Boston- On September 6, 2014, Mayor Martin J. Walsh cut the ribbon on a new space for the South Boston Collaborative Center at 1226 Columbia Road in the Old Colony public housing development. 


 
With the support of Mayor Walsh and local elected leaders, the Collaborative Center continues to provide assistance, including substance abuse and mental health treatment and hope, to the families of South Boston and its surrounding neighborhoods.   Its mission is to provide prevention and treatment services to all regardless of ability to pay and without regard to status.  These services include advocacy, case management, individual and group counseling.
 
“The Collaborative Center has been at the forefront of services to treat substance abuse and address mental health concerns for many years,” said Mayor Walsh. “I know firsthand the impact these services can have on our families, and it’s vital that we make these services available in our neighborhoods. I’m honored to support this opening today.”
 
Through a partnership between the BHA and Boston Building Trades Unions, a first-class office space has been created that includes a reception area, a conference room, a new mini-kitchen, and handicapped accessible bathroom. 
 
“With the help of the Building Trades, we’re happy to provide this new and expanded space for the Collaborative Center, a crucial source of support for the South Boston community,” said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle.
 
The South Boston Collaborative Center was founded in 1997 to assist those youth and families who were struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues.