ATHOL – The Board of Health has approved a recommendation on Dec. 17 that funds coming to the town from the nationwide opioid settlement be directed to the North Quabbin Recovery Center.

These funds could be used for a variety of services designed to assist area residents trying to recover from their addiction.

Athol Town Accountant Amy Craven said the town has received just over $42,000 in settlement monies with more expected in the years to come.

“The monies we’ve taken in are available to spend,” she said, “so it’s just a matter of having an agreement written up and the scope of work submitted.”

Announced in July 2021, the settlement set Massachusetts up to receive more than $500 million of the $26 billion settlement that resolved investigations and litigation over pharmaceutical companies’ roles in fueling the opioid epidemic, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The North Quabbin Community Coalition (NQCC) is the umbrella organization of the North Quabbin Recovery Center (NQRC).

NQCC Executive Director Heather Bialecki-Canning told the board that the NQRC doesn’t provide any direct medical treatment, but responds after an overdose is reported.

“We have a team of recovery coaches that goes out post-overdose,” Bialecki-Canning continued. “If there’s an overdose that comes in through the 911 system, we get notified by our police and fire and we go out to visit within 72 hours and make sure that referrals are made to treatment, but we are not doing any direct medical treatment.”

She explained that the NQRC offers recovery meetings, access to recovery coaches, and connections to organizations and agencies that provide addiction recovery care.

“Some of that support includes providing rides between facilities,” she added. “It’s kind of case-by-case. We help to secure rides. Some of the conversations we have with people with addictions – lots of times they end up without a car and there’s no transportation because they don’t have it.

“We also work with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; they’ve had more options for transportation this past year than they’ve had in the past, but even then, there can be issues as far as coming to North Quabbin. So, that’s a gap we could fill.”

The Board of Health recommended that about $34,000 be allocated for use by the recovery center. The funds cover the remainder of the fiscal years of both the town and the NQCC, which end on June 30. The town will be able to move the funds once the grant has been submitted and the agreement between the two parties worked out. Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said this could be finalized by the end of January.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.