The Health Care Resource Center Methadone Clinic on Crescent Avenue welcomed community members through its doors on Thursday, Sept. 27, as part of Recovery Month activities.
Victoria Johnson, treatment center director, explained that the facility provides essential services to individuals struggling with opioid and drug addiction through medication assisted treatment. Daily, approximately 750 patients receive Methadone at the Chelsea location—a program that has produced many successful outcomes.
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“One of the biggest things we’re up against is the misconception of what we do and the benefits of medication assisted treatment,” Johnson noted. “Also, when people stigmatize the patients, it hurts the community. It’s the biggest fight providers are always up against.”
The clinic has long faced community perception challenges and has not always maintained strong local connections. Yet Johnson emphasized that many Chelsea and surrounding community residents benefit from their services, and the center is committed to strengthening those bonds. The facility already collaborates with both the HUB/COR program and the Chelsea Police Department.
During Recovery Month, Johnson stressed the center’s role in addressing the addiction epidemic. “We have a lot of people who have recovered,” she explained, referring to patients who have successfully discontinued Methadone. “We try to get them to come back and talk to the counseling groups we run about their success. We want them to share about how life has been when they no longer need to be medicated. We also try to stay in the community and build strong connections. A lot of people don’t know how to get into treatment, and that’s the biggest question we have.”
Operations begin around 5:30 a.m. when staff arrives to prepare for the first patients at 6 a.m. Working individuals and those caring for children or elderly relatives typically arrive early and complete their dosing within roughly 15 minutes. The dosing window extends through 11 a.m.
Patients must also participate in a counseling component of two hours monthly, with 15 counselors available for various group counseling sessions.
Most patients utilize MassHealth for payment, though some private insurances, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, also cover treatment costs.
Johnson noted that stabilization typically requires two weeks to two months of Methadone treatment when patients first begin.
The facility maintains strict no-loitering policies around the clinic. Police are contacted if patients linger or cause disturbances outside. Any law enforcement involvement can result in removal from the program.
“They’re not causing those problems here,” Johnson said. “I always say to people, if they see it, call the police. Our goal is to get people into treatment, stabilize them, and set them up for success.”
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