Boston Resiliency Fund
In 2020, RIZE Massachusetts Foundation received a $250,000 grant from the Boston Resiliency Fund to assist individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who faced heightened risks due to COVID-19. The foundation matched this grant, distributing a total of $500,000 to 33 organizations in Boston addressing both the opioid crisis and the pandemic in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services (Boston).
The funding priorities included: 1) enhancing infection control for on-street populations through additional porta-potties, handwashing stations, and support for harm reduction staff; 2) providing financial assistance to Boston addiction programs for maintaining per-diem support staff; and 3) supporting staffing and operations for quarantine/isolation sites for unhoused individuals.
Key outcomes included:
Increased Infection Control: RIZE supported comfort stations in the Mass/Cass area, providing services such as harm reduction supplies, behavioral health treatment referrals, and basic needs as a response to pandemic challenges.
Support for Residential Treatment Programs: Funding enabled residential treatment programs to enhance employee support, adopt technology for telehealth services, and improve cleaning protocols to reduce COVID-19 transmission risks.
Research on Quarantine/Isolation Sites: RIZE commissioned research on access to addiction care during the pandemic. Boston Medical Center analyzed the COVID Recuperation Unit’s effectiveness for homeless patients, while Massachusetts General Hospital studied injection practices among drug users, aiming to inform a harm reduction intervention.
This comprehensive approach addressed immediate needs while laying the groundwork for future public health responses.