April 20, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
Hingham’s share of National Opioid Settlements through 2038 is $1.2 million.
Town officials are in the process of deciding how to best allocate these funds to address substance misuse and related issues.
These settlements were reached to resolve opioids litigation brought by states against large pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
On Apri 24, Town Meeting will vote on an appropriation of part of those funds — $251,000 — for specific purposes under Article 6 related to education, prevention and/or treatment.
An additional $815,000 will become available at a later time through five new recently-signed settlement agreements, some of which will be available following a Town Meeting appropriation next year.
Initial program components, as described to the Select Board Wednesday night by Executive Health Officer Susan Sarni, include:
- $30,000 to $40,000 for a part-time social worker to support individuals in accessing Opioid Use Disorder treatment, counseling, and support for long-term recovery;
- $25,000 for a keynote speaker to launch a community outreach effort to gather ideas about how these funds could best be used through an application process and to solicit innovative ideas to educate the community;
- $20,000 for placement vouchers for post-stabilization/treatment programs for community members struggling with substance misuse who cannot afford to pay for treatment themselves, such as a recovery program or halfway or sober house, “so they can become members of our community again,” Sarni said.
Other possible uses for a portion of the settlement money include increasing the social worker position to full-time and connecting Hingham residents suffering from alcohol or drug dependence or social isolation with relevant resources, with an emphasis on outreach to the veterans community.
Another possibility is putting $222,660 in funding resources toward supporting Hingham residents through Opioid Use Disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery;
In addition, Sarni iis organizing a Mental Health Coalition to engage stakeholders and to review proposals about how to best use available funding and related recommendations.