Mass Mental Health: All the Resources Available to Locals
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The world is currently facing a global mental health crisis, and it has become a critical concern for public health. There are currently over 1 billion people estimated to be living with a mental health condition around the globe.
Approximately 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder based on statistics from 2019. In the United States, it is estimated that 22.8% of adults living in the country have experienced a mental illness or are currently living with one. That’s 1 in 5 people.
So, let's talk about mass mental health — mass as in Massachusetts.
When it comes to treating and managing mental health, accessing help is critical. Professionals like those qualified through online clinical mental health counseling programs are essential when you are struggling with mental health, whether it’s anxiety, depression, or something else.
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) is a free and confidential service for those seeking mental health help. It’s a service provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line allows individuals to call, text, or chat online for a real-time clinical assessment. The service is also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When you contact the service, you’ll be talking to a trained staff member, who’ll help you access treatment or find support for your specific mental health condition or concern. The service is fantastic if you’re seeking help but you’re not sure where to start.
The help line’s goal is to connect individuals seeking support with qualified professionals who can provide mental health assessments, crisis support, substance use treatment, referrals, and more.
When an individual contacts the Massachusetts BHHL, the service will also conduct a clinical follow-up to ensure their needs have been met. Common reasons for contacting the service include:
● Having trouble sleeping or sleeping all the time
● Feeling a sense of dread or anxiety
● Alcohol or substance (eg. drug) abuse
● Engaging in unsafe activities
● Talking about harming yourself or others
● Feeling trapped, angry, or hopeless
The BHHL is also for everyone. This includes LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, individuals living with disabilities, and individuals for whom English is not their first language.
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Eliot Community Human Services
Eliot Community Human Services (Eliot CHS) provides a range of community-based services to individuals and families throughout Massachusetts. It is an organization based on a person-centered and family-driven approach to care. It provides:
● Care services for adults
● Children, youth, and family support
● Care coordination
Eliot Community Human Services includes adult behavioral health, counseling and psychiatry services, developmental disability and brain injury programming, and homeless support services.
For children, youth, and family support, the organization covers a wide range of services from pregnancy support to suicide prevention. These include:
● Pregnancy, early childhood, and caregiving support. Like family resources, free family coaching programs, mental health consultations, and foster/adoption services.
● Children, youth, and family behavioral health. This encompasses family support and training, in-home therapy for times of crisis, intensive care coordination for youth and families, and more.
● Residential programs. Eliot Community Human Services offers residential programs for emergencies, as well as juvenile justice residences.
● Suicide prevention. The organization offers suicide prevention and mental health resources for youth and families at risk.
Eliot Community Human Services also provides care coordination through its Behavioral Health Community Partner Program. This helps individuals living with complex behavioral health, medical, and/or substance use disorders to connect with care services to improve their health and wellbeing outcomes.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts Chapter
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts Chapter is a statewide, nonprofit grassroots organization, aiming to improve the quality of life of those living with a mental health condition. It was first founded in 1982 and has now become a prominent state voice on mental health issues.
NAMI Massachusetts’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those with a mental health condition, their family, as well as their caregivers. The organization’s goal is to ensure all people impacted by a mental health condition receive the support they need and when they need it.
The organization does this through various events, to increase awareness of mental health, and to change legislation for the better. It also runs several programs to provide education, support, and training to people impacted by mental health conditions.
NAMI Massachusetts also runs the ‘Compass’ helpline. Compass is a completely free service, which provides information, ideas, resources, and support to people across the state to help navigate complex mental health systems and access care.
Riverside Community Care
Riverside Community Care is a community-based non-profit organization located in Massachusetts. The organization provides a range of services, including mental health care, developmental and brain injury services, early childhood and youth programs, addiction treatment, and more.
The organization also runs behavioral health consulting, screening, and suicide prevention programs for schools, communities, businesses, and other organizations. Riverside Community Care covers:
● Children, youth, and families that require mental health care, early intervention services, family support, and care coordination support.
● Individuals who are seeking mental health counseling and/or medication, emergency psychiatric services, employment, and housing services.
● Providing support to people who are living with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, or autism, requiring assistance with residential services, employment, or support services.
● Families and/or children who have experienced domestic violence.
● Schools, colleges, workplaces, and communities that are seeking to learn more about mental health issues, substance use disorders, and suicide prevention.
Riverside Community Care also provides a mobile crisis intervention service, which is available around the clock, 24/7 for those in need.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis, they can contact the mobile crisis intervention service for help.
North Suffolk Community Services
North Suffolk Community Services (NSCS) is an organization that was originally founded in 1959. Today, NSCS has grown to a staff of 900, spread across 4 clinics, 38 residences, and 74 programs.
The organization provides a range of services to support individuals and families through treatment and recovery services. These include Adult services, children and family services, addiction services, and developmental services.
NSCS’s adult services include an outpatient counseling center, providing psychiatric and medical services to adults experiencing emotional difficulties, mental illness, or other challenges in their daily lives.
North Suffolk Community Services also runs a Community Behavioral Health Center, which also accommodates emergency services and a mobile crisis intervention team. This team can provide crisis evaluation and emergency mental health treatment services to Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, and Winthrop.
There is no shame in seeking mental health support services – no matter your circumstances. If you are struggling for any reason, and to any degree, there are services available to you across Massachusetts.
