Critical Interventions – BHN Provides Wide Range of Mental Health, Substance Abuse Services

People call the Behavioral Health Network Crisis Lines seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Some are suicidal, while others are family members or friends concerned about a loved one whose psychiatric symptoms or aggressive behavior is escalating. There are also parents of teens who fear they may have overdosed on drugs, as well as callers who are extremely agitated. They may have suddenly stopped taking medication for depression, and if they are manic-depressive, they may have gone into a manic phase and been unable to sleep for 48 hours.

But thanks to crisis-intervention services provided by the Behavioral Health Network Inc. or BHN as it’s known, immediate help is always available, and more than two dozen trained professionals respond to 3,400 calls every month that come through their phone lines in Springfield and Westfield.

“Our professionals ask enough questions to determine what kind of help the caller needs. We know what to do, what is available, and how to respond, and because we have a mobile team we are able to send professionals to someone’s home right away if we think it’s necessary,” said BHN President and CEO Katherine Wilson, adding that children are almost always seen in their homes, and parents often call after children do something to injure themselves.

“In cases where we do send the caller to the emergency room, our staff members will be there,” she continued, explaining that BHN serves people throughout the southern Pioneer Valley and was selected by the Department of Mental Health as its desired emergency service provider.

However, although BHN crisis team members conduct assessments in the emergency rooms of six area hospitals, which include Baystate Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, and Noble Hospital in Westfield, Wilson advises people to call BNH at (413) 733-6661 before going there because it is often preferable to receive care in another setting.

“People can also come directly to our Community Centers at 417 Liberty St. in Springfield or at 77 Mill St. in Westfield, which is operated by the Carson Center for Human Services under our umbrella. We accept walk-ins Monday through Friday up to 9 p.m. and have professionals in the buildings 24 hours a day,” she said.

BNH’s crisis lines are among the most critical services the non-profit organization provides, but it is also responsible for a wide variety of programs that operate in 57 locations. In fact, Wilson said there is very little in the realm of mental health treatment that BHN does not handle. “We have 1,300 employees in an expansive system of care,” she said.

It’s important because mental illness is the leading cause of disability and can result in homelessness, suicide and/or despair, according to a report from the National Alliance for Mental Illness, which states that 25{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of adults and 10{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of children struggle with serious emotional and mental disorders that interfere with their ability to live normal lives.

BHN has a long-standing history of providing help to children and adults.

However, it began in 1937 as a child-guidance clinic in the basement of the old Springfield Hospital. “It was established for children whose challenging behaviors interfered with their schooling or who had other behavioral issues,” Wilson explained. “State funding paid for a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, and secretary.”

Over the next two decades, a number of other private and non-profit mental health organizations opened in Western Mass. However, most operated independently until 1963 when President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act into law, which provided federal funding for community health centers and research facilities devoted to treating mental illness.

Wilson said the legislation called attention to the need for a comprehensive system of care for people with mental health issues that would allow them to transition along a continuum that ranged from residential programs to outpatient settings and services. “Programs for children also needed to be integrated into their academic environment,” she told HCN.

In Springfield, this was accomplished through the creation of the Springfield Community Mental Health Consortium, which was an umbrella organization.

It worked well until then-President Ronald Reagan discontinued funding for mental health programs, Wilson said, noting that after lawsuits were filed against former Gov. Michael Dukakis related to “inhumane conditions” at Northampton State Hospital and Belchertown State School, it became clear that a new system of care was needed.

That occurred locally in 1992 when four agencies merged to become the Behavioral Health Network Inc. The services it offered were expanded, and 10 years ago, treatment for drug and alcohol addiction was added to their menu.

“Treatment works, and people do recover from addiction; when they embrace recovery, they go year after year without returning to drug or alcohol use,” said Wilson. “It becomes a badge of honor, and we have hired many people as recovery specialists who have graduated from our programs. It’s really exciting to know that after men and women participate in these programs, they can become good, active, engaged members of their community.”

Tracy Caisse agreed. “We build on people’s natural strengths and help them get their confidence back,” said BHN’s director of development and marketing.

Today, BNH offers a wide variety of services that range from residential settings to outpatient counseling.

“We want people to know that everyone faces challenges at some time in their life. They may be individual or with a child, parent or loved one who needs help,” Wilson said, adding that people shouldn’t be ashamed or deny that they need assistance when they can’t resolve issues on their own.

“There are plans like BNH that give people the opportunity to get appropriate care. It may be for something that constitutes a little blip, a lifetime challenge, an addiction problem, or a disability or mental illness,” she went on. “It’s a matter of knowing who to call, then reaching out and asking what to do. People should not hesitate to pick up the phone because a mental health problem is no different than a physical illness.”

BHN’s residential programs include the 30-bed Carlson Recovery Center on 471 Chestnut St. in Springfield, where people can undergo detoxification from alcohol addiction; My Sister’s House, which offers 24-hour help to women and children seeking escape from domestic abuse situations; and the newly opened Cole’s Place for men with substance abuse and mental health issues. The 25-bed house is located on the corner of Liberty and Heywood streets in Springfield, and was awarded a two-year grant from the state earlier this year.

There is also the Hope Center on 35 Heywood St. in Springfield. Caissie said it’s a short-term residential treatment program for people who don’t need detoxification from their drug of choice or who have already gone through a detoxification program, but are not stable enough to return home.

“We also run intensive outpatient programs that offer treatment from three to six hours a day for people who are able to live in their homes,” Wilson said, explaining that due to the wide range of BHN’s offerings, people in residential programs are able to work their way through a series of step-down programs until they no longer need help.

In addition, there are residential settings for people with disabilities.

“We run group homes that are staffed around the clock in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. They are for adults aged 22 and older and usually house two to five people,” Wilson said. “Each person has their own individualized service plan, which can include education and/or employment. They live independently, but we provide the services they need.”

BNH also provides counseling in outpatient settings, and even has a forensic mental health services division.

“We have a contract with the Department of Mental Health to provide support to district and superior courts in three counties,” Wilson said. “Forensically licensed psychologists evaluate individuals referred to us by the court who may be facing charges. Some are juveniles and others have substance abuse problems that could put them or others at risk. Our psychologists advise the court as to whether they should be committed and also conduct competency evaluations to determine if they need to be sent to a treatment facility.”

Another ancillary service BHN provides is crisis intervention training for police officers.

“We run 40-hour sessions that help them learn de-escalation techniques they can use when they are dealing with a mental health crisis; the techniques help keep the person and their family safe, along with the police officer,” said Meg Mastriana, senior program manager of crisis services.

The program includes classroom sessions as well as visits to area facilities give police officers more knowledge about the types of programs available in their communities. Caisse said police departments interested in learning more about crisis intervention training can contact Mastriana directly at (413) 301-9352.

BHN officials hope more people will take advantage of the services they offer.

“Unfortunately, people often don’t know where to turn when they are having a problem,” said Caisse. “But we want them to call us so we can figure out what they need and guide them so they can access appropriate help.”

Wilson agreed. “Behavioral health has evolved over the past 50 years and become an important part of the scientific- and evidence-based era of medicine. It’s time to move forward into the new frontier. We must embrace scientific advances, and advocate for public policies that emphasize prevention and early identification,” she said, adding that BHN will continue to be at the forefront of such efforts. v