Mental health & substance use
Counseling, crisis response, addiction treatment and prevention for all ages.
Residents consistently ask for accessible, culturally responsive mental health support, youth-focused care and substance use prevention, and recovery services in their own neighborhoods, many as alternatives to policing.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
159 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 64 | 5.3% | 8 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 60 | 5.0% | 7 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 35 | 2.6% | 16 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Youth mental health support
Residents want free, accessible mental health programs, counseling and resources for children, teens and young adults, in schools, youth programs and neighborhoods.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Youth substance use prevention
Residents want free education and prevention programs that keep young people away from drugs and vaping, and help for youth already struggling with addiction.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Treatment and recovery programs
Residents ask for more rehab, halfway housing, recovery centers and recovery-centered social spaces that support long-term recovery and reintegration.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Free, culturally and linguistically responsive counseling
Residents want free or low-cost counseling, support groups and education delivered in their own languages and communities, to overcome cost, stigma and trust barriers.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Non-police crisis response
Residents ask for a community-based mental health crisis response or helpline, staffed by trained responders rather than police.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26
2024–25
Most ideas focused on youth mental health grants and non-police crisis response, with additional asks for drug treatment, harm reduction, safe consumption sites and services for people returning from incarceration.
2025–26
Chinatown dominated, with many ideas for Cantonese and Mandarin counseling, stigma-reduction talks, peer groups and elder outreach, alongside youth drug prevention and rehab asks.
2026–27
Fewer ideas overall, centered on free multilingual counseling and resource centers, recovery and halfway housing (including Mass and Cass), and continued funding for Torchlight Recovery Cafe.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include halfway housing and recovery programs tied to Mass and Cass, funding for Torchlight Recovery Cafe, social events for people in recovery, support groups for widows and new fathers, and peer specialists for immigrants affected by enforcement.
Funding so far
No winning projects related to this theme were funded by resident vote, so every recurring ask, including youth mental health, prevention, recovery programs, multilingual counseling and non-police crisis response, remains unaddressed through the vote.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Boston Public Health Commission
- BCYF
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Mental health & substance use
159 ideas
2024–25: 64 · 2025–26: 60 · 2026–27: 35
- Peer specialists for immigrants affected by enforcementThe resident asks to expand certified peer specialists, family partners and community health workers to provide mental health interventions for immigrants and families affected by immigration enforcement.2026–27City-wide
- Resources for drug users near CopleyThe resident asks for resources and services to support people who use drugs in the area around Copley.2026–27Back BaySubmitted in Korean
- More counseling services for children in needResident asks for more counseling services for children in need.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Harm reduction and health care for unhoused peopleResident asks for harm reduction and health care for unhoused people designed with frontline workers rather than police, opposing sweeps at Mass and Cass and calling for drug decriminalization.2026–27City-wide
- Grants for halfway houses serving homeless people in recoveryThe resident asks for grants to Boston halfway houses to help homeless people struggling with addiction work on getting better.2026–27City-wide
- Support groups for new dadsResident asks for support groups for new fathers to reduce stress and prevent family violence by building healthy co-parenting skills and emotional support.2026–27City-wide
- Support groups for new dadsResident asks for support groups for new fathers to reduce stress and prevent family violence by building healthy co-parenting skills and emotional support.2026–27City-wide
- More programs to help youth with addictionThe resident asks for more programs to help young people with addictions, so youth and families can get help and stay together.2026–27City-wide
- Detox and job training center for people using drugsThe resident asks for a place where people with drug problems can detox, learn a trade and reintegrate into society, citing drug use seen on the street.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Community social workers in Dorchester, Mattapan, RoxburyResident asks for a dedicated social worker embedded in each Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury neighborhood to build trust and help people of color navigate systems.2026–27City-wide
- Programs for people with addictionsResident asks for programs for people with addictions to help them integrate into the community.2026–27Roxbury
- Fund substance use prevention and youth programsResident asks to direct money to substance use prevention and more youth programs that support young people's needs and include everyone.2026–27City-wide
- Limit substances sold to minors in storesResident asks that stores not have many substances available to minors, to help the community.2026–27City-wide
- Motivational support programs for people in hard timesResident proposes programs that motivate and support people through difficult times, such as terminal illness or families separated by migration, with testimonies open across social and racial lines.2026–27City-wide
- Fund social events with recovery centersThe resident asks for funding for social events for people in recovery, in partnership with Boston's seven recovery centers.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Social activities for people 55+ in recoveryThe resident asks for social activities for people over 55 in recovery from substance addiction, since many venues have been lost since COVID.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Korean
- Counseling and support for homeless familiesResident asks for counseling and support services for families experiencing homelessness.2026–27City-wide
- Free multilingual mental health counseling and groupsThe resident asks for more free or low-cost mental health counseling, emotional support groups and talks offered in multiple languages to reduce barriers and stigma for diverse and disadvantaged communities.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Community mental health resource centerThe resident asks for a community center offering free or low-cost mental health screenings, counseling, support groups, stress classes and multilingual education to reduce income, language and cultural barriers to care.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Free multilingual mental health counseling and supportResident asks for free or low-cost counseling, stress management classes, support groups and talks in multiple languages to reduce barriers to mental health care.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese