Behavioral Health Network Receives $125,000 Donation Commitment from PeoplesBank

SPRINGFIELD — Behavioral Health Network Inc. (BHN) announced it has received a $25,000 donation from PeoplesBank to benefit the Katherine B. Wilson Staff Excellence Fund. It is the first installment of a $125,000 commitment over the next five years.

BHN established the Katherine B. Wilson Staff Excellence Fund to support the career and professional development of the organization’s workforce and assist in achieving social-justice objectives. Through community partnerships, valuable in-kind services, and generous donations, BHN seeks to address a variety of staff professional-development opportunities. The fund will provide support for scholarship funds and forgivable loans for staff to further their education at local colleges, along with licensure support.

“BHN made a compelling case that the engagement/skillset of their workforce has an enormous impact on their ‘end users’ – something we know to be true, even in a seemingly different industry such as banking,” said Matthew Bannister, senior vice president, Marketing and Corporate Responsibility at PeoplesBank. “It is the ‘hand up, and not handout’ to these vulnerable populations that hews most closely to our giving philosophy, so we are comfortable that this program will produce those desired results.”

Steve Winn, president and CEO of BHN, added that “we are deeply grateful to PeoplesBank for their generosity and partnership. Through this commitment, PeoplesBank demonstrates understanding of the importance of ensuring high-quality behavioral-health services to the Western Massachusetts community. Supporting BHN’s essential workforce accomplishes that goal.”