Commission on Substance Use outlines grants and community engagement; five larger awards announced

Beverly Costa Ciavola, outgoing chair of the Falmouth Commission on Substance Use, told the Select Board on Nov. 4 that the commission has focused this year on community engagement and distributing opioid-abatement funds to local providers.

Costa Ciavola said the commission held an initial large community conversation and then smaller focus groups targeted at specific constituencies, including families who lost a loved one and those in recovery. A design team and consultant reviewed applications for larger grants and the commission awarded five larger grants to local organizations and multiple small rolling grants intended to help very small nonprofits develop programs.

She listed the larger grants: $25,000 to Wellstrong for a peer-wellness program; $18,500 to Behavioral Health Innovators for an after-school teen recovery and treatment program; $25,000 to Duffy Health Center to support mobile outreach; $25,000 to Parents Supporting Parents for sober living support services; and $25,000 to the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod for community-based harm-reduction services. Costa Ciavola said the commission distributed five of eight large-grant applications and had structured smaller rolling grants up to $1,000.

Select Board members asked about long-range funding strategy; Costa Ciavola said the annual amounts available from opioid-abatement funding can vary and the commission intentionally paced awards to preserve funds for future years. She also confirmed Duffy Health Center’s mobile outreach will bring services to Falmouth and that grant recipients will be asked to report back so the town can evaluate outcomes.

The Select Board thanked the commission for its community engagement work and for targeting funds to programs that serve local residents.