Celebrating Our New Community Crisis Stabilization and Respite Services in Upton

Riverside Community Care held an open house on Friday, September 29, to celebrate its new Community Crisis Stabilization (CCS) and Respite Services site in Upton.

Over 60 people attended the event, including Brooke Doyle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH), DMH Central Massachusetts Area Director Jerry Juliano, and Dr. Lee Robinson, MassHealth Medical Director for Behavioral Health. All present praised the $2.1M, fully accessible, state-of-the-art facility as a way to help address the rise in mental health and substance use crises within the community.

Riverside president Vic DiGravio emphasized, “The fact that these programs have been over 90% full since we opened in August underscores the need for – and Riverside’s commitment to – a robust continuum of care, providing the highest quality services in the best setting possible. These attractive and comfortable accommodations are worthy of the individuals we serve and our dedicated staff who will work together within these walls.”

Stabilization and respite services can be vitally important in the aftermath of a behavioral health crisis, and comfortable overnight accommodations combined with therapeutic services can help a person in need regain balance while remaining close to home. People receive treatment planning, medication evaluation and management, peer support, and recovery-focused groups, and programs are staffed 24/7 by counselors, behavioral health clinicians, nurses, and certified peer specialists. In addition to eleven bedrooms, the building has a modern, well-stocked kitchen, comfortable living rooms, and laundry facilities.

Taking the place of inpatient hospitalization whenever possible and clinically appropriate, Community Crisis Stabilization and Respite can also mitigate the strain on hospital emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric units, where resources are currently stretched to the maximum, and the wait for services can be lengthy.

In addition to the new Upton building serving 15 people, Riverside also has CCS and Respite programs in Norwood housing 16 people. All locations are close to the resources of Riverside’s Community Behavioral Health Centers in Milford and Norwood, allowing for streamlined access to coordinated care within the community. Referral to CCS is through Riverside’s Mobile Crisis Intervention service (1-800-294-4665) or from an emergency department or inpatient behavioral health unit. Referral to Respite care is through the Department of Mental Health.

For more information, visit https://www.riversidecc.org/adult-services/mental-health/menta-health-crisis-services/crisis-stabilization-respite/

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