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Overview

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have inadequate access to culturally responsive programming that addresses substance use and are disproportionately affected by policies that do not consider their needs. In response to this challenge and the lack of diverse representation, experience, and perspectives among currently funded grantees, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) has launched the Redefining Community Wellness Grants Program to intentionally center BIPOC voices throughout the grantmaking and capacity building process. The goals of this program are:

1. To support organizations that are BIPOC-led and that primarily serve BIPOC communities including CBOs, FBOs, and TIPSOs to redefine community wellness and address the negative impacts of substance use in their communities through a wide range of programming that help improve health, wellness, and quality of life for community members; and
2. To provide capacity building to improve organizations’ ability to apply for future funding, which ultimately helps increase BIPOC representation in receiving grants beyond this program.

In designing this program, HRiA and BSAS collaborated with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of BIPOC residents and organizations that were geographically diverse with a range of personal and work experiences with substance use and related services, to guide decisions regarding priority populations and scope of work for the Redefining Community Wellness grants.

Redefining Community Wellness Grant Awardees

Africano Waltham / African Cultural Services Inc.

Africano Waltham/ African Cultural Services uses a holistic approach to support African immigrant youth and their families to succeed in life through provision of a safe space, educational and mental health support, visual and performing arts, and cultural connections.

B Free Wellness, Inc.

B Free Wellness heals personal and community trauma through the empowering integration of mental health, physical wellness, and holistic services. They provide a community and space which allows people to become who they are meant to be, in an environment that is fun, non-judgmental and fosters the human spirit to become and feel free. They believe in providing opportunities which collaborate with a variety of healing modalities, medical models and holistic practices that support healing of the mind, body and soul as one.

Black Behavioral Health Network Inc.

Black Behavioral Health Network envisions offering comprehensive and culturally appropriate behavioral health services to men and women committed to a guided recovery journey that enables them to reach their full human potential and become contributing members to their community, families, and society. Their objective is to address service gaps and behavioral health disparities experienced by individuals, families, military veterans, those affected by addiction, criminal justice issues, homelessness, unemployment/underemployment, and other social injustices that affect the quality of life for those populations. The outcome is to recognize more successful efforts utilizing supportive services in the community to reduce recidivism.

Calvary Cares
Calvary Cares Drop-in Center is a program at Calvary Pentecostal Church in East Freetown, MA that provides a one-stop location for resources and services including, but not limited to, peer support, clothing, food, training, counseling, and naloxone distribution. In addition, it provides services and events on mental health, substance use, overdose education, harm reduction, peer recovery, and re-entry.

Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell

The Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association’s (CMAA) improves the quality of life for Cambodian-Americans, as well as other minorities and economically disadvantaged persons in Lowell, MA through educational, cultural, economic and social programs. Addressing housing, food insecurity, and other basic needs through resource navigation is a crucial aspect of our strategy to tackle the social determinants of health that contribute to substance use. Many individuals in this community face disparities in access to resources, including stable housing and sufficient nutrition, which can create stressors and increase susceptibility to substance use disorders. By intervening at the root level and providing support in these fundamental areas, they believe we can positively impact the overall health and well-being of the population, contributing to a reduction in the factors that may lead to substance use.

Chastity’s Consulting & Talent Group

Chastity’s Consulting & Talent Group (CCTG) invests in the future, success, and leadership of transgender and gender expansive communities, with an emphasis on transgender women of color, while also educating and transforming businesses and organizations to weave the community into the fabric of society. They empower transgender individuals, with an emphasis on transgender women of color to learn the skills and tools necessary to move into stability while advocating for and with their community in a variety of settings.

CHOICE Recovery Coaching Inc.

Choice Recovery Coaching Inc (CRC) focuses on coaching recovery and wellness. They encourage, guide, and assist individuals and their families as they face substance use challenges, thereby developing a culture of recovery with equity and justice, which allows them to foster resilience for themselves and their communities.

Dwelling House of Hope

Dwelling House of Hope alleviates hunger and poverty by providing nutritious food, cooking classes, and clothing to low-income families and people in need. They work diligently to be the helping hand for the people in need in the communities of the Merrimack Valley by not only providing healthy food, but also other resources to address drug use and overdose in our communities.

Follow My Steps Foundation, Inc.

Follow My Steps Â鶹Èë¿Úaims to empower young adults, offering enriching experiences that expand their horizons and inspire them to achieve what once seemed unattainable. Through shared lived experiences in their programs, mentors illuminate pathways to resilience, showcasing that thriving is possible even in challenging moments. They prioritize involving teens in decision-making to foster collaboration and ownership. Their interventions strive to create a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes well-being, resilience, and a brighter future for the communities they serve. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development and social and economic opportunity.

Future Hope Apprenticeship & Recovery Program, Inc.

Future Hope Apprenticeship & Recovery Program (FHARP) provides recovery, substance use, and mental health services to returning citizens receiving job training in the construction industry. The accredited pre-apprenticeship and recovery program includes rotating 3-month cohorts of returning citizens that gain experience in carpentry, painting, drywall, taping, and roofing, support from a case manager and group therapy. Graduates receive certificates from FHARP and the state, as well as a referral letter to help them get employment in the field.

