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Fairwinds asks for quarter‑one funding to sustain peer recovery coach services during summer surge
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Summary
Fairwinds requested funding for two part‑time peer recovery coaches and clinical supervision to sustain client coverage during the island’s high‑season population increase; presenters said the program served 34 clients since January and provided more than 500 service hours.
Fairwinds told the Contract Review Committee on June 6 it seeks grant funding to sustain and expand its peer recovery coach (PRC) program for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, a period when Nantucket’s population and service demand typically rise.
Fairwinds’ representative, Morgan, said the request would support two part‑time PRCs and a clinical supervisor during the quarter. PRCs are trained individuals with lived recovery experience who provide mentoring, advocacy and crisis support; one PRC the applicant described is bilingual and the other trilingual, Morgan said.
“Supporting this program ensures continuity of care and immediate availability, especially during crisis situations,” Morgan said, adding that the program had served 34 clients since January and delivered more than 500 hours of service in that period. Morgan noted that only MassHealth reimburses PRC services and that many clients are underinsured or uninsured; of the 34 recent clients, Morgan said, 12 were covered by MassHealth.
Fairwinds described the program as primarily in‑person to enable relationship building, safety planning and direct interventions, with remote check‑ins by phone and email used as supplemental contact. Presenters said the PRCs routinely participate in crisis response and care teams, and that the program helps bridge gaps created by limited local access to detox and inpatient services.
Committee members asked whether the quarter‑one request covers a sustained staffing plan. Morgan said Fairwinds will use diverse funding sources—fundraisers such as Fairwinds in Bloom and individual donations—to support the program year‑round but emphasized that the requested quarter‑one funding would prevent staffing gaps in the summer.
The committee did not vote on the request at the interview; the application will be scored with other applicants and considered at deliberations on June 27.
