Riverbend is proud to announce it has been awarded a $96,000 Mosaic Municipal Matching Grant from the RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE) to support the Nashoba Opioid Abatement Collaborative (NOAC) for a Nashoba Valley Recovery Coaching Initiative. This funding will expand access to recovery support services for individuals and families impacted by substance use across the Nashoba Valley region.
Through this initiative, Riverbend will deploy recovery coaches to serve the seven municipalities that make up NOAC: Littleton, Harvard, Bolton, Shirley, Ayer, Groton, and Pepperell. These coaches, individuals with lived experience, will provide one-on-one, non-clinical peer support, helping individuals navigate recovery, connect to resources, and build sustainable pathways forward.
“This investment from RIZE allows us to bring critical recovery support services directly into communities that need them most,” said Rich Hollett, Vice President of Recovery Support Services at Riverbend. “Recovery coaches meet people where they’re at, promote positive self-identity, embody hope, and support individuals along their self-identified recovery pathways and to live self-directed lives. We are excited to partner with local municipalities to strengthen recovery networks and ensure individuals have the support they need beyond traditional treatment.”
The Nashoba Valley Recovery Coaching Initiative builds on Riverbend’s longstanding commitment to recovery support, including its Peer Recovery Support Centers, Recovery Coaching, and CCAR Recovery Coach Academy. By extending these services into the Nashoba Valley, the program aims to reduce isolation, address service gaps, and foster a community-wide culture of recovery.
The grant is part of RIZE’s Mosaic Municipal Matching Grant program, which supports collaborative, community-based solutions to the opioid crisis. Funding will support staffing, outreach, training, and program operations during the initiative’s first year, with a focus on long-term sustainability.
Riverbend will work closely with municipal leaders, public health departments, and community partners to ensure coordinated, accessible services throughout the region. In addition to direct support, recovery coaches will engage in community outreach to reduce stigma and increase awareness of recovery resources.