Latin American Health Alliance

The Latin American Health Alliance (LAHA) addresses the significant health inequities that exist for Latinos living in the greater Worcester area. LAHA advocates for the Latine Community; and researches and responds to important social issues that affects the Worcester area Latine population.

Mandela Yoga Project, Inc.

Mandela Yoga Project (MYP) scales the delivery of a new system of free yoga that is designed to address stress, racial trauma, and resulting deadly disparities in public health crisis communities, and is offered by residents themselves who are well-trained and well-compensated Mandela Yoga Peer Facilitators.

MYP supports people of color in recovery with an evidence-based, trauma-responsive, peer-led group practice of mindful movement and breathing in a trusted space where people of color live, work, worship, play, and get their healthcare. The intervention is a standardized, forty-five-minute series of easy yoga poses derived from yoga postures proven in clinical settings to be effective at supporting patients with an array of chronic health challenges. These include diabetes, low-back pain, and addiction among others.

Merrimack Valley Dream Center, Inc.

Merrimack Valley Dream Center’s (MVDC) provides a service that will have a far-reaching impact on the hygiene, health, mental health, dignity, and future prospects for the unhoused of Lawrence. MVDC’s original program, the Bridge Ministry, began in 2013 and has operated uninterrupted since then. Bridge Ministry volunteers walk in Lawrence every Saturday, 52 weeks a year, meeting with the unhoused people where they congregate. They provide personal hygiene kits, a meal, friendship, and offer to pray with the people if they choose to. In the winter, they distribute socks, hats, and gloves. During the worst of the pandemic, they distributed masks and hand sanitizer. It is a population that fluctuates, but the majority at any given time are substance users, mostly Hispanic, and many also suffer from mental health issues.

Savesouls Inc.

Savesouls facilitates access to culturally sensitive therapy for the Afro-Caribbean population, partners with local churches and Institutions to provide psycho-education to leaders, and organizes annual therapist-led forums to raise awareness on mental health challenges. The organization also promotes the socio-economic mobility of Haitian immigrants through a holistic workshop emphasizing mental health literacy, workforce development, and community integration and adaptation to their new home here in the United States.

Sueños Basketball

Sueños Basketball is a well-established, Latino and Lawrentian-led nonprofit organization that provides hundreds of youth year-round basketball, education, wraparound and family support services. Sueños Basketball was founded in 2015, as a volunteer effort by Jose Dilone and his wife, Jacqueline Marte-Dilone. The goal of Sueños was to use basketball as a way to deliver skills, discipline and character development opportunities to Lawrence youth.

Talbot Avenue Church of Christ
Shauntelle Malcolm, representing Wisdom (Talitha Koum Mental Health), and Talbot Avenue Church of Christ joined forces to establish inclusive environments and resources for youth and parents. They aim to foster connections, facilitate engaging activities and support groups, and promote collaborative efforts to uplift the community. Additionally, their dedicated mental health team leads educational initiatives to combat the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. Through these efforts, they aspire to bridge gaps and facilitate access to vital support systems within the community.

Transformational Prison Project

Transformational Prison Project (TPP) helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals begin the process of healing from past trauma so that they can take accountability for their past criminality, make amends, and contribute positively to their communities through restorative justice practices. This is accomplished through several modalities; restorative justice circles being the primary one.

Urban Impact Initiative Massachusetts

Urban Impact Initiative MA is dedicated to prioritizing the reduction of the impact of poverty for Black, Indigenous, People of Color in the Commonwealth. They offer a plethora of small business, corporate, and community opportunities. These opportunities include 6-12 weeks cohorts for women in recovery and returning citizens, that encompass substance use, accessing services, physical wellness, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, employment, and improved communication. Furthermore, they have a youth enrichment program with a focus on marital arts and a basic needs market.

Vietnamese American Civic Association

Vietnamese American Civic Association promotes and supports family self-sufficiency and well-being and facilitate community empowerment amongst the Boston and Greater Boston Vietnamese population. They offer a wide range of services designed to meet the diverse needs of their clients. Whether you’re looking for expert guidance on sustainable development, substance use, social resources, or immigration services, their team has the expertise and experience to help.

Women of Color Health Equity Collective

Women of Color Health Equity Collective is a movement building organization focused on building community capacity to advance health equity and racial equity, centering women and girls of color. They offer assessments, training, coaching and programming with a culturally humble and liberation centered approach.

Funding Period of the First Cohort

• Planning phase: March 2024 – June 2024
• Implementation phase: July 2024 – June 2025

Questions?

Please contact us at SUDgrants@hria.org with questions about the program.

Redefining Community Wellness is administered and managed by Â鶹Èë¿Ú (HRiA), a non-profit public health organization that helps people live healthier lives and create healthy communities through prevention, health promotion, policy, and research. In addition to providing financial support through grants, HRiA will provide funded organizations with capacity building trainings, technical assistance, and individualized support, and facilitate a learning community. Capacity building services are intended to help funded organizations deliver effective programs and increase readiness for future state funding.