My name is Heather, and for over two decades, I have witnessed the devastating harm caused by repeated Section 35 commitments — not only to individuals struggling with addiction, but far more critically, to the children around them. The trauma has rippled across generations and into my own family. I have seen firsthand the violence, instability, and repeated substance use of one individual whose pattern of behavior resulted in numerous Section 35 commitments over many years. Despite clear evidence of risk, each commitment ended quietly, with no meaningful follow-up, no long-term supervision, and no consideration of the safety of children exposed to this dangerous cycle. My own child, along with many other children, has suffered repeated trauma, fear, and lasting psychological harm because of the current system’s failure to protect them. Children have witnessed overdoses, violence, police interventions, neglect, and terrifying behavior — and are then expected to live safely around these individuals when they are released. Section 35, as it stands today, prioritizes the privacy of the person sectioned over the welfare of children, leaving them invisible and unprotected. This cannot continue. The intent of Section 35 is good: to intervene for people who pose a risk to themselves or others. But it fails by: Treating each commitment as an isolated event with no pattern recognition
Preventing family courts from considering Section 35 records to protect children
Lacking meaningful post-release oversight
Ignoring how children are traumatized by repeated exposure to instability, addiction, and violence
Massachusetts must do better. I am asking lawmakers to amend Section 35 to: ✅ Require judicial oversight that accounts for repeated sectioning, especially when children are involved
✅ Require reporting to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when a parent, guardian, or household member is sectioned
✅ Mandate a post-release safety plan before individuals return to homes with minors
✅ Permit limited, court-approved access to Section 35 histories in custody or child safety disputes
✅ Provide courts with a way to consider dangerous patterns of behavior that threaten children
✅ Carefully review whether parents barred from seeing their own children should be around any other children We cannot keep pretending Section 35 is working when individuals are repeatedly committed and released without accountability, while children remain in harm’s way. This is not just a policy failure — it is a child protection failure. Please sign this petition to demand that Massachusetts reform Section 35 to protect our children from repeated trauma, instability, and preventable harm. Help the committed get the help they truly need.  
HELPKIDS35