Grant Partners

Community Healthlink will continue the integration of its substance use disorder program with its mental health services. The program will: implement its medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for both long and short term use; provide case management and follow-up services with clients who come to Behavioral Health and Addiction Urgent Care for either mental health or substance use disorder treatment; and continue to strengthen its collaboration with local police departments and health and human services providers.

Boston Medical Center will enhance the Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST) model to improve the delivery of high-quality, culturally competent care to individuals with mental health conditions, substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring disorders. It seeks to strengthen the rapid assessment and treatment of individuals while providing referrals and access to appropriate services in the least restrictive environment, promoting safety and recovery, and providing medical support and triage to divert people from the emergency department and inpatient psychiatric units.

Clinical and Support Options (CSO) will increase its ability to provide an integrated behavioral health system that determines, assigns and begins the right service at the time needed for each person; increase prescriber hours; enhance addiction services; continue to improve the Greenfield Living Room peer support diversion program; and grow partnerships with community organizations, state human services agencies, and police departments.  

Community Healthlink (CHL) in Worcester is one of only three Massachusetts Department of Public Health/Bureau of Substance and Addiction Services licensed Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers. CHL is affiliated with the UMass Memorial Health Care system, and works closely with St. Vincent Hospital’s emergency departments, and addiction treatment providers, such as Spectrum Health Systems and AdCare. CHL will restore the 24/7/365 access, and all operational enhancements that entails, and conduct an assessment of all opportunities for reimbursement. Additionally, CHL will hire a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinician to bridge clients, gain telemedicine capabilities, and build a team of Certified Recovery Coaches.

Clinical & Support Options, Inc. (CSO) operates an Emergency Services Program (ESP) In Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. They provide comprehensive community-based behavioral health services for adults with a range of outpatient, day treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation and care management services. The team will focus their planning year on developing a sustainable model for expanding behavioral health urgent care access to psychopharmacology, providing community-based expedited medical clearance, and enhancing ESP/urgent care and police coordination.