About Us

Overview

Lowell House, Inc. (LHI), has been providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable addiction services and related support to the Greater Lowell community since 1971. Our programs cover a broad range of inpatient and outpatient treatment and living options that support recovery across a lifetime.

In addition to a variety of support, advocacy, community outreach and prevention programs, other services include:

  • Individual, group and family therapy

  • Over 80 residential beds

  • Mass Impaired Drivers (MID) programs for first and second offenders

  • A structured six-to-eight-week intensive-day Structured Outpatient Addictions Program (SOAP)

Lowell House

  • LHI serves all the communities in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts

  • In FY23 (July 2022 - June 2023), LHI served 2,835 people 18 to 90 years of age in its day and residential programs. This resulted in 8.466 outpatient visits, 6,252 half-day SOAP visits and 21,706 bed days in our residential programs.

  • Male clients outnumbered female clients 2:1.

  • 49% of clients served were addicted to alcohol, 33% addicted to opioids, 11% addicted to heroin, and 7% for mental illness alone.

  • The racial and ethnic backgrounds of individuals and families served in FY23 were – 63% white, 6% African American, 17% Hispanic/Latino, 14% Asian.

  • LHI receives 50% of its funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts/Department of Public Health, 23% from insurance (MassHealth), 17% from client fees, 8% from grants and 2% from fundraising.

  • LHI is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Massachusetts and the Greater Lowell area

  • The number of medically related overdose deaths in the City of Lowell dropped by 7% from 2022 to 2023.

  • 60% of people seeking treatment for drug or alcohol addiction in Lowell are between the ages of 21 and 39 years of age (Department of Public Health data).

  • 45% of individuals seeking treatment for drug or alcohol abuse in the City of Lowell has prior mental health treatment.

  • A little more than 65% of the Bay State students ages 12 to 17 years surveyed perceived no great risk in having five or more alcoholic drinks once or twice per week.

The Disease of addiction

  • It is estimated the two-thirds of the families in Greater Lowell are affected in some way by the disease of addiction.

  • The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) data from the SAMHA National Survey on Drug Use indicates that:

    • That one out of every 10 Americans is addicted to a substance that requires treatment. Only 10% of those individuals ever receive necessary treatment.

    • Substance abuse and addiction cause this country $600 billion in crime, lost work productivity and healthcare.

    • There were just over 2.8 million new users (initiates) nationwide of illicit drugs in 2022, or about 7,898 new users per day. Half (52%) were under 18.

    • Nearly half of the individuals using illicit drugs began with marijuana use. Over 25% of the individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 reported using an illicit drug in the past month;

    • Over 7% of 8th graders admitted using marijuana in the past month which rose to nearly 23% of seniors in high school in 2022.

    • Illicit drug use is rapidly increasing in the elderly.