Vermont recovery centers ask Corrections & Institutions committee for $1.6 million boost to expand coaching and jail outreach

Tracy Hauck, executive director of the Turning Point Center in Rutland, told the Corrections & Institutions Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 19, that Recovery Partners of Vermont is asking for an additional $1.6 million in base funding for local recovery organizations in the state fiscal year 2026 budget.

Hauck said the requested funds — which she clarified are a general‑fund appropriation being considered by the Appropriations Committee and were not included in the governor’s proposed FY26 budget — would allow centers to expand hours, match outside funding, and pay competitive wages to recruit and retain more recovery coaches.

Why it matters: Recovery coaches provide one‑on‑one support and group facilitation in emergency departments, outpatient treatment programs, law enforcement interactions, schools, colleges and correctional facilities, speakers said. Committee members and witnesses described gaps in continuity of care when people leave jail or prison, limits in Medicaid activation and pharmacy access, and a shortage of trained coaches that constrains outreach capacity.

Hauck said local recovery organizations have “scaled this resource significantly in the past year” with state funding awarded in fiscal…