June 16, 2025 – Springfield, Massachusetts – The Hampden County Addiction Taskforce (HCAT) convened at its May meeting to highlight innovative, youth-centered efforts to address substance use and promote mental wellness across the region. Leaders from local agencies, educators, law enforcement, and community organizations gathered to hear from guest speakers and youth advocates who are shaping safer, healthier futures for Hampden County.

Kenyatta Williams of the Impact Center offered an in-depth presentation on the center’s peer-led model, which empowers young people ages 14 to 24 through leadership development, workforce readiness, wellness education, and community engagement. The Springfield-based center provides a supportive space where underserved youth can access mentorship, build life skills, and become changemakers in their communities.

The meeting also featured a powerful panel discussion with members of the Hampden District Attorney’s Youth Advisory Board, led by Deputy Director Gina Anselmo of the District Attorney’s Community Safety and Outreach Unit. Five high school students from across the county, Magnolia Dickinson, Samantha Dean, Rachel Roblinski, Addyson Neal, and Yaslin Perez, shared insights on the challenges their peers face, including mental health struggles, peer pressure, and the influence of social media on substance use.

In a candid exchange, students spoke to the accessibility of drugs online, the normalization of substance use on platforms like Snapchat, and the lack of clear pathways to help. Students reflected that most kids have no idea where to go for help. Another emphasized the need for peer-led support groups in schools.

Anselmo played one of the Youth Advisory Board’s public service announcement videos titled, “You can’t study if you don’t wake up,” which seeks to raise awareness about the dangers of misusing substances like Adderall, and the risks posed by counterfeit pills.

The Youth Advisory Board, led by Community Safety and Outreach Unit Director Tony Simmons, gives students a platform to identify issues impacting their generation and propose actionable solutions.

“Real progress starts with listening to our young people,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “Their honesty and courage help inform how we, as adults and professionals, can better support them and keep them safe.”

The discussion closed with a collective call to action to increase collaboration, amplify youth-led initiatives, and ensure that every young person knows where to turn for help. Students shared they feel adults should work to lovingly engage with the youth more, communicating with empathy when opening conversations about substance use. They reflected open conversations will help to decrease stigma and get youth comfortable with opening up to adults.

For more information about the Hampden County Addiction Taskforce, contact HCAT Co-Coordinator Halie Matthew at halie.matthew@mass.gov.