Riverside Chosen by the Commonwealth As Service Provider for Community Behavioral Health Centers in Greater Norwood and South County

New centers will serve as entry points for MassHealth members for treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

Riverside Community Care is pleased to announce that it has been chosen by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the service provider for Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) in the South County (Milford) and Norwood regions. The awards were announced on Thursday, July 7 by the Baker-Polito Administration. Implementation is expected to begin in January 2023.

The Community Behavioral Health Center is a new provider model serving as an entry point for timely, flexible, evidence-based treatment for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders including routine appointments, urgent visits, and 24/7 community-based crisis intervention as an alternative to hospital emergency departments. CBHCs are a crucial component of the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, a multi-year blueprint published by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services in 2021 to streamline access and strengthen delivery of mental health and substance use treatment for MassHealth members.

The Riverside centers in Milford and Norwood, two of 25 different CBHCs across the Commonwealth, will now serve as hubs for comprehensive community mental health and addiction care, providing routine and urgent outpatient services as well as crisis care for children and adults. The Riverside Outpatient Centers in Milford and Norwood will continue to serve non-MassHealth members as well.

CBHCs will provide the following services, in person and via telehealth:

• Same-day access to intake and brief assessment, urgent and crisis treatment, and medication
• Care across the lifespan for all ages – children, adults, and families
• 24/7 community-based and mobile crisis response and stabilization for youth and adults, as an alternative to hospital emergency departments.
• Same-day evaluation and referral to treatment, with timely follow-up appointments
• Extended hours including evenings and weekends
• Community Crisis Stabilization beds, an alternative to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
• Drop-in services such as group sessions and peer support
• Ability to meet a variety of language needs and cultural backgrounds

The CBHC in Milford will serve MassHealth members from Bellingham, Blackstone, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Franklin, Holland, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Northbridge, North Brookfield, Oxford, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Wales, Warren, Webster, and West Brookfield.

The CBHC in Norwood will serve MassHealth members from Canton, Dedham, Dover, Foxboro, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, and Wrentham.

“We are excited about the opportunity to serve in this capacity, caring for communities where we already have a strong array of services that dovetail with the Commonwealth’s Roadmap,” said Marsha Medalie, CEO of Riverside Community Care. “At a time when so many Massachusetts residents who need mental health and substance use care go without, our Milford and Norwood centers will be able to move quickly to provide MassHealth members with comprehensive and coordinated treatment. The Commonwealth is making great strides in setting up an infrastructure to improve access to behavioral healthcare across the state, and we are very pleased to be a part of it.”

For more information about Community Behavioral Health Centers, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/community-behavioral-health-centers.