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Marshall County HOPE outlines recovery services, seeks restricted opioid-settlement funds; commissioners ask council to set budget priorities
Summary
Representatives of Marshall County HOPE described peer‑recovery services, prevention education and plans for a recovery community organization; commissioners urged that restricted opioid‑settlement funds be budgeted by the county council before any county commitments are made.
Marshall County HOPE leaders presented the newly formed coalition’s activities and staffing needs and asked the board to consider restricted opioid‑settlement funds for ongoing peer‑recovery and prevention work.
Annette Haining, tobacco‑education coordinator representing Marshall County HOPE, told the commissioners the group is working to direct settlement dollars toward evidence‑based education, peer‑recovery coaching and youth prevention. Haining said Indiana has received more than $980 million in opioid‑related settlement money at the state level; Marshall County HOPE’s consortium, she said, includes more than 25 local partners and a four‑person steering committee.
Haining described current operations: three peer‑recovery coaches (named in the presentation as Jessica Joseph, Sky Vickers and Kenny Schoaff) who are working with 37 active clients in the county, supplemental transportation support and partnerships with Purdue Extension to map recovery‑service navigation. Haining said two of the current peer coaches are funded by Bowen Center grants; Marshall County HOPE plans to transition those positions to settlement funding as grant dollars decrease.
Commissioners and staff questioned where any county commitment would come from. One commissioner said the board has authority to sign contracts but that “ultimately, how all of our money gets spent, needs to go through the budget process and needs to go through the council.” Another commissioner cited pending changes at the state level (amendments to Senate Bill 1 affecting property tax revenue) and warned that county revenue projections could change substantially in 2026–2028, arguing for prudence before authorizing new commitments from county funds. The county attorney and auditor confirmed that whether JCAP (the local drug‑court/peer‑recovery director) position and similar roles could be funded from restricted settlement dollars would require legal review.
Haining said Marshall County HOPE has federal tax ID information in hand and is pursuing 501(c)(3) status; she asked that restricted settlement funds — not unrestricted county funds — be considered to sustain peer‑recovery positions and related programming. Commissioners agreed to schedule a meeting with the county council to set criteria for use of the settlement funds and to review how restricted funds can be budgeted and spent.
The board did not approve any county expenditure to Marshall County HOPE at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to coordinate a meeting with the county council and to verify legal and budgetary constraints before any disbursement.
Ending: Commissioners requested the council define budget parameters for restricted opioid‑settlement money; Marshall County HOPE will return with finalized tax‑ID documents and bylaws and will pursue any grant opportunities in the interim.
