Event Description:
We’re proud to share that our Executive Director, Sam Williams, will serve as a moderator at the 5th Annual Race and Community Dialogue Series, hosted by the Center on Crime, Race, and Justice and its Community Advisory Board.
Public Safety Meets Public Health: Examining Public Safety, Substance Use, and Mental Health in the Mass & Cass Community will bring together practitioners, service providers, policymakers, and researchers for a solutions-focused conversation addressing the complex challenges facing the Mass & Cass and Downtown Boston communities.
This important dialogue explores how public safety, substance use, and mental health intersect, and what collaborative, community-centered strategies can help create lasting change.
Speakers include:
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Deputy John Brown – Zone Commander, Boston Police Department, Bureau of Field Services
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Dr. Abigail Judge – Clinical & Forensic Psychologist; Co-Founder & Director, Boston HEAT; Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School
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Sandra Andrade – Senior Peer Advocate, Dee Kennedy Family Justice Center; Co-Director, Boston HEAT
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Dr. Bisola Ojikutu – Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director, Boston Public Health Commission
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Jada Y. Vaughan – PhD Student, Criminology and Justice Policy & Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Northeastern University
Moderators:
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Charlene D. Luma, LICSW – Chief of Staff, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; CRJ Community Advisory Board Member
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Sam Williams – Executive Director, Concord Prison Outreach; Co-Director, CRJ Community Advisory Board, Northeastern University
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
🕞 Time: 3:30 – 5:00 PM (ET)
💻 Location: Virtual Event, register here
Free and open to the public! Join this meaningful conversation on the intersection of justice, health, and community well-being.