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Marshall County Hope reports rise in substance use disorder estimates; seeks grant matches
Summary
Tim Starr, director of Marshall County Hope, told commissioners the organization’s needs assessment shows more residents affected by substance use disorder than previously reported and that the group is pursuing grant funding including a DHMA matching grant of up to $150,000.
Tim Starr, director of nonprofit Marshall County Hope, briefed commissioners on Oct. 6 about recent needs-assessment work and program activity. Starr told the board that estimates of people affected by substance use disorder in Marshall County rose from about 6,100 to approximately 6,640 in the latest assessment.
Starr said the organization also estimates the broader number of people affected — including family members and other contacts — could reach 12,000 to 13,000 residents of a county population of about 48,000. He described Marshall County Hope as a peer-led hub offering treatment, prevention, education and recovery support and said current operations include limited peer-coach staffing augmented by partners from neighboring counties.
"Marshall County Hope is a peer led hub offering treatment, prevention, education, recovery support for substance use disorders," Starr said, reading the organization’s mission statement to the board.
Starr said the organization is pursuing a Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) matching grant for up to $150,000 (1-to-1 match). He cautioned commissioners that opioid settlement funds available to counties have been used variably across jurisdictions, and he urged county decision-makers to consider grouping funding requests around programs that address multiple recommendations in the statewide guidance rather than funding narrow, single-item projects.
Starr described service gaps, including a lack of local emergency beds, and said Marshall County Hope coordinates with neighboring providers — sending clients to Kokomo, Princeton and South Bend when urgent beds are needed. He requested that commissioners and county council consider coordinated approaches to opioid-settlement and other recovery funding to maximize impact.
Commissioners and county officials encouraged Starr to present to county council and city council as appropriate; Starr said he planned to do so and to continue pursuing grants with matching funds.
