Addiction and Recovery Services

The Charlestown Coalition is transitioning to an upstream approach to substance use prevention. Working closely with various community partners, the Coalition provides support in the following areas:

  • Connection to appropriate levels of care and other community organizations
  • Harm reduction
  • Youth prevention
  • Community education
  • Drug Take Backs
  • Relationship building in the community, at correctional institutions, courts, treatment facilities, and healthcare facilities

 

The Sun Will Rise Grief Group

The Sun Will Rise Foundation provides support for issues regarding substance use disorder. The foundation helps those who are suffering with the loss of someone they love from substance use disorder or overdose and provides them with the care, compassion, understanding and support that they need. The grief support is provided through a private Facebook group and monthly in person and/or online zoom meetings, including a virtual men’s only group, multiple loss group, partner/spouse loss group and grieving grandparents group.

The in person meetings in Charlestown are facilitated by Shannon Lundin and Michael "Smokey" Cain, two of our Trauma Response Team members.

These meetings occur on every other Wednesday from 6-7pm EST at St. John's Church, 27 Devens St, Charlestown MA 02129. For more information, please visit http://www.thesunwillrise.org/ 

Charlestown Addiction Recovery Team and Recovery Court

The Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) and its Probation Department, which established the Charlestown Addiction Recovery Treatment (CHART) Program in partnership with the Charlestown Coalition, has been in full operation since May of 2013.

CHART is a specialized court session which assists individuals on probation who suffer with chronic Substance Use Disorders. These individuals voluntarily participate in court-stipulated drug treatment as an alternative to prison. The program follows a successful drug court model in Chelsea, where the sentencing includes intensive court supervision, mandatory drug testing, substance use disorder treatment, and other social services as an alternative to incarceration. A US Department of Justice drug court study found that, when appropriately implemented, drug courts can reduce recidivism, decrease the chances of future drug use, and promote positive cost-saving outcomes. To learn more about drug courts, please visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/drug-courts