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Date: 1/31/2023
CHICOPEE – The Center for Human Development opened a new Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) called Gateway on Jan. 3. Located at 1109 Granby Rd., the Gateway CBHC provides extensive resources in treating mental health.
The Gateway service hub is one of 25 behavioral health and substance use providers in the state to receive the newly developed CBHC designation by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The center is designated to serve the Chicopee, Holyoke, Ludlow, South Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Monson, Palmer, Southampton and Ware populations; as well as individuals from any region who are already receiving services from the Center for Human Development.
CBHC Program Director Christy O’Brien explained that the center opened to address mental health access in Chicopee and neighboring communities.
“These communities had enough volume of need that the state said, ‘You know what, they need their own specific CBHC …’ The state saw the need and wanted to create ease of access,” said O’Brien in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Gateway is open for walk-in hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. There are also crisis counselors available 24/7 via phone from the center’s 833-243-8255 hotline number. The CBHC can also perform home visits and is forming dedicated partnerships with local community organizations.
“We are sort of everywhere,” said O’Brien.
Chicopee, Ware, Palmer, South Hadley, Granby and Belchertown all feature clinician and support counselors embedded within their police departments.
O’Brien said the CBHC model allows Gateway to provide a wide array of services to people in need. She said that while other worthwhile mental health services feature important support systems, the CBHC is able to mend and address possible gaps left behind in a more traditional format.
“The state really recognized and developed this CBHC model to really create a spectrum of services for any level of mental health acuity … The state really wanted to create opportunities to not lose people between levels of care,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien shared that Gateway’s model allows for the center to help people in a crisis state via crisis stabilization centers. The CBHC operates an adult stabilization center with eight available beds and a youth-oriented program that features 12 beds.
“Somebody may see us for crisis, and it’s really clear that maybe they don’t need inpatient hospital level of care for support, but they still need something that is outside their home,” said O’Brien.
Gateway also aids clients with mental health intervention. O’Brien said the CBHC can help set up outpatient therapy or psychiatrist sessions for mental health needs.
“It also allows for people who are not necessarily in a really acute place, but they are maybe just not feeling well-enough or they know they might get to an acute place and they need intervention before then,” said O’Brien.
In her experiences, O’Brien has seen a surge of mental health concerns increase over the years. She noted that some mental health issues were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The shortage of clinicians and the wait list that have been seen across the state and country, I think it’s evident that people really need extra support,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien also emphasized the importance of providing mental health services geared toward adolescents after witnessing a gradual increase of need.
“Children and adolescents are struggling more than they’ve struggled, in my experiences, than ever before … We’ve seen a lot of increased need,” said O’Brien. The CBHC is also partnering with local school departments to holistically aid in supporting adolescents.
In roughly a month since opening, O’Brien shared that Gateway is already leaving a positive impact on communities.
“I’m very proud that we’ve done well responding. Our team is fantastic … We have a very nice, tight-knit team with a shared mission orientation,” said O’Brien.
Gateway is actively looking for mental health professionals interested in applying. Readers can learn more about the CBHC at https://chd.org/programs-services/mental-health-therapists-in-hampden-hampshire-and-franklin/gateway/.