About us
The Jillian Foundation was founded in 2019 to raise community awareness and spark a local movement to end the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts. The foundation is a 501(c)3 organization started by Alan Slatas—father of Jillian Slatas—who passed away on November 12, 2017 from an accidental drug overdose of heroin laced with fentanyl. Jillian was an empathetic person who was on her way to becoming a nurse. So our vision is to continue her legacy by helping others get the help they need, when they need it.
We want to catalyze local communities around a national movement to reduce risks associated with mental health and substance use disorders. We want to increase access to successful treatment programs, especially harm reduction. Too many people are still dying from opioid use and drug overdose. It’s time we get more of our families, communities, healthcare workforce, and policymakers on-board to deal with the underlying mental health problems that are accelerating the opioid epidemic and killing our children and loved ones every single day.
Harm reduction is not only a moral imperative, but the most cost-effective way to help those who struggle with addiction. Please join The Jillian Foundation in this fight to prevent this frightening addiction from affecting others in our community! Together it can be done!
Our Vision:
Educate
Our vision is to catalyze local communities around a national movement to reduce risks associated with mental health and substance use disorder by increasing access to successful treatment programs. Too many people are dying from opioid use and drug overdose. Traditional treatments are NOT working. The relapse rate is over 80% and overdoses typically happen to people relapsing.
When someone is relapsing or actively using drugs, “Harm Reduction” is a more humanistic approach to destigmatize addiction and help people without feeling judged. Alternative forms of treatment and thinking need to be discussed and deployed.
It’s time we get our families, communities, healthcare workforce, and policymakers educated to deal with the underlying problems that are accelerating the opioid epidemic and killing our children and loved ones every single day.
Our Approach
We will accomplish our mission through this three-fold strategy:
1. Build awareness of alternative treatment options among individuals suffering from Mental Health (MH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) that meets the person where they’re at.
2. Support families dealing with loved ones suffering from MH and SUD through a non-judgmental understanding of alternative treatment options.
3. Expand the workforce education, training, and roll-out of “Harm Reduction” programs at treatment centers throughout Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, and surrounding communities.
130+
PEOPLE HAVE DIED EVERY DAY FROM OPIOID-RELATED DRUG OVERDOSES IN THE U.S.
89%
OF OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS IN MASSACHUSETTS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO FENTANYL.
11.4m
PEOPLE MISUSED PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS IN THE U.S.