Best Substance Abuse in Massachusetts — 17 resources

About Substance Abuse for Women

Substance use treatment in the US is delivered through state-licensed providers, mutual-aid programs (AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety), hospital detox, methadone clinics, and sober living. SAMHSA's National Helpline (1-800-662-HELP) and findtreatment.gov locate local programs 24/7. For pregnant and parenting women, federally funded Pregnant and Postpartum Women (PPW) programs provide specialized residential and outpatient care that allows children on-site. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the standard for opioid use disorder, and family drug courts offer treatment-based alternatives to losing custody. This directory aggregates each state's single state agency for SUD, women-specific treatment, MAT providers, and recovery meetings.

Substance Abuse in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts handle divorce, custody, paternity, and child support in each of its 14 counties. The Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Division runs enforcement. Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, and Lowell are the largest cities. Greater Boston Legal Services, Community Legal Aid, Volunteer Lawyers Project, and Jane Doe Inc. (MA DV/SA coalition) serve women.

17 Resources

1. Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services — Free

BSAS within DPH at 250 Washington Street licenses Massachusetts substance use treatment programs, runs the state's network of detox and residential beds, and oversees the Section 35 civil commitment process. Mothers seeking treatment for themselves or a loved one can call 617-624-5111 weekdays 8:45am-5pm; the BSAS Helpline at 800-327-5050 covers 24/7. Free, public.

617-624-5111 · 250 Washington St, Boston, MA 02108 · Mon-Fri 8:45am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline — Free

The Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline (helplinema.org) is BSAS's free 24/7 information and referral service connecting callers to detox, residential, and outpatient programs based on insurance, location, and gender-specific needs (including women-only and pregnant/postpartum-specific programs). Call 800-327-5050 or chat at helplinema.org. Free for any Massachusetts caller.

800-327-5050 · Statewide Hotline · 24/7 · Visit Website

3. Women's Recovery Homes — Spectrum Health Systems

Spectrum Health Systems at 10 Mechanic Street in Worcester operates detox, residential, and outpatient substance use programs including dedicated women's residential beds and the Hello House recovery home. Spectrum accepts MassHealth and most commercial insurance. Call 800-464-9555 anytime for 24/7 intake. Pregnant women receive priority access under federal SUPPORT Act rules.

800-464-9555 · 10 Mechanic St, Worcester, MA 01608 · 24/7 Intake · Visit Website

4. AdCare Educational Institute

AdCare Hospital at 107 Lincoln Street in Worcester is one of New England's largest dedicated addiction treatment hospitals, offering detox, residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs with a women's track. MassHealth, Medicare, and most commercial insurance accepted. Call 800-252-6465 anytime for 24/7 admissions.

800-252-6465 · 107 Lincoln St, Worcester, MA 01605 · 24/7 · Visit Website

5. Gavin Foundation

Gavin Foundation at 675 East Fourth Street in South Boston operates women's residential recovery programs including Sullivan House for women and their children, outpatient counseling, and recovery coaching across Boston neighborhoods. MassHealth accepted. Call 617-822-0043 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm for intake. Particularly important for Boston mothers in early recovery.

617-822-0043 · 675 East Fourth St, South Boston, MA 02127 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

6. Bay State Community Services — Women's Recovery

Bay State Community Services at 800 Turnpike Street in North Andover provides outpatient substance use counseling, medication-assisted treatment, case management, and a women-only recovery track for Essex and northern Middlesex County mothers. MassHealth accepted. Call 781-821-1860 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm to schedule intake.

781-821-1860 · 800 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845 · Mon-Fri 8am-6pm · Visit Website

7. Women of Means Recovery Program

New Directions Inc. at 9 Summer Street in Haverhill provides residential and outpatient substance use treatment for women in the Merrimack Valley with a focus on pregnant and parenting women. The program accepts MassHealth and works with DCF when child welfare cases are open. Call 978-475-1500 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to inquire about openings.

978-475-1500 · 9 Summer St, Haverhill, MA 01830 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

8. High Point Treatment Center — Women's Programs

High Point at 1233 State Road in Plymouth operates detox, residential, and outpatient programs across southeastern Massachusetts including the Women's Addiction Treatment Center in New Bedford and a Family Recovery program serving pregnant and postpartum women with their infants. MassHealth and commercial insurance accepted. Call 508-997-2220 anytime for 24/7 intake.

