ServiceNet Names Polly Normand Vice President of Community Programs

NORTHAMPTON — ServiceNet recently welcomed Polly Normand to her new role as vice president of Community Programs, where she is overseeing Shelter & Housing Services, Substance Use Recovery Services, and the REACH Early Intervention Program.

No stranger to ServiceNet — a nonprofit mental-health and human-services organization serving communities throughout Western Mass. — Normand comes to the position after serving as a consultant for the past several months and, prior to that, as a board member for six years.

Normand completed both her bachelor of science and master of public health degrees at UMass Amherst. A registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and certified professional in healthcare quality, she has a wealth of knowledge and direct experience in healthcare, plus a deep interest in population health. As part of her new role at ServiceNet, she will soon be launching a wellness program for people with serious mental illness — an initiative she began working on during her consultancy.

While Normand’s career has included both her own private practice and corporate work with Baystate Health and Shields Health Solutions, a key connecting theme has been her desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

“I have always been drawn to mental health and human services and am happy to see that mental healthcare is becoming a more prominent priority in public discussions about optimizing overall health and well-being,” she said. “In this new role, I’m excited to partner with ServiceNet’s program leaders as we consider how to further meet the needs of those we serve: from early intervention, where we support children’s optimal development, to the shelters and recovery homes where we help people identify and navigate their optimal next steps, and across the organization as we implement our new wellness program.”