A new hotline service aimed to help Boston residents battling substance abuse and addiction was launched Tuesday by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, according to a press release.
The service, called 311 for Recovery Services, will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it will provide callers with access to addiction treatment, recovery programs for friends and family of those battling addiction and general answers to questions relating to substance abuse, according to the release.
“311, the City of Boston’s 24/7 hotline for constituent services, has proven successful at providing constituents access to basic municipal services,” Walsh said in the release. “Under the leadership of the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services, this new initiative will offer residents access to comprehensive recovery services through 311.”
Brendan Little, policy director for the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services, explained that while the normal 311 municipal line is meant for residents to call to get pot holes filled or to get trashed picked up, 311 for Recovery Services serves a new purpose.
“When someone calls 311, they can get transferred to the public health professional they need and get their addiction or recovery question answered,” Little said.
Once a call is identified as a recovery service, 311 will transfer the caller to a “Providing Access to Addictions Treatment, Hope and Support Recovery Specialist”, who will provide the caller with more specialized help based on their needs, according to the press release.
Callers also have the option to remain anonymous, according to Little.
“You should not be ashamed, and you don’t need to identify yourself when the 311 operator picks up the phone,” Little said. “You don’t need to give any personal information, and they [the operator] will transfer you to a health professional.”
Furthermore, the hotline is intended to provide callers with immediate assistance, according to Monica Valdes Lupi, the executive director for the Boston Public Health Commission.
“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,” Lupi said in the press release.
As the Chair of the Task Force on Substance Abuse, Prevention and Recovery Services, Walsh is not only leading the way locally, but also nationally, on how to address the issue of substance abuse, Little said.
“We do have a problem in this city, but we have also taken unprecedented steps to address that problem that no other city has taken,” Little said.
In addition to using the 311 hotline, Little urged Boston residents to help combat addiction in their city by fighting the stigma about people struggling with addiction.
“People in recovery are amazing people,” Little said. “They are resilient people, and they have unlimited opportunity if they get the support they need.”
Several Boston residents expressed support for the new 311 for Recovery Services program.
Colin Hulseman, 30, of Brighton, said he likes the idea of such an easily accessible recovery tool.
“The most important thing is that people in need have an easy number to remember and a centralized place to go, rather than them having to locate those resources on their own,” he said.
Mark McCarthy, 32, of Brighton, said he thinks the 311 hotline has the potential to solve the problem of addiction in the Commonwealth.
“It’s a worthwhile service, and it’s necessary for our city,” McCarthy said.
Livia Hermiz, 26, of Brighton, said she applauds Walsh’s effort to help those who struggle with addiction.
“It’s great he [Walsh] set that up for people who have those issues and don’t know where to go for help,” she said. “This an easier way for them to find that help.”
