Harvard’s Addiction Abatement Working Group has a new plan in the works for a portion of the town’s uncommitted opioid settlement funds. In partnership with Riverbend, a Lowell organization that provides addiction recovery services, the group plans to contribute $75,000 to open a peer counseling facility for the seven towns in the Nashoba Opioid Abatement Collaborative: Littleton, Bolton, Shirley, Ayer, Pepperell, Groton, and Harvard. The contribution is contingent upon the collaborative receiving a $96,000 grant from Mosaic RIZE, a nonprofit organization that funds community opioid response efforts in the state.
At the Select Board’s Nov. 4 meeting, Riverbend’s marketing director, Matt Myers, said the primary recovery need of clients who live in the towns included in the collaborative is connection to resources, not clinical assistance. The peer counseling facility would be located in one of the collaborative towns and staffed with two experienced coaches, to be hired by Riverbend. Myers said all Riverbend’s coaches have “lived experience” with addiction and recovery, making it easier for clients to connect with them.
Brad Holub, chair of the working group, told the board that establishing the peer counseling facility for the collaborative will require $171,000. The money would fund two coaches plus the rent for the facility for one year. The hope is that during that time, the coaches could build caseloads of at least 10 people each, enough to sustain each position through client insurance or MassHealth payments.
At an Oct. 27 meeting of the working group, Riverbend’s Assistant Director of Recovery Services Nicole Cardelle said having physical space for peer counseling in the community being served is “a game changer.” Not only does it provide easier access for clients, but it also allows the coaches to understand the needs of the area and develop connections. Myers said creating two positions will allow Riverbend to hire one male and one female coach. If the coaches have full caseloads in six months, he said, the startup funds could be used to hire more coaches. He added that, if the grant comes through, there could be a delay in hiring because these positions would require experienced coaches who could work independently.
Holub said the town would not go through with the $75,000 contribution if the collaborative doesn’t receive the grant. The board voted unanimously to support the plan, and Holub said he would submit the grant application on behalf of the collaborative. Awardees of the next round of RIZE grants are scheduled to be announced in February 2026, with the funds disbursed the following month.
