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Get Steppin’ Walk for the Homeless 2025
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Programs & Services
Steppingstone’s vision is to excel in empowering individuals and families to reach their highest potential in mind, body and spirit; achieved through staff development, financial feasibility, developing and expansion of target populations, and community collaboration.
A community, together.
The number of deaths from drug overdoses in Massachusetts increased steadily from 2010 for several years. However, the commitment and resources of Massachusetts Government and providers such as Steppingstone are beginning to make an impact. In the past two years there has been a slight decrease in overdose deaths. Every life saved is an immense achievement. Steppingstone remains committed to offering effective peer recovery support and treatment to help high risk individuals.
Over the last decade, homelessness in Fall River and New Bedford has been a growing problem, influenced by a host of socioeconomic factors, including median household incomes lower than the state, higher poverty rates, lower education levels, and high housing costs (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). Individuals with Supplemental Security Disability Income payments receive an average of $955/month in MA; yet a one-bedroom at fair-market rent in MA costs $1,608/month, making housing unaffordable for those receiving SSDI (MA Association of Mental Health, 2023). Compounding matters, there is a shortage of 163,318 affordable housing units for low-income individuals/families in MA (NLIHC, 2023). In 2022, 731 total homeless were identified in NB & FR HUD PIT count. Of these 731 homeless individuals, 267 identified with severe mental illness (SMI) and 191 with a substance use disorder and 45 were transitional-aged youth (U.S. Dept of HUD, 2022).
Steppingstone’s homeless resources are dedicated to assisting homeless people in our community. Steppingstone currently operates a combined total of 88 MDPH-licensed residential SUT beds, 100 HUD-funded permanent supportive housing-first units (most of which are dedicated to chronic homeless in recovery from substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders), two outpatient clinics, medication assisted treatment (MAT), offender reentry services, a MDPH-funded Peer Recovery Support Center, recovery coaching, community support services, two recovery house programs, and a 50-bed emergency homeless shelter.
Prevalence of Mental Illness in America
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illnesses are common in the United States. Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2021).
After 36 years of service and providing access to substance use treatment (SUT), the agency became committed to obtaining its mental health treatment license due to the high prevalence of mental health disorders (MHD) within the population Steppingstone served. In 2008, under an awarded grant project by SAMSHA, Steppingstone obtained Massachusetts Mental Health licensure and recruited a psychiatrist and mental health clinicians to implement the project and began offering a full spectrum of mental health treatment and integrated MH and SUT services in 2009.
We operate Clinics in both Fall River and New Bedford and offer services including comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, medication prescribing, medication management, individual treatment planning and individual and group therapy.
2024 Annual Get Steppin' Walk for the Homeless
You Have The Power to Change Lives
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Here For Our Community
Steppingstone Incorporated focuses on helping directly whether it be with substance abuse, homelessness and/or family issues.