Drug Addiction/Recovery Report Issued

A collaboration between the City of Boston and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation was formed last year to produce a study on the capacity of addiction and recovery services with demonstrated best practices.

Last week, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Foundation released a report on the current status relating to the findings that will serve as a roadmap for the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services led by Jennifer Tracey.

The first-ever municipal based office will focus on this issue expressed in a blueprint for Building a Better System of Care report.

    “Too many Bostonians are all too familiar with the destruction that substance abuse addiction causes in our City’s families and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Walsh in a press release. “We see addiction’s devastation in our homes, at our workplaces, and on our streets. Where there are accessible recovery supports that readily assist people and families suffering from addiction, devastation can quickly transform into a wellspring of resilience and strength.”

    “We were pleased to partner with Mayor Walsh and his Administration  on an assessment that included concrete, actionable recommendations to strengthen Boston’s substance use disorder and recovery service system,” said BCBSMF President Audrey Shelto in a press release.

Among the report’s findings, some include:

• Boston’s rate of substance abuse prevalence (11.3 percent), based on respondents’ indication of dependence or abuse of illicit drugs or alcohol in the past year, is roughly comparable to that of other regions within the state.
• The substance use disorder treatment system is a statewide system and treatment seekers are not prioritized for placement based on their city or town of residence. At any given time, as many of half of the residential treatment beds based in Boston may be filled by individuals living outside of the City.
• Boston’s capacity gap reflects needs beyond Boston residents. Based on the analysis by the state’s Health Planning Council, the City has a significantly higher density of treatment and recovery beds (detox, residential, transitional support services and Clinical Stabilization Service) than any other area of the state.
• Boston has 152 beds per 100,000 residents, while the next largest, central Massachusetts and Cape Cod, have approximately 42 beds per 100,000 residents.

Among the report’s recommendations, some include:

• Augmenting existing capacity (beds) for detox and residential treatment;
• Creating a central source of real-time information on available treatment beds and outpatient services;
• A more cohesive and integrated continuum of care to reduce relapse and increase rates of retention during transition points;
• Encouraging of formal referral arrangements between organizations;
• Supporting integration of levels of care within single organizations;
• Public and private payment reform to support such delivery system reform;
• Expanding care coordination and system navigation services;
• Better data collection and reporting regarding need, demand and capacity;
• More detailed data collection including needs of specific populations and cultural competence; and
• Advocacy for implementation of evidence based practices.­