BPHC receives $74,000 grant to assist women of color battling addiction

On May 8, 2017, the Boston Public Health Commission announced its acceptance of a $74,000 grant that will be used to counter and prevent further growth in the national opioid crisis, and in turn, its affect on black and Latino women afflicted with mental, behavioral, health and substance abuse disorders.

The grant is funded by New Venture Fund’s Hope & Grace Fund, which reaches out to organizations that are actively advocating and providing services for the general mental and physical health and well-being of all women.

“We are grateful for this funding that will allow us to apply a coordinated approach to meet the specific needs of women of color who are suffering from substance use disorders,” said BPHC Executive Director Monica Valdes Lupi. “This project builds on our work in contributing to a trauma-informed system of care for women who are experiencing substance use disorders at the same time as they are experiencing behavioral health challenges, racism, trauma or poverty.”

With the help of this generous funding, BPHC plans to make changes to the Boston Consortium Model: Trauma-Informed Substance Abuse Treatment for Women (BCM) program. The program provides trauma-informed mental health services, substance abuse treatment, programs and options for low-income, minority women with co-occurring alcohol and drug addiction, mental health disorders and traumatic histories.

It includes empowering programs such as Women’s Leadership Training, Economic Success in Recovery, Pathways to Family Reunification and Recovery and the Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery.

In order to assist in the progress of the BCM, the updated model will introduce e-learning modules. It will also undergo necessary adaptations to be utilized in community health care centers. This model and its updates will allow more Boston treatment centers to provide services for women of color experiencing complex situations.

At the intersection of gender and social injustice, women of color affected by complex situations, living in inner-city neighborhoods, will now have more access to vital services. As a result of the generous gift from New Venture Fund’s Hope & Grace Fund, the upcoming changes to the BCM and the never-ending commitment and innovation of BPHC, national strategies and outreach will be coordinated with other providers to help women affected by the opioid epidemic and co-occurring disorders.