Skip to cookie consent Skip to main content

Substance Use Disorder Bridge Clinics

Mass General Brigham Bridge Clinics are short-term, outpatient centers that offer immediate support for people with alcohol or drug addiction.

Fist bump

Mass General Brigham Bridge Clinics are welcoming, easy-to-access outpatient centers designed to support each person on their journey to recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. Addiction is also known as substance use disorder (SUD).

We offer walk-in or scheduled care. We provide a range of services, including:

  • Medication to treat addiction
  • Counseling
  • Peer support
  • Help finding resources
  • Mental health care
  • Tools to reduce the risk of overdose or other harms

Our Bridge Clinics are designed to be transitional. This means we support you for a period of time, usually a few months, while helping you take the next step in your recovery journey. During that time, we’ll work with you to find a long-term care provider in the community to continue your treatment and support.

Individual, human-centered care

Evidence-based SUD treatment is a multidisciplinary, collaborative effort, and care looks different for everyone. At the Bridge Clinic, our goal is to support each person on their own self-defined recovery journey. Some people start with medication, some with counseling or peer support. Many use a combination of services.

Recovery is defined by the individual, and our care teams work with you to create a plan that feels right for your journey.

You can get care today by visiting or calling one of our Bridge Clinic locations—no appointment or referral needed.

Get care at one of our Bridge Clinic locations

To get care for substance use, please visit one of the locations listed below. You don’t need to be a Mass General Brigham patient or have a primary care provider with us to get care.

Effective medication for addiction treatment

There are effective medications available for both opioid and alcohol use disorder. For opioid addiction, medication has been shown to lead to the highest recovery rates and can reduce the risk of death by more than 50%.

Buprenorphine is the only lifesaving medication for opioid addiction that can be prescribed right in a doctor’s office.

To learn more, watch the video below or visit any Mass General Brigham Bridge Clinic to speak with a provider about your treatment options. 

Video: What is Buprenorphine and how can it treat opioid use disorder?

Building your team

Treatment for SUD isn’t something you have to do alone. We believe treatment is most effective when you can build a team around you and draw on the strength of the people who care about you. That’s why our Bridge Clinic teams take time to understand who you are and to help you build or grow your support network. We also supplement it with recovery coaches who offer peer support grounded in their own experience with addiction and recovery.

A recovery coach is someone in recovery from a substance use disorder. They are a key part of our Bridge Clinic team, not as clinicians, but as peers who understand what you are going through and are here to support you as you navigate care.

Breaking stigma, building trust

Historically, many people battling SUD have faced punishment and stigma instead of support. While the public discourse around addiction is changing, many still view SUD as bad behavior or a moral failing.

At Mass General Brigham, we know substance use is a health condition that deserves compassion and evidence-based treatment. Our Bridge Clinics are welcoming spaces where every person is treated with dignity, compassion, and respect, no matter where they are on their journey.

Sarah Wakeman, MD talks with a woman

"We need to challenge the ideology that if you are continuing to struggle with SUDs, it’s because you’re weak or unmotivated. This leads to people staying disconnected and dying from a preventable health condition. We would never expect a patient with cancer to will themselves into remission."

Sarah Wakeman, MD
Senior medical director for substance use disorder
Mass General Brigham

Frequently asked questions

Anyone who wants help with their alcohol or drug use is welcome at a Mass General Brigham Bridge Clinic, regardless of what substance they are using. Most often, we see people struggling with alcohol, opioids, or stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine.

No. Anyone can get care at a Bridge Clinic. You don’t need to be a Mass General Brigham patient or have a primary care provider with us.

Yes. We understand that recovery looks different for everyone. You don’t have to be ready to stop using to get support. We provide treatment to support you on your terms. Whether you’re seeking information, need help with other health or social needs, want to talk with someone who’s gone through recovery themself, or are ready to start treatment now, we’ll meet you where you are.

Walk-in care means you don’t need an appointment or referral to be seen. We aim to remove barriers to treatment by offering same-day care. Many of our clinics also offer extended hours, including weekends and early evenings, so it’s easier to get the care you need when you need it.

As transitional clinics, our Bridge Clinics are designed to support you for a period of time, usually a few months, although this can vary. During that time, we’ll work with you to find a long-term care provider in the community to continue your treatment and support.