The Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) is a statewide, nonprofit organization incorporated in 1990 to provide services, policy and program development, research and capacity-building activities. IHR provides training, consultation, technical assistance and curriculum development for state, local and national organizations to improve integration of best practices and policies into prevention and treatment programs.

IHR is certified by Massachusetts’ Supplier Diversity Office as a women-operated agency, and employs over 70 staff, as well as interns and research/evaluation consultants. At least 30 percent of IHR staff are in recovery from substance use, mental health issues or trauma, and/or living with HIV/AIDS. IHR’s primary funding sources are Mass. Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS); Mass. Department of Children and Families (DCF); MassHealth; and federal partners SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Health insurance, private donations and fees support IHR’s direct services.

IHR’s main administrative offices and a licensed, CARF-accredited behavioral health clinic are located in Cambridge, Mass. Other licensed clinic sites are in Lowell, Boston, Fall River, and Springfield, Mass. IHR has additional offices in Roxbury and also works in homes, communities, and other organizational settings across the state.

IHR has been recognized by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment as an Exemplary Program for Homeless Addictions Treatment, and Pregnant and Parenting Women and Infants Promising Practice; and has received numerous awards, including a SAMHSA Science and Service Award. IHR has been named a Boston Globe Top Place to Work since 2013.

Their Mission

IHR is a statewide service, research, policy and program development agency. IHR designs its services based on an understanding of the impact of trauma. IHR’s mission is to develop a comprehensive continuum of care for individuals, youth, and families affected by alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, violence/trauma, mental health challenges and other health issues. IHR’s work is based on these principles:

Establishing collaborative models of service delivery
Integrating gender-responsive, trauma-informed and relational/cultural models of prevention, intervention, and treatment
Fostering family-centered, strength-based approaches
Advancing multicultural competency within the service delivery system