New Collaborative Formed to Help Marathon Bombing Victims

By David Ertischek

State and city organizations are collaborating to launch a hotline that will help families affected by the Boston Marathon bombings more easily find and access special recovery programs to meet their unique needs.  

The Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, the Boston Public Health Commission, One Fund Boston and Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Victim Services Division have banded together to launch the collaborative effort on Monday, Aug. 5, according to a press release.

The hotline, at 855-617-3863, will offer information for a variety of trained specialist services in areas such as medical, mental and behavioral health, housing, employment, financial planning and insurance programs. 

The purpose of the hotline, along with plans to co-locate specialists in one office, is to make it easier for victims to find the services they need. 

The hotline is open to any victims with questions about resources available, whether they suffer from physical, emotional or financial injury as a direct result from the April 15 bombings or surrounding events in Cambridge and Watertown. 

“The attack on the Boston Marathon impacted the lives of hundreds of victims and their families, and it is our responsibility to make sure they are provided the services they need, not just now but in the future as well,” Coakley said in the press release. “This new joint partnership will help ensure that these families are not left alone on their long path to a full recovery.”

The hotline will last at least six months as a formal assessment of what long term needs the victims might need. 

One Fund Boston is working to provide "a productive transition from a victim relief fund to a service and support network," according to the press release.