508-997-2220 · 1233 State Rd, Plymouth, MA 02360 · 24/7 Intake · Visit Website

9. SAMHSA Treatment Locator — Free

FindTreatment.gov is SAMHSA's searchable database of licensed Massachusetts substance use and mental health programs. Filter by insurance (including MassHealth), gender-specific programs, medication-assisted treatment, and special populations. Useful complement to the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline. Free, no login.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. Alcoholics Anonymous — Free

AA's Eastern Massachusetts Intergroup, Western Massachusetts Area 31, and Worcester Area Intergroup coordinate hundreds of in-person and online AA meetings across Massachusetts daily, including women-only meetings in Boston, Cambridge, Worcester, and Springfield. Find a meeting at aa.org. Free, no registration.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Narcotics Anonymous — Free

NA's Greater Boston Area, Central Massachusetts, and Western Massachusetts regions list hundreds of weekly NA meetings statewide, including women-focused meetings in Boston, Worcester, and the Pioneer Valley. Find a meeting at na.org. Free, no registration.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. SMART Recovery — Free

SMART Recovery runs CBT-based addiction recovery meetings as a secular alternative to 12-step programs, with active in-person meetings in Boston, Cambridge, Worcester, Springfield, and online for Massachusetts women anywhere in the state. Free, online and in-person, no registration required for most meetings.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Women for Sobriety — Free

Women for Sobriety runs an alternative recovery program designed by and for women, with online meetings accessible to Massachusetts women anywhere in the state and occasional in-person groups. Particularly valuable for Massachusetts women who haven't connected with traditional AA. Free online community; modest donation suggested.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Al-Anon Family Groups — Free

Al-Anon's Massachusetts area coordinates hundreds of in-person and online meetings for Massachusetts family members of alcoholics, including women-only meetings in Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Worcester, and Springfield. Find a meeting at al-anon.org. Free, no registration.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. Nar-Anon — Free

Nar-Anon's Northeast region coordinates Massachusetts meetings for family members of those addicted to drugs, including online options accessible statewide. Particularly valuable for Massachusetts mothers managing the impact of a child's or partner's opioid use. Free, no registration.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

16. Shatterproof — Free

Shatterproof's national advocacy and family resources are particularly relevant in Massachusetts, where the opioid crisis has hit hard and DPH publishes detailed quarterly overdose data. The site explains evidence-based treatment principles Massachusetts mothers can use when evaluating a program for themselves or a loved one. Free.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

17. Faces & Voices of Recovery — Free

Faces & Voices of Recovery organizes the national recovery community to advocate for policy change and reduce stigma — partners closely with Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) at 50 Federal Street. Useful for Massachusetts women in recovery interested in advocacy and community organizing. Free public resources.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many substance abuse resources are in Massachusetts?
Women's Corner tracks 17 substance abuse resources for women in Massachusetts.
Are substance abuse resources in Massachusetts free?
11 of the 17 listed substance abuse resources in Massachusetts are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Massachusetts have substance abuse resources?
Listings span cities including Boston, Worcester, South Boston, North Andover, Haverhill, Plymouth.
What are some examples of substance abuse resources in Massachusetts?
Featured entries include Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline, Women's Recovery Homes — Spectrum Health Systems, AdCare Educational Institute, Gavin Foundation.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
8 of 17 Massachusetts substance abuse listings include phone numbers.
Where do I start if I want help with addiction?
Call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) — free, confidential, 24/7. They connect you to local treatment, support groups, and women-specific programs. FindTreatment.gov lets you search by location, payment, and women's services. Medicaid covers treatment in every state under the Mental Health Parity Act.
Will I lose my kids if I go to treatment?
Voluntarily seeking treatment is almost always viewed favorably by family court and CPS — it shows responsibility. Many states have women-and-children residential treatment programs where your kids stay with you during recovery (search SAMHSA's directory for 'residential treatment for women with children'). Hiding addiction is far more dangerous to custody than addressing it.
Are there women-only treatment programs?
Yes — research shows women have better outcomes in gender-specific treatment because programs address trauma, parenting, pregnancy, and DV that fuel addiction differently for women. SAMHSA's directory filters by 'programs for women' and 'pregnant/postpartum women.' Most include childcare or family housing.
What about pregnancy and addiction?
Call 1-800-662-HELP immediately — they prioritize pregnant women for treatment, and federal law requires treatment programs to admit pregnant women on the same day or refer immediately. Medication-assisted treatment (methadone, buprenorphine) is safer for the baby than untreated addiction or withdrawal. Most states have laws protecting pregnant women seeking treatment from prosecution.