Dr. Mattie Castiel Reflects on 10 Years as Worcester Health Commissioner

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

Photo- Dr. Castiel, Submitted
City of Worcester Background – Kill the Ball Media

WORCESTER, MASS.- After a decade of leading Worcester’s Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Matilde “Mattie” Castiel will step down from her role at the end of September. In a conversation with Radio Worcester’s Hank Stolz, Castiel reflected on her tenure, the challenges she faced, and the progress made in addressing some of the city’s most pressing public health and social issues.

Castiel began her role in 2015, stepping into government service with little prior experience in public administration. One of her earliest initiatives was supporting the city’s syringe exchange program, a controversial but ultimately impactful policy designed to reduce the spread of hepatitis C and HIV. “We thought about harm reduction and how important all of that was,” she said. “Addiction is a disease and we needed to treat it as a disease.”

Over the years, Castiel worked to shift public perception around addiction and homelessness. She highlighted the importance of wraparound services and housing for those struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. “No one will recover unless they have a roof over their heads,” she stressed.

Her decade-long tenure also included championing mental health awareness, pushing for comprehensive sex education, and helping to create reentry programs for those leaving incarceration. “Almost 95% of the people that are in our jail are there because of addiction,” Castiel noted. “How do we start helping people when they come out to provide them service?”

COVID-19, she said, offered lessons in collaboration that must carry forward into addressing health inequities. “One of the most important things that happened with COVID was the collaboration among everybody to row in the same direction,” she reflected.

Castiel acknowledged that some of her positions, such as advocating for safe injection sites and tobacco-free policies for future generations, have sparked controversy. But she believes having these conversations is critical to shaping the city’s future.

As she prepares to leave office, Castiel expressed pride in Worcester’s progress and optimism for what lies ahead. “We’ve moved to make more housing available, we’re starting a senior shelter, we’re opening up a residential treatment facility,” she said. “I hope the community feels that there has been some change.”

Though retiring from her official post, Castiel emphasized that her commitment to Worcester is far from over. A 36-year resident of the city, she plans to remain engaged in community work — including, she added with a smile, cooking Cuban food at Café Reyes.

“This is my home,” she said. “I will always be here.”