CHA Designated as a Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC)
CHA is one of 25 CBHCs which will expand access to mental health and substance use care across the state
Cambridge, Mass. – On July 7, the Mass. Executive Office of Health and Human Services designated CHA as one of 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) which will expand access to routine, urgent, and crisis treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders starting in January 2023. This is a key milestone in the implementation of the Mass. Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform and the Commonwealth's commitment to improving access to behavioral health treatment.
The CBHC will provide same-day evaluation and referral to treatment, evening and weekend hours, and evidence-based behavioral health treatment in person and via telehealth for individuals of all ages. It will also provide access to specialty care and support for patients in their transition to and engagement in care through case management, outreach, follow-up services, and peer recovery support. The statewide network of CBHCs will deliver 24/7 community-based mobile crisis intervention and stabilization as an alternative to hospital emergency departments.
"This is an exciting opportunity for CHA, our patients, our staff, and our trainees," said Carl Fulwiler, MD, PhD, interim chair and chief of psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance. "The enhanced resources will support developing and implementing a more comprehensive, team-based care model for both urgent and outpatient services."