Drug & Alcohol Addiction Rehab, Treatment & Recovery Resources in Massachusetts

1. Fenway Health Addiction Recovery and Wellness Program

Fenway Health Addiction Recovery and Wellness Program is located in Boston and offers outpatient services to both adults and young adults. It received the highest overall score of 7.7 points out of 10 possible points in our rankings. The center’s greatest strength is its number of rehabilitation services, which include detoxification using buprenorphine and relapse prevention utilizing naltrexone. It also offers many different treatment approaches, such as rational emotive behavioral therapy, anger management, and motivational interviewing. Cost is a low barrier to treatment as the center accepts federal, state, private, and military insurance in addition to self-payment. The center’s lowest performance is in the category of Special Programs for Unique Demographics — it has services designed for LGBT clients and patients with HIV or AIDS but lacks special programs for other groups like seniors or the military.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 10
• Treatment Approaches: 8.88
• Cost: 7.5
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 1.34
• Ancillary Services: 7.6

2. Holy Family Hospital

Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill received an overall score of 7.2 points out of 10 points, making it second in our rankings. The facility provides both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to adults and young adults, including at VA hospitals, in the areas of detoxification for alcohol, benzodiazepines and opioids and both prescribing and administering buprenorphine and naltrexone for substance abuse treatment. One of Holy Family Hospital’s best features is its wealth of ancillary services, such as transportation assistance, housing services, mental health counseling, social skills development, and health education and support. The facility earned its lowest score in the category of Cost. While it accepts options such as Medicare and Medicaid, payment cannot be made with military insurance or through government funding for substance abuse programs.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 9.13
• Treatment Approaches: 6.66
• Cost: 3.75
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 6.7
• Ancillary Services: 10

3. Massachusetts General Hospital West End Clinic

Located in Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital’s West End Clinic ranked third highest in our rankings with an overall score of 7.1 out of 10 points. The center offers outpatient rehabilitation services to both adults and young adults. It earned a near-perfect score for in the category of Rehabilitation Services Provided, in part because it provides medication-assisted treatment, detoxification, and relapse prevention services, utilizing medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone. Another strength of the center is its wealth of treatment approaches, such as dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma-related counseling, and relapse prevention. These services are widely accessible to many clients, as federal, state, military, and private insurance coverage, in addition to government funding for substance abuse programs, are accepted methods of payment. The center’s greatest weakness is its limited number of programs specially tailored to unique populations.

• Rehabilitation Services Provided: 9.13
• Treatment Approaches: 8.88
• Cost: 7.5
• Special Programs for Unique Demographics: 1.34
• Ancillary Services: 4.4

Start by contacting your referral center

In Massachusetts, residents have a right to receive substance abuse treatment anywhere within the Commonwealth and at any stage in their recovery due to the “No Wrong Pathway” policy. To that end, the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline can help individuals find and enter a treatment program. It is the only public resource that locates treatment and recovery services throughout Massachusetts that are licensed and approved by the MA Department of Public Health. To find assistance, individuals can call the Helpline number, fill out an online form, or search for services directly on the Helpline website.

Helpline specialists use the information they are given by individuals accessing the Helpline to refer them to any of hundreds of treatment services around the Commonwealth. Specialists can also identify services covered by insurance policies and find programs funded by the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services for individuals without health care coverage. Low-income Medicaid services are another option available to individuals who need help paying for treatment. For information on eligibility, visit the MassHealth Medicaid and CHIP website.

Use our database to find a treatment center near you

The tool below lists all of the treatment centers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Input your zip code and select the filter icon to find relevant treatment centers near you.

The opioid death rate among veterans in Massachusetts is three times higher than average for the Commonwealth

Veterans face unique challenges that can place them at higher risk for a substance use disorder (SUD) than the general population. The primary factor leading to this increased risk is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while other situations, such as unemployment, homelessness and chronic pain, can also be contributing factors. Furthermore, individuals – including veterans – with a substance use disorder are more likely to develop PTSD, so the problem is cyclical in nature.

A 2017 Massachusetts Department of Public Health report revealed that a large number of veterans in the Commonwealth suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and engaged in binge drinking behavior. In addition to other challenges, these factors placed them at risk for developing opioid use disorder as well. Veterans as a whole had little in common with other at-risk populations — few veterans had a history of incarceration, used transitional services, or had a mother with an opioid use disorder, and most were older, with an average age of 54 years. The most significant overlap with other at-risk populations was in the area of serious mental illness, with around 10% of veterans diagnosed with a qualifying mental health disorder.

