SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Two nonprofit groups that work on substance use prevention and recovery presented at the October meeting of the Hampden County Addiction Taskforce, the Hampden District Attorney's Office in Springfield said Tuesday.

Both organizations, Power Forward and the Michael J. Dias Foundation, received money in July from the district attorney's Drug Diversion and Education Fund, the office said. Power Forward received $15,000 and the Dias Foundation received $10,000 for recovery housing, peer support and other recovery programs.

Power Forward was founded by Kevin Stevens, a former NHL player and two-time Stanley Cup champion, whose own recovery inspired the group's mission of ending the stigma around addiction, according to the release. Its president and chief executive, Kelli Wilson, and program director, Dana Lindsey, joined the meeting by Zoom. They described stages of treatment and recovery housing and said the group is developing a technology platform meant to improve the management of sober homes, measure residents' outcomes and make funding more transparent, the office said.

Gina Alimberti, Mike Boisvere and Randy Holmes then presented for the Michael J. Dias Foundation, which was founded in 2011 in memory of Michael J. Dias to support people and families affected by substance use disorder. The foundation's central message is that recovery does not end when treatment does and that people need stable housing, supportive communities and chances to rebuild their lives, the office said.

The task force brings together police, health care institutions, service providers, schools, community coalitions and families to address addiction and overdoses across the county. Its next meeting is Dec. 9.

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