Norwell Donates $15,750 in Opioid Funds to Outreach Group

Norwell's Select Board voted Wednesday to donate $15,750 from the town's opioid settlement funds to Plymouth County Outreach, a regional program that provides recovery support services to Norwell and roughly two dozen other communities.

Town Accountant Christine McCarthy presented the request during the board's August 5 meeting, explaining that Massachusetts is expected to receive more than $1 billion through 2038 from litigation settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. Under the state's agreement with municipalities, Norwell keeps 40 percent of its share, with the remainder going to the state.

McCarthy said the town's opioid settlement account currently holds more than $395,000, and that spending decisions must follow strict state guidelines tied to treatment, prevention and recovery services. She added that Norwell still needs to gather community input before deciding how to spend the bulk of its remaining funds.

"Municipalities are expected to make data-driven decisions that reflect the input of those most impacted by the opioid epidemic," McCarthy told the board. In the meantime, McCarthy recommended the board approve the donation to Plymouth County Outreach, which she said already provides the majority of opioid-related services available to Norwell residents.

The organization, run by Executive Director Vicky Butler, serves roughly 27 communities and focuses on services such as post-overdose outreach and deflection from the criminal justice system.

Vice Chair Lorenda Layne says the issue is personal for her, and suggested the town do more to promote Plymouth County Outreach's services, including adding a link on the town website.

"This personally hits home because I lost several high school friends early in the opioid epidemic and I worked in orthopedic surgery during kind of that peak era of concern," Layne said.

Layne said she wanted to eventually hear from Police Chief Edward Lee and residents about whether the program is meeting the community's needs. Member Peter Smellie asked whether the motion needed to specify the funding source, and McCarthy confirmed the donation would be drawn specifically from opioid settlement funds rather than the town's general budget.

The board approved the $15,750 donation by unanimous voice vote. McCarthy said her office is also weighing whether to bring in an outside consultant, BME Strategies, to help design a broader community engagement process for allocating the town's remaining opioid settlement dollars, though she cautioned that option would carry a significant cost.