We are excited to announce that RIZE Massachusetts, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts, will award Fenway Health $214,196 over two years as part of a nearly $1 million grant program for local harm reduction services. Fenway Health’s award will go towards funding the AIDS Action Access: Drug User Health Program, including the purchase of a van for mobile outreach.
According to RIZE, Fenway Health was selected for our “evidence-based treatments that feature an innovative approach to harm reduction with an opportunity to scale and replicate the models.”
The RIZE grant program will award $999,215 to six community-based organizations over the next two years. Other recipients include AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, HRH413, Kraft Center Mobile Health Initiative, and Life Connection Center.
“Individuals face many challenges in seeking care for opioid use disorders, particularly the most vulnerable populations,” said Sarah E. Wakeman, MD, RIZE Chief Medical Officer and medical director for the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorder Initiative. “To provide the comprehensive and compassionate care needed to treat opioid use disorder and prevent illness and death, we need a continuum of services that integrates harm reduction measures with clinical treatment for addiction. By funding local organizations that provide harm reduction services, RIZE is helping to strengthen community resources for those at greatest risk in order to reduce stigma and save lives.”
RIZE Massachusetts is an independent nonprofit committed to achieving zero deaths and zero stigma related to opioid use disorder by investing in the best solutions and brightest minds that will save lives, reduce harm, and end the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts.
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