Nantucket Contract Review Committee unanimously approves Fairwinds mid-year funding shift

NANTUCKET -- April 24, 2026, Nantucket's Contract Review Committee voted 5-0 to approve a mid-year funding variance for behavioral health nonprofit Fairwinds, allowing previously awarded grant dollars to be redirected to the organization's sliding-fee patient assistance program. Christy Wilson of Fairwinds told the committee that sliding-fee costs totaled roughly $100,000 in the third quarter alone, putting the annual run rate near $400,000, more than double the organization's typical annual ask from the town, driven by patient deductibles as high as $8,000 that most clients cannot meet. Chair Veronica Bolchik said the situation illustrated the rationale behind a new operational grant category set for the fiscal year 2027 cycle, which goes before Annual Town Meeting on May 4. Separately, consultant Marcus Alcorn of Kulik Strategic Advisors reported that the town's human services needs assessment has now collected 518 survey responses, surpassing a statistical target of 382, with preliminary data identifying specialty care, dental access, housing, and infant childcare as leading unmet needs. The committee also previewed a funding-increase request that would raise the combined human services and substance-misuse grant pool from $825,000 to approximately $1.05 million, the first increase since 2018, for consideration at its July 24 meeting.