Public Safety, Treatment & Recovery

The issue of substance abuse and how to manage the public health and safety challenges stemming from the opioid epidemic have been an ongoing discussion for many years in the neighborhoods of South End, Roxbury and South Boston. For too long, the challenges facing these neighborhoods have outpaced the level of sustained investment needed to address them.

Here in the City, I led the effort to secure a substantial increase in funding for Treatment and Recovery Programs for those with substance abuse disorders. I supported recommendations put forward by the South End, Roxbury, Newmarket Working Group – a coalition focused on increased public safety presence and public health outcomes, and quality of life in neighborhoods surrounding the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard Corridor. This includes dedicated patrols, while investing in neighborhood organizations and public spaces.

In the Legislature, I also filed S. 1042, An Act relative to Life Saving Treatment that helps strengthen the involuntary committed treatment process in three ways:

• It allows individuals facing involuntary commitment to attend hearings remotely;
• It requires anyone who has survived an overdose and admitted to a hospital must be evaluated by a social worker, allowing us to intervene when it matters the most;
• It ensures that anyone who was court ordered for treatment must be allowed access to early discharge only with the approval of the judge who issued the commitment.

I strongly believe that with this act, we can treat substance abuse with the combined accountability and compassion needed, but also address this issue like a chronic issue and not a short time event.

I am also advancing a broader plan to address substance use and homelessness with the plan for rebuilding long-term treatment infrastructure. Inspired by an MIT study that calls for a treatment facility in Boston Harbor, and backed with data from the 1894 original Boston Floating Hospital, I have been advocating for a floating hospital facility that would give us the space, flexibility, and controlled environment to reach people who need the care but cannot safely stay on the streets. The proposal has strong support from neighborhood organizations and frontline service providers who have lived and seen the consequences for years.