Grant Partners

Boston Medical Center (BMC) has served as the lead agency for the Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST) since 2003. BEST is the Metro Boston Emergency Services Program, working in collaboration with Bay Cove Human Services, North Suffolk Mental Health Association and Massachusetts General Hospital. BMC will establish an Advisory Group to work closely with a Leadership Committee to develop a master strategic work plan to address issues that will lead to the creation of an expanded behavioral health urgent care system. 

Bay Cove Human Services (Bay Cove) is the sole provider of emergency behavioral health services for all of Cape Cod, and to the Islands through partnerships with Gosnold and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. Bay Cove will hire two new clinicians and a Certified Peer Specialist to provide wrap-around care for people with behavioral health needs. Additionally, Bay Cove will expand relationships with public and private entities that encounter people with behavioral health needs to ensure clients’ needs are met appropriately and in a timely fashion. 

Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (The Brien Center) offers a variety of services for people with substance use and co-occurring disorders. The Brien Center partners with Berkshire Health Systems where all psychiatric providers are contracted with the hospital system and are embedded in its programs. The Brien Center will hire a Program Manager and Care Coordinator to ensure same-day access for outpatient services and develop the capability to address urgent and emergent needs on-site.  

Lahey Health Behavioral Services (LHBS) Emergency Services Program provides rapid assessment and immediate stabilization services to people in need in the greater Lowell area. The grant will help to enhance their urgent care clinic by introducing telemedicine for real-time psychiatric prescribing, using community health workers to assist clients following an emergent or urgent evaluation, and developing an integrated HER to improve crisis treatment and follow-up planning.

HSL has developed a depression services program, Making Real Progress in Emotional Health, to integrate behavioral health treatment with primary care and other health services to reduce the severity of depressive symptoms in seniors, and to improve overall health.  The Foundation's grant will enable HSL to expand services to patients receiving in-home care.  In 2015, HSL acquired Jewish Family and Children’s Services, which expanded HSL’s home care services by an additional 1,000 seniors (now totaling 2,000 older adults).  In contrast to seniors in supportive housing who tend to be part of a community, seniors in home care are more likely to suffer from isolation, pain, and increased debility post-hospitalization.  These stressors also increase these seniors’ susceptibility to depression.  HSL will take the lead in developing and monitoring individual care plans; tracking health outcomes in collaboration with primary care physicians from the practices treating the majority of patients; and developing additional community partnerships to ensure more comprehensive collaborative care for their patients.