New city program aims to improve access to addiction recovery services

If you, a friend or family member are suffering with addiction, the City of Boston has launched a new hotline system to help connect you with access to recovery services, the mayor’s office announced Tuesday.

Residents can now call the “311” city services line 24 hours a day, seven days a week and request access to treatment services.

Operators will then route those calls to a Providing Access to Addictions Treatment, Hope and Support (PAATHS) recovery specialist, who will help determine the best way to move forward.Those specialists will be available seven days a week, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 4 p.m.

“We have an incredibly committed treatment community in the City and State health departments and across our city’s network of providers, yet many people in Boston still need help accessing addiction recovery services,” Mayor Walsh saidin a writtenstatement. “311, the City of Boston’s 24/7 hotline for constituent services, has proven successful at providing constituents access to basic municipal services. Under the leadership of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services, this new initiative will offer residents access to comprehensive recovery services through 311.”

The city’s Public Health Commission estimates that integrating those services with the city’s 311 hotline will increase weekly PAATHS calls from 100 to 300 — and hopefully lead to broader rates of recovery in the city.

“We anticipate that 311 for Recovery Services will increase constituents’ overall awareness and access to recovery services in Boston,” the commission’s executive director, Monica Valdes Lupi, said in a statement. “The service supports our efforts to serve residents battling substance use and addiction, meeting people where they are with the support and services they need. People using the service will never be placed on hold and the recovery service specialists will be committed to identifying the unique path that best fits their recovery needs.”

You can learn more about the service by watching the video below.