Center For Healthy Communities Opens Its Doors

SPRINGFIELD — The Western Mass. Center for Healthy Communities, one of six new regional centers funded by the Mass. Dept. of Public Health, has opened its doors in Florence.
As of July 1, the new Regional Centers for Healthy Communities replaced the Massachusetts Prevention Centers as part of the public health system in the Commonwealth. The Springfield Prevention Center closed in May. The Western Mass. Center for Healthy Com-munities is currently based in Florence, but administrators anticipate moving it to the Holyoke area later this year.

The center, which serves Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Franklin counties as well as the North Quabbin area of Worcester County, has, as its primary focus, work in alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention. The center also works in community health planning and local and regional partnership development.

The center offers workshops for teachers, parents, coalition members, organizations, and youth development staff.

The center’s resource library hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its materials are also available through inter-library loan. Materials are also available at the center’s Web site: www.westernmasshealthycommunities.org