Rhinelander city council approves peer recovery coach for police department

The Rhinelander city common council agreed at its May 12 meeting for the Rhinelander police department to hire a peer recovery coach in a limited term capacity.

City administrator Patrick Reagan indicated captain Josh Chiamulera was the one who applied for the grant funding for the peer recovery coach position.

Chiamulera said in 2023, he applied for about $10,000 in federal grant funding, which resulted in the city being awarded “just under $23,000.”

He said that funding was able to pay for the police department to have a peer recovery coach for one year, but the available funding was subsequently cut short. 

The city still has roughly $11,000 in grant funding still available, Chiamulera said. 

“But it’s important for our community to have this,” he said. “This is the seventh year that we’ve had it. I think out of those seven years we maybe, I think, it’s under $5,000 out of our total budget throughout that time. So we’ve been able to get it grant funded (and) applying for more grant funding now to get us through a couple more years hopefully. But that’s where we’re at. Our community needs it.”

Chiamulera said members of the public who utilize the service have limited resources, “so it’s important to have the coach available to them.”

Mayor Chris Hanus pointed out if grant funding being applied for currently isn’t awarded, the position would be reconsidered by the council and a decision to fund it a different way would possibly be made.

Alderperson Thomas Barnett said maintaining a peer recovery coach within the police department is an “absolute no-brainer.”

He made a motion to continue that service and alderperson Carrie Mikalauski seconded it.

Alderperson Steven Jopek clarified what he was hearing. 

“You have the money from our previous grant, and so we’re basically, what the city’s doing here, is just creating a new position that that grant money will go … through the end of this grant until we get more?” he asked and Chiamulera said that was correct.

“It’s only going to go until the end of August and then it will be basically expired,” Chiamulera said of the funding for a peer recovery coach.

“And then hopefully we’ll find a way to renew it (because) as you said we’ve had it for a number of years?” Jopek asked and Chiamulera said yes. “Awesome. Thank you for all your work on that. I appreciate that.”

Mikalauski took a moment to highlight the importance of having this type of support available in the Rhinelander community.

“(While) working for the county, we also have the recovery coach, we actually have a few more than just one, but this is a wonderful program and I can’t speak more highly of it,” she said. “It’s helped a lot of people and it’s a shame that the federal government cut this spending because it really is helping with folks with substance use disorder. So I’m full in favor of this and I hope that they figure something out come September because this program is really needed. Thanks for all your work Josh.”

The motion by Barnett passed unanimously. 

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].