Women’s Treatment Facility Opens at Taunton State Hospital

The second phase of the Women's Recovery from Addictions Program (WRAP) was officially unveiled by Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and other local and state officials Thursday at Taunton State Hospital. 

The new phase features 30 beds, 15 on each wing, which complement the original ward's 15 beds for a total of 40 beds.

The WRAP is the first state-operated addiction treatment facility and will assist women with substance abuse with in-patient care rather than jail time.

Governor Baker said the reform was long overdue and that he was sorry things had not changed sooner.

Previously, women facing court-ordered treatment were held at MCI Framingham. Calls for reform of that practice date back to the 1980's.

"I do believe, for a lot of people, as we went through this process, the big one around opioids and addiction, that particular fact and that particular issue was sort of the tip of the spear in terms of getting a lot of the rest of this accomplished," Baker said.

Baker signed into law An Act Relative to Civil Commitments for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders on January 25, 2016, moving ahead with reforming the laws regarding civil commitment of women by the courts under Chapter 123, Rule 35 of Massachusetts General Laws.

Since the first 15 beds opened up at Taunton State in early February 2016, 44 women have been treated, most with positive results.

"Seventy-five percent of the women, a vast majority of the women who've been treated here and then discharged to the community with services continue in treatment today and have not relapsed," said Marylou Sudders, Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The facility features single and double bedrooms, a fitness center, exam rooms, family rooms and lounge areas.

One wing was opened to patients on July 5th while the other half will be opened this Monday.

Major renovations took place within Taunton State Hospital as part of the project, which took nine months to complete and cost approximately $15 million.

The hospital was almost closed down completely in 2012 by former Governor Deval Patrick.