Basic Needs Resources

Certain patients with OUD face barriers in accessing basic human needs that allow a person to provide for themselves and their family and have a sense of security and safety. Access to these supports are often necessary before a person is able to reduce or cease opioid use.

Community Help: Health and Every Day Living Programs

Developed and sponsored by Reliant Medical Group and UMass Memorial Health Care, Community Help is an online search engine for support services across the state.

The search engine connects to support agencies and services in the following areas:

Food		Housing
Goods		Transit
Health		Money
Care		Education
Work		Legal

Click here to connect to the Community Help Website. Enter your zip code to be connected to services in your community.

Additional Resources:

Housing and Financial Resources

A Guide to Obtaining Housing Assistance in Massachusetts

• Housing resources for low and moderate income families and individuals  
• The guide features information on:
• State-aided public housing
• Rental assistance
• Homelessness prevention resources
• Housing resources for victims of domestic violence
• Homeownership opportunities

Find Your Local Housing Authority

• Your local Housing Authority can provide information about local housing programs and asset in completing housing applications. This link provides information on Housing Authority locations across the state of Massachusetts.

CHAMP: Public Housing Application State of Massachusetts

https://publichousingapplication.ocd.state.ma.us/

• CHAMP is a website that allows individuals to apply for state-abided public housing online, instead of by mail or in person. 

Rental Assistance

• Massachusetts offers financial help to low-income persons struggling to pay rent. This link will connects to the application needed to apply for a rental voucher.

Home Heating and Energy Assistance

• This link provides application instructions for individuals who having difficulty paying their heating a electricity bills.

Emergency Housing

• This service is limited to individuals with children, and provides a contact number and location information for families in need of emergency housing.

 Massachusetts Homeless Shelters

• This link connects you with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, with a directory for homeless shelters across the state for families/adults with children, adults only, unaccompanied youth, and survivors of domestic violence.

Homeownership Assistance: Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Housing resource for low to moderate income individuals struggling to purchase a home
• This link also has a list of City/Towns in Massachusetts with links to housing resources in each City/Town.

Childcare Financial Assistance

• This link connects to the application requirements to receive childcare financial assistance.

Food Stamps and Cash Assistance: Department of Transitional Assistance

• Every City/Town in Massachusetts is linked with a local Department of Transitional Assistance. This program’s primary purpose is to assist low-income individuals and families meet their basic needs. The program providers economic assistance (cash benefits) and SNAP benefits (also known as Food Stamps), and offers employment resources.

Employment and Education Resources

Employment Services Program (ESP): Department of Transitional Assistance

• Every City/Town in Massachusetts is linked with a local Department of Transitional Assistance Location. This program’s primary purpose is to assist low-income individuals and families meet their basic needs. The program providers economic assistance (cash benefits) and SNAP benefits (also known as Food Stamps), and offers employment resources.

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Coalition

• The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Coalition (also referred to as Mass Rehab) helps individuals with mental health/substance use disorders and/or physical health disabilities to live and work independently through vocational rehabilitation (job training), community living options, and eligibility determination for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefits programs. This link will connect to application instructions.

Mass.gov Learning page

• Provides information on obtaining a High School Equivalency/GED as well as connects to resources on college options, continuing education, professional training and career development.

Office of Student Financial Assistance

• This link connects to financial assistance options for individuals who want to go to college.