WORCESTER — Behavioral Health Network (BHN) will hold a community listening session Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Worcester as it takes over services formerly run by Community Healthlink, the organization announced.
The session takes place at the Central Community Branch YMCA, at 766 Main St, at 5 PM.
BHN executives and community engagement staff will lead the discussion, which is open to the public. The organization intends the session to gauge behavioral health needs in the Greater Worcester area and to introduce residents to BHN’s programs and approach to care.
BHN said it plans to hold additional listening sessions and will post updates on its CHL transition page.
Community Healthlink, a UMass Memorial Health affiliate that has served Worcester County for more than 40 years, announced in April that it would close because of years of financial strain. The agency served roughly 20,000 patients annually for substance use, homelessness, and mental health services.
State regulators approved a plan dividing its programs among several providers, including BHN, which is taking over the Worcester Community Behavioral Health Center. Other organizations receiving programs include Clinical & Support Options, Eliot Community Human Services, Mentor South Bay, Open Sky Community Services, and the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance.
BHN, founded in 1938, is one of the state’s largest behavioral health providers, offering mental health, recovery, crisis intervention, developmental disability, autism and family support services across Massachusetts.
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