In affiliation with the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry at the Cambridge Hospital

Addiction Treatment Program

NCIA Teatment Services: We offer a full range of services, including methadone maintenance; medically supervised withdrawal; individual (in person or via zoom or phone) and group counseling; toxicology screening; admission and yearly physical exams, bloodwork, and medical reviews; relapse prevention and harm reduction strategies; HIV/AIDS and health education; methadone education; family education; linkages with Primary Care and other health care and community resources.

NCIA Staff: We utilize a team approach to address the phys-ical, psychological, social, behavioral and spiritual aspects of addiction and recovery.  Our treatment team consists of a Medical Director certified in Psychiatry, Neurology,and Addiction Psychiatry; Nurses (RN, NP, LPN); a licensed Psychologist; Licensed Social Workers (LICSW, LCSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), LADCs; and other Master’s-Level Clinicians.   

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North Charles Institute for the Addictions (“NCIA”), part of the addiction and mental health treatment agency, North Charles, Inc., is one of the first Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in Massachusetts.  Its roots are in The Cambridge Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, with which we remain affiliated to this day.  NCIA’s mission is to provide, in partnership with program participants and other stakeholders, the highest quality addiction treatment services in a safe, respectful, and supportive environment. Our treatment program is based on the premise that addiction, while presented as the primary problem, is only one segment of a wide range of personal and social issues that interfere with a person’s ability to live a safe and satisfying life.  We believe that substance use disorders have biological, psychological, socio-cultural, and behavioral components that must be addressed over a period of time.     

NCIA serves approximately 300 clients in Cambridge, Somerville, and 50 other communities in eastern Massachusetts.  We serve people 18 years of age or older who meet criteria for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services.  Most clients are self-referred; others are referred by Cambridge Health Alliance primary care, psychiatry, other specialty care services, emergency and urgent care services, as well as 24-Hour Diversionary Services (inpatient detox), other inpatient hospital units, acute care service facilities, residential treatment programs, correctional OTPs, and other community service providers.  Because our program is small, clients tell us they don’t feel like “just a number”.  We strive to meet a client’s individual needs, with the ultimate goal of assisting the client in attaining and maintaining a lasting recovery from opiates and other substances and to re-build their lives.

Staff members are available on site for assistance and support.  Counseling, nursing, supervisory and administrative staff are available to assist clients during clinic hours and throughout the day.  The program offers both day and evening hours to accommodate schedules and preferences of the persons served.

All addiction treatment services at North Charles are provided with the support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services