Recovery Services
The Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services supports substance use disorder and addiction recovery strategies in the City.
We work to give more people access to the support they need. We also build key partnerships with City, State, and community partners. Our office is the first municipal recovery office in the United States.
Contact
For recovery support, please call 3-1-1 or 617-635-4500.
Recovery Month events
Recovery Month events| Event | Date, time, and location | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Recovery peer support meetings at the Gavin Foundation At the Devine Recovery Center, there's an outdoor seating area that is safe during COVID-19.
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Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, at 7 p.m. Devine Recovery Center, 70 Devine Way, South Boston, MA 02127 |
Dave DeCourcey, davedecourcey@gavinfoundation.org |
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'Reflect, Respect' Language Campaign The words we use as public health advocates matter. They have the potential to impact policy, treatment and funding decisions. The Community Prevention Office has created a guide to support using person-first and strengths-based language. |
Ongoing through September Any location, self-paced |
Dishon Liang, dlaing@bphc.org |
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There will be 23 days of activities to reflect the 23 million living in recovery in the U.S. |
Virtual daily activities, September 1 - 23 |
Sydney Durand, sydney@thephoenix.org |
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Opioid Epidemic Memorial for Boston Participants sign up and receive a card of seed-paper in the mail. They write the names of their loved ones lost to opioids. They then plant the cards wherever they want within the City of Boston. A year from now, poppy flowers will grow as a form of public memorial. |
Fall 2020 Activity by mail |
Maia Dolphine-Krute, mdolphinkrute@gmail.com |
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Collegiate Recovery Office Hours Lina Abdalla is a local leader in collegiate recovery and a person with lived experience. She has offered to respond to texts about the subject of collegiate recovery on the weekends. This is a low-threshold, personal, and de-stigmatized way for people to get plugged into collegiate recovery. |
Saturdays and Sundays, daytime By text: 857-302-2919 |
Lina Abdalla, labdalla@bridgewell.org |
| Boston Bulldogs Weekly Run
We welcome and encourage runners (and walkers) of all levels. Some of our runners are in recovery, some are impacted by addiction, some just want to "do something" to help, and others just want to run. All are welcome - no questions asked. |
Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Cleveland Circle/Chestnut Hill Reservoir |
BulldogsRunning@yahoo.com |
| Recovery Month: Developing an anti-racist recovery movement
This discussion will critically evaluate how academic medicine, research and policy has systematically excluded Black, Indigenous and other Persons of Color (BIPOC) from the recovery movement. |
September 15, 1 - 2 p.m. Virtual event |
Elizabeth Powell, eapowell@partners.org |
| Recovery coach perspectives on bias and stigma
Recovery coaches present on:
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September 17, 12 p.m. (noon) - 1 p.m. Virtual event |
Elizabeth Powell, eapowell@partners.org |
| Massachusetts Opioid Screening and Awareness Day
Virtual town hall event where participants will learn from experts about opioid misuse and treatment, and will be able to take a free, anonymous, online screening for themselves or a loved one. |
September 22, 9 - 11 a.m. Virtual event |
Scott Weiner, sweiner@bwh.harvard.edu |
| Buprenorphine Waiver Training (Clinicians only)
This activity combines pre-work with live didactic lecture and discussion, including review of case studies. |
September 22, 1 - 5 p.m. Virtal event |
Samantha Sawyer, smsawyer@partners.org |
| MA Recovery Day
Recovery Day celebration featuring speakers, comedians, and artists. |
September 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Virtual event |
Maryanne Frangules, Maryanne@moar-recovery.org |
| Artists in Recovery
The MA Recovery Day event showcases visual and performance art by people in recovery. |
September 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Virtual event |
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| Yoga on the Greenway
Join NamaStay Sober and Jason Denham for an all-levels yoga class - newbies welcome! |
September 23, 2020, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Virtual event (There's also an in-person option on the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Atlantic Avenue.) |
Nicoletta Longo, namastaysober@gmail.com |
| NamaStay Fighting
Third annual NamaStay Fighting event is being hosted virtually. It's all day, with HIT, boxing, meditation, yoga, and self-help discussion. |
September 26, all day Virtual event |
Nicoletta Longo, namastaysober@gmail.com |
| Charleston Candlelight Vigil
Join us at the Charlestown Peace Park for our annual vigil. If you would like to submit a photo of a loved one to be added into the vigil slideshow, please send their name and image to smlundin@partners.org. |
September 26, 6:30pm Charlestown Peace Park (Mount Vernon Street and Lowney Way) |
Shannon Lundin, Smlundin@partners.org |
| Recovery Mass |
September 27, 6 p.m. St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena Parish, 55 Warren Street, Charlestown, MA |
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| CORI Panel
Panel on sealing a CORI and looking at the intersection between substance use and re-entry. |
September 29, 11- 12:30 p.m. Virtual event |
bethany.n.serota@boston.gov |
| Introduction to Boston Bulldogs
Boston Bulldogs is holding an informational session online. They'll discuss what they are doing to support wellness in recovery during these challenging times. |
September 30 Virtual event |
BulldogsRunning@yahoo.com |
COVID-19 online resources
With physical locations closed across the state due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, we put together a list of online resources for recovery support groups:
Watch: Fighting the addiction crisis
Listen: Voices from the front lines
Hear about the experiences of people working on the front lines of the addiction epidemic:
Project Opportunity
A Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) can pose challenges to employment. That’s why Project Opportunity connects Boston residents with legal experts to determine if their records can be sealed or expunged.
PROJECT OPPORTUNITY INFOGet involved
Learn how to reverse an overdose and access Narcan at a free training.
Volunteer your time to help beautify your neighborhood.
The words we use to talk about addiction matter.
There are many volunteer opportunities in Boston.
Explore a career in recovery services or public health.
Find help for yourself or others
Get helpSafe disposal of drugs and needles
About our work
In 2015, Mayor Martin J. Walsh created the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services. We’re focused on substance use disorder and addiction issues in Boston. We work closely with Boston Public Health Commission’s Bureau of Recovery Services.
To build and support local recovery services, we partner with:
- City of Boston departments
- state and federal agencies
- local service providers, and
- community network.
What we’ve done so far
In 2014, Mayor Walsh and the City partnered with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Together, we analyzed Boston's substance use addiction problem. As part of our work, we set up an Addiction Recovery Advisory Group made up of:
- addiction experts
- community leaders, and
- researchers.
The group created the Addiction and Recovery Services Blueprint. This plan identifies strategies the City should use with the nation's first Office of Recovery Services.
Our office partnered with 311, the City’s constituent service hotline. Through this effort, we’ve created an easy way for residents to get access to recovery services and resources.
We’ve more than doubled the staff and extended the hours at the PAATHS program, the City’s access to care program.
Public health tactics are now a part in the City’s public safety work, thanks to our partnerships with:
- Boston Police and Boston Fire
- Emergency Medical Services, and
- the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department.
These efforts include diversion for low-level drug offenses, overdose prevention and follow-up, and reentry supports.
We created a Street Outreach Team that engages with the most vulnerable members of our community in care. Our Mobile Sharps Team responds to 311 requests for syringes and proactively patrols high-volume areas. At our Engagement Center, we provide a welcoming space for people to spend time during the day.
We supported Mayor Walsh in his role as the Chair of the US Conference of Mayors’ first-ever Substance Use, Prevention, and Recovery Services Task Force.
