This content is courtesy of Dr. Karri Weisenthal, one of our ED attending and an addiction medicine fellow at BMC

Project ASSERT: 

Project ASSERT helps patients who come into BMC trough the ED to access inpatient withdrawal management (detoxification programs), CSS, and other treatment programs. Their offices are in the Menino Lobby, and they also round in the ED !

Faster Paths: 

Faster Paths to Treatment, is BMC’s substance use disorder urgent care program. It is a judgment-free home for people suffering with addiction. Staff members help individuals overcome their addiction by rapidly evaluating, motivating, and referring patients with substance use disorders to a network of care, including inpatient and outpatient detox, treatment, and aftercare services. 

  • Assessment for same-day initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), buprenorphine extended-release injection (Sublcade), methadone, and naltrexone pills or injection (Vivitrol) 
  • Opioid overdose education including naloxone (Narcan) rescue kits 
  • Clean and sterile harm reduction supplies 
  • Medications to prevent and treat HIV  
  • Vaccinations for Hepatitis A & B 
  • Contraception 
  • Evaluation for benzodiazepine taper (for those who wish to stop using all benzodiazepines) and outpatient alcohol withdrawal management 
  • Access to a BMC primary doctor (OBAT: Outpatient Based Addiction Treatment) 

Project Trust:  

Project TRUST’s goal is to help anyone who is actively struggling with substance use access comprehensive and compassionate care without judgement. We provide addiction treatment resources, harm reduction education and supplies, and navigation to an array of medical services including primary care and urgent care services. 

Project Trust team is made up of compassionate community health workers, who use their lived experience to guide people in active addiction. We operate a drop-in space at 721 Mass Ave, as well as conduct outreach in the community. 

The Project TRUST drop-in was started in 1988 in response to the first wave of HIV in Boston among persons who use injection drugs. We have continued with our mission to provide comprehensive services that stop the transmission of infectious diseases in those who struggle with substance use.  

Services 

  • SUD treatment referrals 
  • Harm reduction supplies 
  • Medication for HIV including PEP/PrEP 
  • HIV/Hepatitis C/STI testing, treatment, and case management 
  • Urgent clinical care (geared toward people who use drugs, people exposed to survival sex) 

     

Patients struggling with substance use in the Boston area and are in need of resources can call or text (617) 680-1828 for more information 

AHOPE: 

AHOPE is a harm reduction and needle exchange site providing a range of service to active injection drug users, including: Integrated HIV, Hepatitis, and STI testing. Free legal, and anonymous needle exchange. Supported referrals to HIV, Hepatitis, and STI treatment. Overdose prevention education and training. Risk reduction supplies to reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C infection. Risk reduction counseling, supported referrals to all modalities of substance abuse treatment. AHOPE services are available at the walk-in center at 774 Albany Street and through mobile van and outreach sites around Boston. 

Services 

  • Drop-in center 
  • Hepatitis testing/Education 
  • HIV testing/Education 
  • MOUD Education/Referrals 
  • Harm reduction supplies 
  • Drug checking (test strips and mass spectrometer)  
  • Risk reduction counseling, and 
  • Referrals substance use treatment programs. 

774 Albany St
1st Floor
Boston, MA 02118

Psychiatry Bridge Clinic:  

The Bridge Clinic is an urgent psychiatric clinic located within Adult Outpatient Psychiatry. The Bridge Clinic uses a referral-based, open access model of care – one where referred patients do not need a pre-scheduled appointment – in order to address the urgent mental health needs of BMC patients, thus preventing unnecessary visits to the emergency department for urgent but non-emergent behavioral health issues. Our Bridge Clinic providers are able to provide urgent mental health evaluation, urgent psychopharmacology support as well as urgent therapy support, while also helping patients transition their ongoing behavioral health care to the most appropriate service for their needs. 

