Recovery Coach Program Coming To Orleans Paid Through Opioid Abatement Money

ORLEANS – A recovery coach will soon begin working in town to help residents struggling with substance abuse disorder, as well as their families.

On June 12, the board of health unanimously voted to enter into a contract with Outer Cape Health Services in Wellfleet to take part in the provider’s recovery coach program. The program, which is also available in neighboring communities including Harwich and Chatham, is expected to operate out of the Orleans Police Department.

The program will be paid for during fiscal 2026 out of the town’s opioid abatement funds, which were awarded the town as part of federal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. The town had approximately $69,000 in abatement funding as of the June 12 meeting, about half of which, $34,424, will be used to pay for the recovery program.

 “Sounds like a good use of our funds,” said Joe Hartung of the health board.

At its previous meeting on May 15, the board received a presentation on the recovery coach program from Brianne Smith, director of behavioral health for Outer Cape Health Services. She said the program takes a “big picture” approach to helping clients, and that coaches work with clients to figure out what the best course of treatment is for them. 

 “We’re supportive of multiple pathways to recovery,” she said. “Not everybody has to go to detox. Not everybody wants or needs to go to rehab. AA is not for everybody.”

While not clinicians or counselors, Smith said recovery coaches have their own respective certifications. Many of them also are people in recovery themselves who utilize their own personal experiences in their coaching, she said.

Fitch said Outer Cape Health Services will operate the program through office hours held weekly at the Orleans Police Department. Beyond that, Smith said that coaches will also follow up on referrals and work with clients on their schedule as needed.

Smith said the recovery program works in close partnership with various town offices and agencies. Together, they look at what things are working with the program locally and what areas are in need of improvement.

Health Agent Meredith Ballinger spoke on June 12 of her experience working with the recovery program in her last job in Harwich.

 “The recovery coach was a huge help, especially in bridging that social service gap,” she told the board. “A lot of times we’re coming from a regulatory perspective, and we don’t get to be that warm hand off connecting them to services.”

Fitch last week said that the department of health and human services was in the process of preparing the town’s contract with Outer Cape Health Services. More particulars as to how the program will operate in Orleans will be available once the contract is finalized, she said.

While the approved funding only covers the program through the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, health board members expressed interest in funding the program beyond FY26. Fitch said the most recent accounting estimates that Orleans will receive a total of $352,000 through 2039, as more cases are expected to be settled with opioid manufacturers and distributors.