Casa Esperanza, Inc. Expands Access to Hope, Opening the First Fully Bilingual/Bicultural, Integrated Acute Treatment Services/Clinical Stabilization

Casa Esperanza, Inc. expands access to care for the Latine community by opening the first fully bilingual and bicultural Acute Treatment Services (ATS) / Clinical Stabilization Services (CSS) unit in the Commonwealth, located in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Breaking ground on this new level of care, Casa will be able to medically and clinically stabilize, treat, and support patients seeking help for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and other co-occurring conditions, from the first steps in their recovery journey. 

Tewksbury, MA - June 3, 2024  

Casa Esperanza, Inc. is proud to announce the opening of our integrated ATS/CSS (ASAM 3.7/3.5) model at our Conexiones program located on the Tewksbury Hospital Campus. This is a first-of-its-kind, fully bilingual/bicultural model in the Commonwealth, built to meet the growing needs of the Latine community across Massachusetts.  

The addition of ATS-detox capabilities at the Conexiones program in Tewksbury represents a major step forward for Casa in its mission to empower individuals and families to recover from addiction, trauma, mental illness, and other chronic medical conditions and meet the needs of Massachusetts’ underserved Latine community. Casa is now licensed to prescribe methadone and other life-saving medications to patients going through the initial acute phases of withdrawal—the most high-risk phase of the recovery process. 

While the Conexiones program has been providing vital clinical stabilization, education, relapse prevention, and aftercare services for clients since 2017, it has not been able to medically manage care for detoxification, withdrawal management, and support transitions to maintenance dosing for patients in need of Medication Assisted Therapy. “By integrating licensed ATS capacity into our existing CSS model, Casa Esperanza will minimize risky transition points and optimize care delivery, retaining patients in care until they are stabilized and ready to return to community-based settings (Residential Recovery Services, Structured Outpatient Addiction Programs),” says Maribel Van Corbach, Conexiones Patient Access Clinician.  

“For the first time in the Commonwealth, Latine patients can access the full continuum of SUD care through each phase of the recovery process. We’re thrilled to finally be able to offer culturally and linguistically accessible care to the Latine community from the first moment a potential patient is seeking care,” says Emily Stewart, Casa Esperanza’s Chief Executive Officer. “The intersecting impact of the national opioid epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic, and other socio-economic stressors have placed unprecedented burdens on both the Latine community in Massachusetts and the providers that serve them. We believe this new capability will streamline the recovery process for vulnerable patients who have been denied equitable access to care and faced stigma, discrimination, and other barriers to the treatment they deserve. We hope to serve as a model for other organizations seeking to tackle these issues in Massachusetts.” 

As the fastest-growing major ethnic group in Massachusetts, Latine residents are also disproportionately likely to struggle with poverty, housing insecurity, discrimination, incarceration, and other challenges which put them at higher risk for both substance use disorders as well as a range of other chronic behavioral health and health conditions. Research in addiction medicine and psychiatry shows that patients are significantly more likely to access care and avoid overdoses and other negative outcomes if that care is provided in a framework structured around their cultural, linguistic, and social needs. 

“Since we opened in 2017, Conexiones has specialized in serving individuals living with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs, prioritizing access for people returning from inpatient psychiatric care. This new status will allow us to address the full spectrum of work that needs to get done on behalf of our patients and give us more opportunity to ensure the continuity of care that delivers the best outcomes for the vulnerable people we serve,” says Shannon Barrett, Clinical Operations Director at Casa Esperanza. “The hybrid ATS/CSS model streamlines access to services and breaks barriers for individuals living with co-occurring disorders seeking ATS/CSS level of care.” 

To learn more about Casa Esperanza’s work, visit www.casaesperanza.org. To sign up for the organization’s mailing list, click on the links below.  

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