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

 

GRASP (Grief Recovery After Substance Passing)

GRASP was created to provide support, compassion, and, most of all, understanding for people who have lost a loved one from drug use. Many times, friends and family members who are left behind find their grief to be unmanageable. Hopes for a loved one’s recovery have been dashed, and feelings of loss are overwhelming.

Support groups for those grieving the loss of a child, spouse, or other loved one from a disease or an accident seem readily available.  But, there is little help for those who have lost someone from addiction/substance use disorder or the misuse of drugs. We seek to fill the void as GRASP is for anyone who has lost a loved one and wants to connect with others sharing a similar experience.

The Charlestown GRASP Group is held on the forth Tuesday of every month at the Charlestown Health Center, 73 High Street from 6 to 7pm.

You can find a list of all GRASP chapters, other resources, and subscribe to their mailing list at www.grasphelp.org. 

Charlestown Addiction Recovery Team

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.