Additional Resources for Parents and Teachers

All Massachusetts treatment programs for adolescents and young adults are licensed by the  Commonwealth’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, located in Boston. A wealth of options are available to support these young persons and their families during the recovery process. Outpatient programs provide services across Massachusetts in six different regions — Boston, Central, Metro-West, Northeast, Southeast, and Western. The Commonwealth also offers two youth stabilization and detoxification programs, four youth and three young adult residential treatment programs, five recovery high schools, family intervention programs, and youth intervention programs. Detailed descriptions and location and contact information for each of these options are available in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Youth & Young Adult Substance Use Services Directory. Parents can also call the Massachusetts Substance Helpline for assistance determining the right treatment for their child or visit the Helpline website to search for services and access additional resources.

Mental Health Resources & Treatment

If you or someone you love is suffering from mental health issues, such as depression, PTSD, eating disorders, or severe anxiety, there are many resources from which to receive help.

Below are a few ways to receive immediate assistance, as advised by MentalHealth.gov:

Emergency Services: If your life (or someone else’s life) is in danger, always start by dialing 911 to gain immediate access to emergency services.

Suicide Prevention: The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is: 800-273-8255. You can also initiate a private live online chat.

Veterans Crisis Line: Dial the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 and press “1” to talk to someone immediately. You can also access help with a private online chat or text 838255.

Here are two ways to find a provider of mental health treatment in Massachusetts:

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health: The DMH website has a section with resource guides for both the general public and unique groups with mental health concerns and a special section devoted to mental health programs for children, youth, and families.

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership: This site has a searchable database of mental health providers.

Individuals who have both substance use and mental health disorders may benefit from dual-diagnosis rehab facilities. Use the appropriate filter in our tool above to find rehabilitation centers with treatment programs designed to meet the unique challenge posed by co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.

Contact the appropriate local organization to find an AA or NA meeting near you

The tool below lists the contact information for local organizations that will connect you to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings near you. Since meeting times and locations change periodically, contact the local groups that coordinate the meetings to ensure that the information is up to date.

Over one million Massachusetts residents suffer from mental illness every year

As discussed earlier in this guide, there is a strong link between substance use disorders and mental health disorders. When an individual is afflicted with both of these issues at the same time, health professionals refer to it as co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders or a “dual diagnosis.” Consequently, the prevalence of mental health issues in a given state can also help us to understand the level of substance abuse.

Suicide rates in Massachusetts are significantly lower than the national average

The Centers for Disease Control reports that suicide is the leading cause of death in the United States: The suicide rate has risen in nearly every state from 1999 to 2016, with that rate increasing by more than 30% in half of all 50 states since 1999. Suicide is an act that is often linked to substance abuse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, substance abuse is a primary risk factor for both adults and adolescents who attempt and/or complete suicide, and this is particularly true for at-risk populations.

Furthermore, the relationship between substance abuse and suicide is multi-faceted and complex. Persons who have substance abuse issues typically also carry other risk factors for suicide, including depression, impulsive behavior, and other struggles with relationships, finances, illness, or unemployment that make them more likely to engage in self-harm. Between 1999 and 2016, Massachusetts witnessed a 35.3% increase in the number of suicides. In 2017, Massachusetts ranked 48th in the country for the number of suicides per 100,000 residents.

Massachusetts has a markedly lower opioid prescribing rate than the overall U.S. rate

Prescription drug abuse – particularly in the form of opioids – has become an epidemic in the United States. While it is difficult to estimate how many individuals use these drugs as prescribed and how many abuse them, the Centers for Disease Control has researched the variation in opioid prescriptions between states, establishing a direct connection between an increased level of opioid prescriptions with a greater potential for dependence and abuse. Across the United States in 2017, 191 million prescriptions for opioids were written by physicians, ultimately leading one in four patients who begins long-term opioid therapy to an addiction.

The rate of homelessness in Massachusetts is much higher than the national average

A high rate of homelessness in an area indicates a greater potential for substance abuse issues. Homelessness has been shown to be linked to substance abuse as both the cause and result; some individuals become homeless due to a substance use disorder, while other individuals who are already homeless frequently turn to substance use to dull the pain and desperation of their situation.

The 2018 Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Point-in-Time Count reported approximately 552,830 homeless individuals in the United States, the equivalent of 17 of every 10,000 U.S. residents. This number represents a decrease of 4.1% since 2014 when the number of homeless persons in the U.S. was around 576,450. Furthermore, homelessness across the United States has decreased by 15% since 2007, the year that HUD began collecting data on the homeless population.

Boston’s rate of drug- and alcohol-induced deaths is over a percentage point higher than average for the Commonwealth