Wellesley Health Department lays out opioids settlement money plan
Wellesley has collected about $550,000 of an estimated eventual $1.8M from state lawsuit settlements against opioid makers and sellers, and the town’s health department now has a plan… for a plan… for a plan to use the funds.
From a high level, the town will use the money to support the health and well-being of residents with a focus on the prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery of substance use disorder.
There had been restrictive state accounting rules that made it tough to actually use the hundreds of thousands in funds, but now Wellesley and other communities are ready to do so.
Phase one of Wellesley’s plan is conducting a community needs assessment. This involves the rollout of an online community health survey that includes questions about substance abuse, mental health, access to housing and food, and more. The town is partnering with a firm to conduct one-on-one interviews with emergency responders, recovery specialists, and others, plus hold focus sessions with different demographic groups.
Some of the settlement funds are being used for the community needs assessment.
Once the needs assessment is complete, the Wellesley Health Department will use the results to come up with a plan to address those needs.
The town will then put the action plan in place, though may use funds in the meantime as relevant needs arise.
Wellesley already makes Narcan available for free to residents and employees, has stocked overdose boxes at town buildings, and offers training. The Health Department next month will begin offering free recovery coaching for uninsured residents living with substance use disorder.
To receive support, place a confidential call to 781-235-0135 and ask to speak to a nurse or social worker, or email
health@wellesleyma.gov. Wellesley has collected information about the Opioids Settlement Funds on the town website.
By the way, an opioids and addiction treatment center, the Coleman Institute, quietly left its Washington Street location in town last year after not-so-quietly arriving in 2019.