC), with a mission of preventing opioid misuse and abuse, an
d decreasing opioid fatal/non-fatal opioid overdose. Each community was tasked with establishing a local workgroup, comprised of multi-sectored membership. The role of these workgroups was to provide input and guidance in determining the direction of the regional work. It was important to recruit key community stakeholders who shared a basic understanding of the problem, while offering a unique perspective from their personal and professional experience.But those who were chosen, were above all else, committed to the goal of promoting a healthy community. After conducting a thorough assessment and planning process, the members provided extensive input regarding the regional strategic plan. At that point in time, it was clear that the group was ready to expand beyond a WROC local work group, at which time, a unanimous decision was made to distinguish itself as the Saugus United Against Substance Abuse (SUASA) Coalition. SUASA's mission is to change the perception and prevent substance abuse through a proactive approach of educating local youth, families, and the community at large. The purpose of SUASA is to identify and address the underlying issues associated with substance abuse through education, awareness, and community involvement.
