Successful Opioid Recovery Program Receives $2.7 Million in State Funding to Help Participants Pay for Sober Housing

SUDBURY, Mass., Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Access to Recovery (ATR) received $2.7 million in funding in the Massachusetts state budget to supplement federal dollars received through the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant. This allocation will enhance and expand the program and be used primarily to provide housing subsidies to ATR participants for sober housing as part of a new Sober Home Pilot Project.

ATR is a 6-month program for Massachusetts residents who have or are at risk of having opioid use disorder and want support for recovery and community reentry. It offers a successful model for other states to consider in using federal SOR and state funding for the opioid crisis.

ATR differs from traditional treatment programs by providing recovery support services addressing social support, housing, employment, and basic needs. ATR participant numbers have surpassed 25,000, and overdose rates among participants are less than 1 percent while enrolled in the program.

The infusion of funds will help ATR participants with one of the biggest barriers to recovery: stable housing. The money will help participants pay their rent in certified sober homes, offering them a period of stable housing while transitioning back into the community. ATR will also provide comprehensive supports to help them find and apply for sober home placements, learn home rules, and transition to life in a group setting while working on recovery. Each participant will be assigned a Sober Home Housing Coordinator and a Sober Home Recovery Coach, who will meet with them at least once per week to help navigate any challenges and develop a housing plan for when the ATR vouchers cease.

"Sober homes certified by the state are the ideal housing entities for people transitioning to a drug-free life," said Rebecca Starr, director of the ATR program and senior program manager at Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP). "Homes are substance free and run by peers who have once been where they are and can help them adjust back into the community."

More information is available http://www.ma-atr.org and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zw_uJGUskw&feature=youtu.be.

ATR is funded by a grant through the MA Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, with funding from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), manages the program. 

SOURCE Advocates for Human Potential