About Us

Historical Timeline

1977
SSTAR opens as the Center for Alcohol Problems.
1982
Agency becomes licensed mental health center and develops Women’s Center, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, to address needs of survivors of domestic violence.
1984
Agency purchases facility it had been renting from City of Fall River and funds major renovations with successful capital campaign.
1986
SSTAR opens ambulatory building to provide outpatient services.
1989
SSTAR opens the first HIV services center in Southeastern MA offering counseling and testing for HIV and direct care services for people living with HIV/AIDS (this currently appears under 1995 but is incorrect. Also the term HIV patients will be offensive to people living with HIV/AIDS. People Living with HIV/AIDS or PLWH/A is preferred.)
1992
SSTAR opens federally qualified HealthCare Center.
1993
SSTAR wins bid from state of Rhode Island to serve pregnant and addicted women and children and establishes SSTARBirth in Cranston facility.
1995
Enlarged HealthCare Center provides room for HIV and case management services.

SSTAR receives license from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to address needs of multiaddicted patients and becomes first detoxification unit in Massachusetts to treat pregnant addicted women.

SSTAR becomes first drug treatment program in Massachusetts to offer counseling and testing through Project AWARE.

The HealthCare Center provides a wide range of primary health care services for HIV-positive patients in Fall River.

SSTAR incorporates in Rhode Island.
1996
SSTAR purchases new facility in North Kingstown, RI.
2002
SSTAR continues to grow, builds new addition to the Family Health Care Center.
2003
SSTAR implements its first clinical trial under the NIDA’s Clinical Trials Network. SSTAR’s HIV counseling and testing program becomes one of five integrated counseling, testing and referral sites in the Commonwealth offering integrated testing services for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases (STI).
2004
SSTAR awarded membership in the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx), funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
2005
SSTAR becomes 1 of 20 founding members of United Nations Treatnet, an international network of drug dependence treatment and rehabilitation resource centers.
2007
SSTAR receives Rhode Island contract to provide combined acute psychiatric and sub stance abuse services.