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
- Mental health programs, youth sports and adult gatheringsResident asks for mental health programs for youth and adults, plus youth sports and adult gathering activities, to support wellbeing.2026–27City-wide
- Youth drug prevention activities and stopping dealersResident asks for activities to keep youth away from drugs and addiction and for action against those who sell drugs to youth.2026–27Roxbury
- Free mental health counseling and support groupsThe resident asks for free or low-cost counseling, emotional support groups and stress management classes, offered in multiple languages and culturally appropriate ways, to reduce anxiety, depression and loneliness.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Free or low-cost community counselingThe resident asks for free or low-cost mental health counseling in the community to help residents with stress, anxiety and emotional difficulties regardless of income.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Community mental health resource centerThe resident asks for a community center offering emotional support, stress management classes, mental health information and referrals, with free or low-cost multilingual services.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Mental health helpThe resident asks for mental health help, without giving further detail.2026–27City-wide
- Use Torchlight Recovery Cafe to help residentsResident asks to use Torchlight Recovery Cafe to help people with health, housing, safety and other concerns so everyone can live more productively.2026–27Mattapan
- Keep culturally competent resources like Torchlight RecoveryResident asks the city to keep supporting culturally competent community resources such as Torchlight Recovery Center that promote recovery, wellness, education, youth, family, and arts and culture.2026–27Jamaica Plain
- Keep funding Torchlight Recovery CafeResident asks the city to keep funding Torchlight Recovery Cafe in Grove Hall, which works with families in crisis and provides guidance to youth.2026–27Dorchester
- Mental health programs and resources for Boston teensResident asks for programs that strengthen mental health and provide resources for teens in Boston who need help.2026–27City-wide
- More recovery programs at Mass and CassResident asks for more recovery programs at Mass and Cass, where people often lack access to basic needs and a path to recovery.2026–27City-wide
- Fund more halfway housing for addiction recoveryResident asks for more halfway housing programs that provide health necessities and support recovery from addiction in the city's most vulnerable areas.2026–27City-wide
- More money for drug preventionResident asks for more funding for drug prevention.2026–27City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Support programs for widowsA recent young widow asks for programs for widows, saying she felt marginalized and alone and that nothing currently exists.2026–27City-wide
- Community health plan for families facing mental health issuesWriting in Haitian Creole, the resident asks for a community health plan to help families in the community who are dealing with mental health problems.2026–27City-wide
- Support multicultural mental health service organizationsSupport mental health organizations that serve people of all ages and cultures, with language and cultural knowledge, so all communities get fair, quality care.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Chinese
- Culturally responsive mental health for Chinatown seniorsResident asks for culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services for Chinese-speaking older adults in Chinatown, reducing language and cultural barriers to care.2025–26Chinatown
- Chinatown community mental health support networkResident asks for community peer support groups and an emergency support network in Chinatown to address pandemic-related loneliness, anxiety, job loss and grief, ensuring equitable resources for minority communities.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Culture-based counseling and art healing for Chinatown teensProposes group counseling and art healing programs rooted in culture for Chinese teens caught between cultures, facing family pressure and identity conflict, to give them belonging and expression.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Culturally sensitive stigma-reduction education in Chinese communityProposes culturally sensitive education to reduce stigma around depression and anxiety, so Chinese community members can express mental health needs and seek help.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese