Baker opens 24-hour disaster helpline, 25 new neighborhood behavioral well being facilities

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The initiative is a part of Governor Baker’s Roadmap for Behavioral Well being Reform.

Outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker took an enormous step towards bettering psychological well being in Massachusetts when he ready to: go away the workplace on Thursday.

On Jan. 3, the Baker administration launched the state’s new 24/7 behavioral well being helpline and opened 25 new neighborhood behavioral well being facilities (CBHCs) as a part of it. Roadmap for Behavioral Well being Reform plan

The initiative, introduced in 2021, takes a brand new “front-door” method to behavioral well being care, the Baker administration stated. information launch. This method is designed to make it simpler for residents to entry behavioral well being providers, cut back reliance on emergency rooms for entry to such providers, and improve entry to those providers.

“Over the previous eight years, our administration has partnered with suppliers, clinicians and communities to strengthen capability and entry within the behavioral well being system,” Baker stated in a launch.

“By implementing these vital initiatives within the Behavioral Well being Reform Roadmap, we’re taking one other vital step to make sure our residents can get the care they want, which is particularly vital given the continued want for behavioral well being providers as we emerge from the pandemic. .”

“The Roadmap is a multi-year plan for behavioral well being reform based by almost 700 well being care suppliers, legislators and people from throughout Massachusetts,” the discharge stated. These stakeholders really useful that the state work to enhance entry to remedy, provide more practical remedy to residents, and enhance well being fairness.

“The roadmap demonstrates the Commonwealth’s dedication to creating behavioral well being as a lot a precedence as bodily well being,” the Baker administration wrote in a launch.

A cornerstone of the roadmap is the opening of 25 new CBHCs, that are specifically designated psychological well being clinics that present a complete vary of psychological well being and substance abuse dysfunction providers.

These clinics are meant to be an entry level for behavioral well being providers for residents of all revenue ranges and authorized standing, the discharge stated. To make this attainable, they obtain authorities funding and provide different cost fashions to make such providers inexpensive.

By stateall CBHCs provide same-day evaluation and remedy entry, well timed follow-up appointments, night and weekend hours, pressing behavioral well being care, 24/7 neighborhood and cell disaster intervention providers, and disaster stabilization beds.

For a listing of CBHCs, go to state web site.

Moreover, the roadmap referred to as for the newly launched Massachusetts Behavioral Well being Helpline. The helpline, out there 24/7 each on-line and by cellphone, affords a single level of contact the place residents can obtain real-time help, an preliminary scientific evaluation and a connection to psychological well being and substance use dysfunction remedy.

The toll-free helpline is obtainable to all residents, no matter whether or not they have insurance coverage or pays for providers. It is also supplied in additional than 200 languages, and clinicians will comply with up with sufferers after every dialog, the discharge stated.

The quantity for the helpline is 833-773-2445, and you will discover extra details about it on its web site, www.masshelpline.com.