CASPAR
Cambridge and Somerville Programs for Addiction Recovery
CASPAR (Cambridge And Somerville Programs for Addiction Recovery)—a part of Bay Cove Human Services—is a community-based non-profit organization founded in 1970 in response to growing community need for substance abuse treatment. At that time, no treatment options existed other than local hospital emergency rooms for the 10% of the population affected by substance use disorders. The decriminalization of alcoholism in Massachusetts in the early 1970s—a legislative initiative spearheaded by CASPAR’s founders— reinforced CASPAR’s recognition that people with substance use disorders require treatment, not incarceration.
Since 1970, CASPAR has grown from a single halfway house for men and a shelter for homeless men and women, to a comprehensive array of services that provide access to people wherever they are on the substance use recovery continuum. From street outreach to aftercare housing, CASPAR’s programs all reflect a shared commitment to non-judgmental, person-centered care for men and women who struggle with substance addiction. In July 2014, CASPAR became part of Boston-based Bay Cove Human Services, joining forces with another agency with more than 40 years’ experience in the field of addiction services, and a shared philosophy and approach to caring for men and women with substance use disorder.
Today, CASPAR is widely recognized for its proactive programmatic response to emerging populations, trends in substance use disorders, and evidence-based research. Its reputation as the leading provider of substance use disorder services in the area, and a pioneer in cutting-edge service delivery, shapes CASPAR’s vision for the future of person-centered treatment for high-risk populations.
Andrea’s Story
Andrea came from a family with a history of addiction, and had been in and out of detox several times due to struggles with heroin. She suffered through a series of precarious living situations, including periods of homelessness.
It was during one of these periods that she found out about CASPAR’s Woman Place program, and she caught a break when a bed opened up sooner than expected. Counseling and group sessions helped her to look honestly at her behaviors, and awakened a strong desire to get and stay clean. Andrea recently celebrated three years of sobriety, and is currently pursuing a career in the field of addiction counseling.
Thank you to the Cummings Foundation for selecting CASPAR as a Sustaining Grant recipient!
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CASPAR First Step Street Outreach
Our First Step Street Outreach program offers life-saving alternatives to unsheltered homeless men and women who are affected by substance use disorders, mental illness and medical complications associated with life on the streets. First Step staff engage homeless people where they are in the community, and build trusting relationships. The goal is to promote human dignity and connect people with the services they need and save a life today so that recovery is possible tomorrow.
To contact a member of the First Step team, please call 617-592-6895.
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CASPAR Emergency Services & Shelter
The CASPAR Emergency Services Center (ESC) is a shelter that accepts homeless men and women who are actively using drugs and alcohol. At the ESC, guests receive medical and mental health care, nutritious meals, personal hygiene supplies, clean clothes, counseling and case management, as well as access to employment, housing, and treatment referrals in an environment that is welcoming and safe.
In 2020, following the advent of the COVID-19 crisis, CASPAR teamed up with the City of Cambridge to establish a second, temporary shelter, which allowed us to decongregate the Emergency Services Center—preserving our capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness while reducing overcrowding at the ESC shelter on Albany Street in Cambridge. This second site, now known as the Transition Wellness Center (TWC), is now located at Cambridge’s Spaulding Hospital. The new city-funded facility features 58 beds on two floors, and has been renovated to serve the needs of of homeless guests.
ESC Shelter Location: 240 Albany St., Cambridge. Phone: 617-661-0600.
Transitional Wellness Center Location: Spaulding Hospital, 1575 Cambridge St, Cambridge. Phone: (617) 401-4444.
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CASPAR Men's Residences
Our Men’s Residences provide a six-to-nine month residential experience for men experiencing the struggles of early sobriety. Clients receive the building blocks necessary for long-term sobriety through individual and group counseling and community-based self-help groups.
Case managers work with residents to build relapse prevention skills while teaching the principles of harm reduction and the basics of men’s wellness. Residential treatment emphasizes the importance of anger management, impulse control, personal responsibility, and a wide array of independent living skills intended to promote self-sufficiency.
Phone: 617-623-5277
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CASPAR Grow House
GROW House is a transitional housing program for formerly homeless women who have graduated from residential treatment programs. Residents live in a supportive community where they receive intensive case management and ongoing post-treatment services.
Phone: 617-661-6020
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CASPAR Hagan Manor
Hagan Manor is a congregate residence for men with disabilities in addition to their substance abuse history. This unique partnership between the City of Somerville and CASPAR originated as a pilot program, and has been widely replicated statewide.
At Hagan Manor, men who have graduated from residential treatment have the opportunity to reside in a supportive living environment where they have access to on-site case management intended to continually monitor and stabilize their recovery.
Phone: 617-623-5277
“Coming here, I discovered for the first time that I really liked the feeling of being honest with myself and others, and taking honest consequences. I was told [at Woman Place] that they would help me, but they wouldn’t work harder than I was willing to work myself.
Life is amazing now—I’ve got the support of the women I live with. It’s the sort of family feeling I never really had before. I can think of several times that they could’ve kicked me out, but they didn’t. They stuck with me, and saw something in me that I didn’t see. They gave me the chance to really clean myself up, and basically saved my life. I will always be so grateful for that.”
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