Addiction Treatment Programs
Patient Resources
Massachusetts and Regional Addiction and Recovery Resources
- Addiction treatment and recovery services in Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline is the only statewide, public resource for finding substance use treatment and recovery services. Helpline services are free and confidential. Visit helplinema.org or call 800.327.5050.
- Police station “Angel” programs: The Police-Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative began at the Gloucester Police Department. People struggling with opioid use who ask the police for help will be taken to the hospital and put into treatment, without arrest.
- Naloxone (Narcan) locator services: At Massachusetts pharmacies, naloxone can be obtained with or without a prescription. All Massachusetts pharmacies that are licensed from the Board of Pharmacy must always have a supply of naloxone kits. The Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program is also available to teach individuals how to recognize an overdose and how to administer Narcan.
- Medication for addiction treatment: Massachusetts funds a statewide buprenorphine helpline that assists in finding access to addiction medication near you. Call 866.414.6926 to get help. The SAMHSA Treatment Locator can also be used to find medication-assisted treatment providers.
- Peer recovery coaches: The Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline offers a recovery coach program. Coaches act as role models, peers, and educators to those in early recovery.
- A similar program is also available from the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery.
- Harm reduction services (needle exchange):
- Boston Health Care for the Homeless offers medical monitoring and support for 8 to 10 individuals at a time via its program Supportive Place for Observation and Treatment (SPOT).
- AHOPE Needle Exchange in Boston provides safe needle access, naloxone access and support.
- The Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program provides harm reduction services by educating those interested in the administration of naloxone.
- For more needle-exchange services, the North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) provides an interactive map.
- Hepatitis C testing programs: Primary care doctors and community health centers offer hepatitis C, HIV, and STD testing as well as vaccinations for hepatitis A and B. If your loved one doesn’t have a doctor, they can visit one of many community testing programs around the state. If they test positive, treatment options are available.
- Involuntary Hold/Commitment Laws. Section 35 (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 123) permits the courts to involuntarily commit a person whose alcohol or other drug use puts themselves or others as risk. It can lead to inpatient substance use treatment for up to 90 days. Section 35 is an option of last resort and should only be used when all other treatment options have not worked for your loved one and they are an immediate danger to themselves or others.
Resources for Families and Parents
Families concerned about substance use come in all shapes in sizes. Whatever substance use-related challenges your family may be facing, you can start finding help and support here. Please see below for a variety of community resources, books, support groups, and more that can help families who are dealing with substance use, particularly parents concerned about their child's substance use.
For questions or additional information please email empoweringfamilies@bmc.org or info@addictiontraining.org
Resources for Families Dealing With Active Substance Use
Skill-Building Resources
- Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change by Jeffrey Foote, Carrie Wilkins, Nicole Kosanke *Recommend starting with this book*
- The Beyond Addiction Workbook for Family and Friends: Evidence-Based Skills to Help a Loved One Make Positive Change by Jeffrey Foote, Kenneth Carpenter, and Carrie Wilkins
- The Journey of the Heroic Parent: Your Child's Struggle & The Road Home by Brad M. Reedy
- Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide to Controlling Your Drug and Alcohol Use by Patt Denning and Jeannie Little
- Listening Well: The Art of Empathic Understanding by William Miller
- Changing for Good by James Prochaska, John Norcross and Carlo DiClemente
- When a Family Is in Trouble by Marge Heegaard (Children’s Book)
Understanding Addiction and the Treatment System
- Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction by Maia Szalavitz
- Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment–and How to Get Help That Works by Anne M. Fletcher
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghost: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate
Perspectives
- Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff
- Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nick Sheff
- Memoirs of an Addicted Brain: A Neuroscientist Examines his Former Life on Drugs by Marc Lewis
- If you Love Me by Maureen Cavanaugh
- Not My Family, Never My Child by Tony Trimingham
General
- Recovery Research Institute’s “Addictionary”
- Why I Abandoned Tough Love Instead of My Child
- “Bad Parents,” “Codepenents,” and Other Stigmatizing Myths About Substance Use Disorder in the Family
- Harm Reduction Therapy with Families and Friends of People with Drug Problems
- Allies in Recovery: Free online learning platform for families whose loved one struggles with drugs or alcohol.
Identifying Signs of Drug Use
- Know the Warning Signs of Drug Use
- If You Suspect Substance Use, Begin Taking Action
- Is it “Just Experimenting?”
- Taking Action Starts with Talking. Start the Conversation with Your Child
Taking Action to Begin Helping Your Child
- If You Suspect Substance Use, Take Action
- Using Positive Reinforcement to Change Behaviors
- How to Suggest Treatment to a Loved One
- Skills to Help Your Child and Family Heal
- Safeguard Against Drug Overdose
Fostering Behavior Change and Improving Communication
Medication Treatment
- Providers Clinical Support System: MAT FAQs for Family Members
- U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, TIP-63 Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Advisory: Prescribing Pharmacotherapies for Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder
- Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Protecting Your Own Wellbeing
- Coping with Fear, Anger and Other Negative Emotions
- The Emotions I Went through as the Parent of an Addicted Child
- Where There Is Life, There Is Hope
Supporting your Child Throughout the Addiction Recovery Process
- Your Child just Completed Addiction Treatment. Now What?
