New Recovery Home Tackles Addiction and Mental Health In North Adams

The Berkshire Eagle reports for years, Michael Felix didn’t realize that his past trauma and substance use were connected.

After a work injury more than a decade ago, Felix began taking painkillers. Like 1 in 10 people prescribed the drugs, he developed an opioid use disorder.

In the past few months, Felix has begun to understand and untangle those connections, as part of his residency at Keenan House North, a new recovery home in North Adams for people with co-occurring disorders — addiction coupled with mental illness.

The house, operated by The Brien Center, is the first program of its kind in the Berkshires and one of a handful across the state implementing a new model of recovery treatment.