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
- $500 wellness grants for 500 BostoniansResident proposes $500 grants for 500 residents to pay for therapy, gym, physical therapy or rest, aimed at poor and working-class people struggling with mental health.2025–26City-wide
- Fund citywide non-police mental health crisis responseResident asks the city to fully fund a citywide mental health crisis response without police involvement, noting that a crisis is not a crime and that BIPOC people face more police violence.2025–26City-wide
- Support multicultural mental health organizationsResident asks the City to support mental health organizations serving specific cultural communities and all ages, so people from diverse backgrounds can get culturally fitting counseling.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Equitable mental health care in Roxbury, Dorchester, MattapanResident asks for neighborhood-based mental health services in communities of color, with culturally and linguistically matched providers and trained local peer supporters, to improve access and trust.2025–26Mattapan
- Mobile mental health and wellness pop-upsResident proposes free rotating pop-ups in parks, BCYF centers and housing complexes offering therapy, healing circles and peer counseling to overcome stigma, cost and mistrust barriers.2025–26City-wide
- More domestic violence support for all gendersResident asks for more support programs for people suffering domestic violence, for both sexes, involving men and women from all families.2025–26City-wide
- More domestic violence support programsResident asks for more programs helping people, men and women, who suffer domestic violence, with community participation to prevent abuse.2025–26City-wide
- Support youth mental health programsSupport mental health programs for young people, with community participation to help restore their lives.2025–26City-wide
- Accessible whole-person health and wellness resourcesProvide culturally responsive physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness resources for underserved communities that face stress and barriers to care.2025–26City-wide
- After-hours counseling for Chinatown working adultsResident asks for counseling classes or support groups outside work hours for middle-aged Chinatown workers under family pressure who don't want to visit a clinic.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Support card for caregivers of ill or elderly relativesResident proposes a government-funded card giving middle-aged caregivers three free or discounted counseling sessions, an emotional support hotline and a stress-relief guide, since many hesitate to voice distress.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Chinese-language mental health classes at librariesResident asks for Chinese-language classes on emotional regulation and anxiety at libraries and community centers, since the community often doesn't seek help naturally.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Monthly peer support tea gatherings in ChineseResident proposes monthly anonymous peer support gatherings led by trusted social workers or volunteers in Cantonese and Mandarin, for middle-aged residents to discuss family stress, mood and sleep.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Weekly Cantonese/Mandarin mental wellness radio showResident proposes a weekly Cantonese and Mandarin community radio program on family stress and immigrant life so the community has its own program and can share stories.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Monthly Chinese community mental wellness caféResident proposes a monthly café for the Chinese community to share concerns, similar to services available to other groups.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- More mental health talks for Chinese communityResident asks for more mental health lectures and education projects because language barriers leave community members with no one to confide in.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Mental health and mindfulness speakers for ChinatownResident asks to invite mental health educators or mindfulness instructors to teach relaxation skills, improving Chinatown's health and awareness of self-care.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Youth mental health programsResident asks for programs to improve young people's mental health so low-income youth can participate and have a better future.2025–26City-wide
- Mental health outreach for seniors living aloneResident asks for more programs that support the mental health of seniors living alone at home, since many need encouragement to leave the house for community programs.2025–26ChinatownSubmitted in Chinese
- Mental health prevention for all agesResident asks for mental health prevention for children, youth and adults, to reduce future homelessness and severe distress.2025–26City-wide