- Continuing Care following Addiction Treatment
- Risks for Relapse and Overdose, and What You Can Do
Videos
- Center for Motivation and Change: Foundation for Change: Includes numerous resources, including videos, podcasts, blogs, and research.
- Invitation to Change (ITC): An evidence-based method to provide skills to family and friends impacted by substance use.
- Partnership to End Addiction: Information and online support and coaching from professionally trained parents with similar experience.
- Recovery Research Institute: Guide for family members
- Family Drug Support: Australian model used to help families impacted by substance use includes helpful videos, resources, and a mock online support group:
- Parent CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) Online
- SMART Recovery: Offers in person and online evidence-based groups for friends and family members as well as information and other online support.
- Shatterproof Educating Families
- Finding mental health services using Psychology Today: The Psychology Today website has a tool for finding therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers and support groups. You can sort by zip code, tele-therapy vs. in-person, insurance type, or issues you want to work on. All therapists are licensed; contact information is listed on the website to make it easy to reach out and see if they are taking new clients.
- In Therapy: The Unfolding Story by Susie Orbach: This book is a collection of therapy session transcripts which can be a helpful way to better understand what therapy is about for people who may have never tried it before.
- What are the Treatment Options? Before making any decisions about substance use and addiction treatment for your child, take time to understand the options available.
- Learn How to Navigate the Addiction Treatment System: Figuring out the type of care needed, getting your loved one into a program, and getting it covered by insurance aren’t easy. Get the full picture.
- Which Treatments to Look For and Which to Avoid. Unethical addiction treatment is unfortunately abundant. Learn to discern quality, clinical treatment versus treatment from providers who operate without your child’s best interest at heart.
- U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Treatment Locator: The website features a list of treatment facilities searchable by zip code or you can call their 24-hour helpline at 1.800.662.4357.
- Safe Locator: A tool to quickly and easily find treatment and resources for people who use substances problematically and family members.
- Partnership to End Addiction Treatment eBook
- ATLAS (Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standard) Platform
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Treatment Navigator®
- Massachusetts Treatment Locator: You can also call 800.327.5050. To locate similar resources in other states, contact your state department of public health or visit their website.
- HAMS: Harm Reduction for Alcohol
- Publicly Funded Family Intervention Programs: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services supports a number of family intervention programs across the state.
Steps to Take During Addiction Treatment
- Things to Do before They Come Home from Addiction Treatment: It’s an emotional time when your child returns home from rehab—in many ways a new start. Take steps to help support their recovery from addiction.
- Make a Recovery Plan with Your Child: Before your child heads home from residential treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction, it’s a good idea to create a recovery plan together. Learn how.
- Learn Skills to Help Your Child and Family Heal: Hitting “rock bottom” isn’t the only way. Learn about changing your child’s substance use and helping them recover by staying involved in a positive way.
- Self-Care for Yourself: It’s normal to feel consumed by your child’s problems with substance use. But it’s vital that you take care of yourself.
Partnership to End Addiction
The Partnership to End Addiction is a nonprofit, and its services are made available for the sole purpose of helping you find the best solutions for your child and your family. You can connect with a parent specialist for free and confidential one-on-one support for your family.
The Helpline has trained and caring master’s-level specialists ready to help any parent struggling with a child’s drug or alcohol use. They are here to listen, help you find answers, and make an action plan. Call, connect via text message, or email to get help.
Get Help By Phone Call
Call 855.378.4373 to speak to a parent specialist from the Partnership to End Addiction.
Parent specialists will listen to your story and propose a personalized course of action, offering the best tools and resources to help you help your child, yourself, and your family.
Get Help By Text Message
Text 55753 to contact a parent specialist. You'll get a response in 24 to 48 hours.
To allow Helpline specialists to provide the best help possible, please include as many details as possible in your message, such as:
- Your child’s age
- The primary drug you’re concerned about
- Whether or not your child has been to, or sought treatment
- Any questions you may have
Get Help By Email
Email a parent specialist from the Partnership to End Addiction. You'll get a response in 24 to 48 hours.
To allow Helpline specialists to provide the best help possible, please include as many details as possible in your message, such as:
- Your child’s age
- The primary drug you’re concerned about
- Whether or not your child has been to, or sought treatment
- Any questions you may have
Please Note
The Helpline is not a crisis hotline. If you are in need of immediate or emergency services, please call 911 or a 24-hour crisis hotline such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800.273.TALK (8255), or the National Domestic Violence hotline, 800.799.SAFE (7233).