Kennedy joins board of Massachusetts outpatient provider

CleanSlate Centers, which operates 10 outpatient program sites in Massachusetts that combine medication-assisted treatment and therapy, has named former U.S. Rep. and behavioral health advocate Patrick J. Kennedy to its board of directors. A news release from the provider organization states that Kennedy will serve as an important adviser to the organization as it looks to expand to other regions of the country.

CleanSlate utilizes both buprenorphine and injectable naltrexone to a great degree in its opioid treatment protocols. “With rates of opioid abuse skyrocketing, CleanSlate has an increasingly critical role to play in treating addiction,” Kennedy said in the release.

CleanSlate, which last year partnered with venture capital firm Apple Tree Partners to expand its efforts, has a leadership team that includes chief medical officer and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) president-elect Kelly J. Clark, MD.

Kennedy's priority policy issues since leaving Congress have included stronger enforcement of the federal parity law that he co-sponsored in the House, as well as promotion of balanced marijuana policy alternatives.