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
- Free 12-week trauma and addiction recovery courseResident proposes a free 12-week course on trauma and addiction recovery open to all Boston residents, to help people with mental health struggles regain confidence and stay on a recovery path.2024–25Dorchester
- Mental health care for returning citizensResident asks for specialized mental health programming for people returning from incarceration, noting incarceration disproportionately affects communities of color.2024–25City-wide
- Nonprofits supporting people with mental illnessResident proposes building nonprofit organizations to help people with mental illness and related health care issues, open to all ethnicities.2024–25East Boston
- More shelters and recovery programs for addictionResident asks for more shelters and recovery programs for people suffering from addiction.2024–25City-wide
- More sober activities and eventsThe resident asks for more daytime and nighttime sober events in Boston to connect sober-minded residents and reduce isolation.2024–25City-wide
- Youth mental health support in the South EndThe resident asks for more mental health support for youth in the South End, especially Black and Brown young people, to reduce stress.2024–25South End
- Program addressing root causes of incarcerationThe resident asks for a program addressing the root causes of disproportionate incarceration, including wealth and education disparities, stigma and lack of mental health support.2024–25City-wide
- Free therapy, art programs and neighborhood circlesThe resident asks for mental health resources such as free therapy, art programs and neighborhood circles.2024–25City-wide
- Family intervention, treatment and violence prevention programsThe resident asks for family interventions, more substance abuse treatment, and more violence prevention and social justice programs.2024–25City-wide
- Peer-run anxiety support centerResident proposes a peer-supporter-run anxiety center with community support, open evenings and weekends, as an alternative for people who avoid therapy.2024–25City-wide
- More skilled social workers for mental health crisesResident asks for more skilled social workers to handle community mental health needs and situations police are not trained for, citing post-COVID mental illness.2024–25City-wide
- 24/7 mental health crisis response teamCreate a mental health crisis response team that operates around the clock to support residents' wellbeing.2024–25City-wide
- Green space and social prescribing for wellbeingProposes adding green space and community activities as social prescribing to address loneliness, mental health and addiction by building belonging and connection.2024–25City-wide
- Drug rehab programs for women with childrenResident asks for rehab centers where women can receive addiction treatment while living with their children, since most programs are men-only or force mothers to leave their families.2024–25City-wide
- Education on harm reduction and policing historyResident asks for more public education on harm reduction and the history of policing, and for mental health workers rather than police to handle such situations.2024–25Beacon Hill
- Wellness and recovery campus at ShattuckDevelop with residents a wellness and recovery campus at Shattuck to address the opioid epidemic and neighbors' housing, health and economic insecurity.2024–25City-wide
- Safe space for teens to express emotionsCreate a supportive environment for teens to express emotions, starting with focus groups to understand their emotional needs and challenges.2024–25Downtown
- Mental health and anti-bullying support in schoolsProvide mental health services in schools, including anti-bullying services and support.2024–25City-wide
- Mental health programs for all ages in every communityResident asks for more mental health strengthening and educational programs for all ages in every community to support health and well-being.2024–25City-wide
- Mental health support in high schools and youth jobsResident asks for more mental health programming in high schools and at youth job sites, shaped by young people, to support BIPOC youth most affected by Covid and systemic racism.2024–25City-wide