BHN Awarded Commonwealth’s Community Behavioral Health Center Designation

SPRINGFIELD — Behavioral Health Network Inc. (BHN) announced that the organization has been awarded the contract to serve as the Community Behavioral Health Center for the Springfield catchment area. This designation was awarded by the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership, the single statewide behavioral-health vendor for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ MassHealth program.

BHN’s Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) will be based in Springfield at its Liberty Street campus, and will launch on January 1, 2023.

The CBHC model is part of the Baker-Polito administration’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform to expand access to high-quality outpatient treatment, with the goal of ensuring the right care when and where people need it. CBHCs will serve as an entry point for timely, high-quality mental-health and substance-use disorder treatment, including outpatient and adult and youth crisis intervention.

The goal of the CBHC model is to expand access, including same-day access to assessments, referrals, and crisis treatment. Other goals include evidence-based, goal-oriented, trauma-informed care; focus on equity through culturally competent, accessible treatment; coverage throughout the Commonwealth for all ages; and community-based crisis intervention integrated with a full outpatient continuum of services. This model includes significant new funding for CBHCs and additional funding for non-CBHC behavioral-health urgent care.

“BHN welcomes the opportunity to serve as a Community Behavioral Health Center to meet current and growing needs in the Springfield area,” said Steve Winn, president and CEO. “As the behavioral-health infrastructure continues to evolve, BHN is pleased to partner with the Commonwealth in this new approach to providing access to services and to strengthen providers such as BHN.”

BHN’s Community Behavioral Health Center catchment area includes Agawam, Blandford, Chester, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Huntington, Indian Orchard, Longmeadow, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Springfield, Tolland, Westfield, West Springfield, and Wilbraham.