Open Letter to Massachusetts Lawmakers
The Overdose Crisis is Growing Worse: Pass Substance Use & Recovery Legislation
Dear Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka and all Massachusetts Lawmakers,
We all know and love people who are deeply impacted by addiction. For many of us, it’s our own struggle; others see the effects of substance use disorder in our communities or right up close at home. There isn’t a day that goes by without several people
in the Commonwealth dying from an overdose or losing loved ones to this disease.
As individuals and institutions working to combat the opioid epidemic, we know the Commonwealth must do more to prevent addiction, help people find pathways to treatment and recovery, and save lives. Public health professionals are doing all they can
with the tools and resources they have, but we urgently need legislative solutions to respond to substance use and help the people of Massachusetts.
We appreciate that the House and Senate have each taken steps to address this crisis, and we urge you to continue your efforts until a bill is signed into law by the Governor.
Please pass substance use and recovery legislation in the 2023-2024 session and keep working to alleviate the crises of addiction and overdose going forward.
1199SEIU - Massachusetts
A New Way Recovery Center
ACCESS Drug User Health Program
Access HOPE
ACLU of Massachusetts
Actual Criminal Legal Roundtable of the Southern New England United Church of Christ
Addiction Treatment Center of New England
AIDS Action
AIDS Project Worcester
All Inclusive Support Services
HCSD
American College of Physicians - MA Chapter
Association for Behavioral Healthcare
Bay State Community Services
Baystate Medical Center
Berkshire Medical Center
Boston Medical Center
Boston HealthCare for the Homeless Program
Boston Medical Center
Boston Public Health Commission
Boston University Medical Students for Harm Reduction
Boston Users Union
Brockton Area Multi Service Inc.
Brockton Neighborhood Health Center
BWH Bridge Clinic
Center for Expressive Arts, Therapy and Education (C.R.E.A.T.E!)
CHOiCE Recovery Coaching Inc.
CIR/SEIU
Coalition for Social Justice Action
Collectively Determined
Committee for Public Counsel Services
Common Collab
Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals
Craig’s Doors: A Home Assoc.
Division of Addiction Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital
Downtown Emergency Service Center
DragonFly Health Solutions
Duffy Health Center
End Hep C MA
End Mass Incarceration Together (EMIT)
Fenway Community Health Center
Folding Chair Project
Galilee Ministries
Gandara Center, Stop Access Coalition
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center
Greater Boston Legal Services CORI & Re-entry Project
Greylock Recovery Center
Hampden County Addiction Task Force
Hampden-Wilbraham Partners for Youth Coalition
Harm Reduction Hedgehogs 413 (HRH413)
Health in Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University School of Law
Health Resources in Action
High Point Treatment Center
Holyoke Health Center
Hope Beyond Hope
Inside the Sun Inc.
Institute for Health and Recovery
Justice Resource Institute
Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Law Office of Lisa Newman-Polk
Learn to cope Inc
Lynn Community Health Center
Lynn Health Task Force
.I.R.A.C.L.E. MAMAS INC.
Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians
Massachusetts Action for Justice
Massachusetts Assoc. of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors Inc.
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health
Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians
Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth
Massachusetts General Brigham
Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Massachusetts Medical Society
Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery
Massachusetts Psychiatric Society
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Massachusetts Recovery Advocacy Project
Massachusetts Section, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine
Massachusetts Young People in Recovery
Material Aid and Advocacy Program (MAAP)
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
MGH Addiction Consult Team
MGH Primary Care Leadership
Middlesex Human Service Agency
NamaStay Sober
Naranon
National Association of Social Workers - MA Chapter
New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc
New England Users Union
New Start
New Way Peer Recovery Center
NNCC's Milagros "Terry" Rodriguez Wellness Center
North Shore Community Health Centers
North Shore Physicians Group
One Shared Spirit
Our United Communities
Parsons Hill
Plymouth Recovery center
Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative
Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, Inc.
Pregnancy Justice
Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts
Progressive Massachusetts
Project ASSERT
Real Cost of Prisons Project
Recovery Homes Collaborative
Renewal Integrative Psychotherapies LLC
Renewal Recovery, LLC
RIZE Massachusetts Foundation
Room to Grow Recovery Support Center, St Francis
Roxbury Youthworks, Inc.
S.A.S.S Recovery Inc
SafeSpot Overdose Hotline
SEIU 509
SIFMA Now
Smoke Works
South Shore Hospital
Spectrum Health Systems, Inc
Square One
St. Francis House
Tapestry Health
Team Sharing, Inc
Tenten Program
The F8 Foundation
The Megan House Foundation
The Sun Will Rise Foundation, Inc.
UTEC Inc.
Veterans Inc.
Victory Programs
Western Mass Substance Addiction Providers Association
Women and Incarceration Project, Center for Women's Health and Human Rights
YWCA Boston
View a PDF of this letter here.
