DOC, VitalCore Launch Mental Health Wellness Helpline for Incarcerated Individuals
MILFORD — The Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), in partnership with VitalCore Health Strategies, announced the launch of a new after-hours mental health wellness helpline designed to strengthen and expand services for individuals under the care of the DOC.
Developed collaboratively by DOC and its healthcare partner VitalCore, this first-of-its-kind service connects incarcerated individuals with qualified healthcare professionals. While individuals already have access to qualified providers during regular business hours, the helpline extends coverage overnight, ensuring support is available when concerns arise outside the standard schedule.
“This helpline offers individuals in our custody a new way to reach trained mental and medical health professionals when they need support,” DOC Commissioner Shawn Jenkins said. “By extending access into overnight hours, we are strengthening our continuum of care and improving our ability to identify and respond promptly when someone is struggling. I want to thank the DOC staff and our partners at VitalCore, whose hard work and collaboration made this innovative new resource possible.”
VitalCore will operate the newly created wellness helpline under its existing contract. The wellness line offers a variety of supports, including connection with mental health crisis services, but also assists the housed population with general medical questions and needs.
“The creation of this mental health wellness helpline embodies collaboration and innovation between VitalCore and our Massachusetts DOC partners,” said Viola Riggin, CEO of VitalCore Health Strategies. “This additional service further bolsters and strengthens our ongoing commitment to deliver the highest quality of care for individuals housed at DOC facilities.”
Phased rollout of the helpline began on Dec. 1 and will be completed by the end of January. The rollout includes educational material for DOC staff and the housed population. DOC staff are also being trained and instructed on protocol.
The helpline is an extra resource to support the well-being of the DOC housed population. The helpline is being used in concert with the regular mental health and routine health care service requests.
The wellness helpline will be available from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and will be monitored and answered by live healthcare professionals. Outside of those hours, individuals are notified via automated message to contact healthcare professionals at their facility. The housed population can call the helpline from their DOC-issued tablets or any of the wall phones. The helpline operates independently of the phone schedules within the 13 DOC facilities.
When an incarcerated individual calls the helpline, based on the interaction, the qualified healthcare professionals will create a comprehensive, individualized response based on the issues, concerns, or questions brought up during the calls. For those that require immediate intervention, the DOC will be notified in order to assist in facilitating a face-to-face medical interaction at the site. The response plan is coordinated and maintained through VitalCore.
If there are any concerns that a caller is at emergent risk, the healthcare professional answering the call will immediately notify DOC officials, who will quickly respond to the situation. Site staff will follow crisis referral protocols.
Whenever a family member alerts DOC with concerns of risk or crisis, there is an immediate referral to a qualified healthcare professional at the DOC facility in which the person is housed and treated. Any imminent concerns are addressed to ensure the safety of the individual, based on a comprehensive risk assessment. Should an individual require elevated monitoring, the contracted healthcare provider may initiate therapeutic supervision and create a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan.