MARSHFIELD — The Select Board unanimously approved $32,000 in opioid settlement funding for Plymouth County Outreach on June 29, continuing Marshfield's investment in recovery services that local officials say have helped reduce overdose deaths while connecting residents with treatment and support.
The funding recommendation came from the town's Opioid Fund Committee, which reviewed an application from Plymouth County Outreach and recommended awarding the organization's full request using money Marshfield receives through nationwide opioid settlements. Committee members emphasized that the funding comes from restricted settlement dollars rather than the town's general operating budget.
Mary Price, a member of the Opioid Fund Committee, said the organization addresses every category of allowable spending established under Massachusetts' opioid abatement guidelines while working closely with local police departments, recovery coaches and community organizations throughout Plymouth County.
She told the board the committee unanimously supported the request.
"Plymouth County Outreach is a multifaceted collaboration of the 27 municipal police departments in Plymouth County, including Bridgewater State University and working together with recovery coaches, community coalitions and organizations to make treatment, resources and harm reduction tools to people who use drugs in their family," Price said. "Their overriding goal is to provide compassionate, judgment-free support while reducing overdose fatalities."
Price noted that Marshfield expects to receive nearly $1.8 million in opioid settlement funding through 2039. She said those funds are legally restricted and cannot be used to support the town's general budget.
The committee was established in August 2024 and has already distributed approximately $75,000 through a grant process to support local prevention, recovery and treatment initiatives, including youth prevention programs, a mental health clinician at the Marshfield Police Department and addiction recovery resources at Ventress Memorial Library.
Vicki Butler, executive director of Plymouth County Outreach, told the board she brings personal experience to the organization's work after spending 13 years in recovery from heroin addiction. She said the program has operated for nearly a decade and now serves as a national mentor site where police departments from across the country visit Massachusetts to learn about its approach.
According to Butler, fatal overdoses in Plymouth County have declined significantly during that time.
"Since 2017 in Plymouth County, we have recorded a 61% decrease in fatal overdoses and that is definitely in part to Plymouth County Outreach, but really the collaboration that takes place," Butler said. "So the fact that we're able to work with Marshfield FACS and all of the other community coalitions has really made an impact and helped us to expedite the way we're able to get services into the community."
She said Plymouth County Outreach provides post-overdose follow-up visits, proactive outreach for people considered at risk of overdosing, transportation assistance, recovery coaching and free access to services regardless of insurance coverage.
The organization has also supplied more than 20 Nalox boxes throughout the Marshfield community, including in schools and municipal buildings.
Butler told board members that Marshfield has consistently ranked among the five or six hardest-hit communities in Plymouth County, making continued outreach especially important.
Kelley said he wanted to better understand how the organization's work translated into the declining overdose numbers presented during the meeting.
"The services part is great and all that," Kelley said. "But I mean, like I said, I'm reading this report and I'm seeing in a lot of it covers reduction of fatalities... I see reduction of fatalities, and maybe I'm missing it... what is the reason for a reduction in fatalities?"
Butler said multiple changes have contributed to improved outcomes, making it difficult to identify a single cause.
"I don't think we could pinpoint exactly what the cause and the reduction is," Butler said. "I think certainly Narcan plays a role in that. I think we have evidence-based treatment options. There's medications for opioid use disorder. There is more bed availability. Insurance guidelines have changed. So I think that there are a lot of factors that play into why we've seen the reduction, including the collaboration."
She added that the organization increasingly receives referrals before an overdose occurs, allowing staff to connect people with treatment earlier.
Price said one of Plymouth County Outreach's greatest strengths is helping residents navigate what was once a confusing and often discouraging treatment system by working directly with providers and families to connect individuals with services as soon as they are ready to seek help.
Chair Rick Smith thanked both presenters for their work and said the settlement money represented an appropriate use of funds recovered from companies involved in the opioid crisis.
"It's a good use of money coming from the big pharma companies," Smith said. "Help the very people whose lives help to destroy."