The Community Pain Management Project is designed to facilitate the exchange of appropriate information among healthcare providers and with local agencies in order to (a) improve the health care management of patients with complaints of chronic or acute pain and (b) reduce the risk of abuse and diversion of pain medication prescribed by Berkshire County healthcare providers. As of this time, the Community Pain Management Project has developed and instituted the following initiatives:

• The Pain Care Resource Manual: A Practical Guide for Health Care Professionals, a resource manual prepared by a wide range of Berkshire Health Systems affiliated practitioners and others engaged in specialties that involve pain management and which Berkshire Health Systems will make available to all physicians and other healthcare professionals in Berkshire County who are licensed to prescribe controlled substances
• Additional tools for the healthcare practitioner managing patients with chronic pain, including comparative data on prescribing practices of Berkshire County practitioners, tamper-proof prescription pads, and cautionary office signage
• The Multidisciplinary Pain Assessment and Treatment Program, an integrative assessment and treatment clinic sponsored by Berkshire Health Systems and through which patients with complaints of chronic pain are assessed and, when appropriate, referred to practitioners in a variety of specialties in order to assess and address identified pain-inducing conditions
• Coordination of necessary information and treatment plans for patients in pain management protocols
• Cooperation with and assistance to local court probation offices to facilitate successful completion of probation and conditions of pre-trial release for individuals with substance abuse concerns