For more information about Bridge Clinic, please call (617) 414.5470 

Spot:

SPOT epitomizes low-threshold care: Any patient in need of its services can walk in and immediately has access to lifesaving resources. What’s more, SPOT serves as a low-barrier entry point to long-term care around substance use disorders. Staff build relationships with patients who mistrust the medical system, offer education about overdose prevention and safer injection techniques, and connect people as possible to other services, including urgent care, primary care, and substance use disorder treatment. Ultimately, SPOT serves as a simple way for people who have used substances nearby to prevent fatal overdose, as well as a pathway to myriad other health care services. 

At SPOT, patients receive close medical monitoring after drug use to prevent fatal overdose, along with compassionate, nonjudgmental support and various harm reduction and clinical resources. 

A nurse specializing in SUD cares for up to 10 patients at a time, monitoring vital signs, using oxygen for mild or moderate respiratory depression, and administering naloxone for respiratory arrest. Frequently, the nurse also tends to complex skin and soft tissue wounds and triages many other clinical issues that surface in SPOT, including the need for HIV prevention measures, primary care, and reproductive health. Meanwhile, a harm reduction specialist is present to build relationships with patients, provide safer use supplies and education, assist with case management needs, and offer immediate connection to any SUD treatment a patient may desire. 

Located at 780 Albany Steet (main entrance for HCHP) 

The Engagement Center:  

Opened in August 2017, the Engagement Center (EC) is a welcoming, low-threshold daytime space for individuals navigating homelessness and substance use near the intersection of Melnea Cass and Mass Ave. 

They offer:  

  • Water, coffee, light snacks 
  • Restrooms, showers 
  • TV, phone chargers, wifi 
  • Computer and phone stations 
  • Participants receive nursing care daily from Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. They can also receive medical care, connect with a behavioral health provider, and start substance use disorder treatment.  

Our Street Outreach Team operates within and around the Engagement Center. This group builds relationships with individuals by sharing information about resources, making referrals, and working to reduce barriers to care such as transportation. 

 

OBAT: Office Based Addiction Treatment

(Primary care with a focus on people who use drugs) 

The OBAT team treats patients with approved medications for substance use disorders including buprenorphine, injectable buprenorphine, injectable naltrexone, and oral naltrexone. Patients receive specialized treatment for their substance use disorder integrated within a primary care setting, allowing all their medical needs to be addressed by a team of providers. The OBAT Program has been recognized nationally and replicated within many outpatient settings, including primary care, family medicine, behavioral health, and OB/Gyn practices, among others. 

Project RESPECT:
We offer monitored, acute substance withdrawal treatment and induction of medications for opioid use disorder in pregnant patients seeking treatment. Intensive, individualized out-patient treatment plans are outlined for each patient based on the severity of their disease, their individual goals, and their recovery progress.  The out-patient medical home model provides on site, collaborative and multidisciplinary care for pregnant and post-partum patients in recovery.

The Project RESPECT clinical team collaborates and coordinates care with the inpatient Obstetric, Pediatric, Psychiatry, Social Work, Nursing and Lactation teams at Boston Medical Center to provide supportive and informed care. They also have developed strong partnerships n with multiple community based organizations including local methadone clinics, residential addiction treatment centers, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Children and Families. 

Catalyst:  

At Boston Medical Center, the Center for Addiction Treatment for AdoLescent/Young adults who use SubsTances (CATALYST) program helps teens and young adults who use alcohol or drugs. Our team provides access to a wide range of services including primary care, harm reduction, assessment and treatment of substance use disorders, psychiatry, psychotherapy, and recovery support for patients through age 25 and their families. 

801 Massachusetts Ave Boston, MA 02119
7th Floor
Crosstown Center 617.414.6655 

Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

SOFAR: 

The goal of SOFAR (Supporting Our Families through Addiction and Recovery) is to create a medical home in the pediatric primary care clinic for parents in recovery and their children. SOFAR provides ongoing support for families to enhance child development as well as ongoing support for recovery, with access to specialty care and social services. 

SOFAR works to coordinate infants’ primary care visits with any additional care that parents and babies need, to minimize the number of visits required. 

850 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
6th Floor
Yawkey Center 617.414.6640 

Monday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:30PM Friday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM Saturday: 8:00AM – 1:00PM