Massachusetts Behavioral Health
Table of Contents
State resources
Safe and Supportive Schools Commission
About: The Safe and Supportive Schools Commission, established in 2014 by the State of Massachusetts, works to foster safe, healthy, and inclusive school environments for all Massachusetts students. Members, selected for expertise in the fields of education and behavioral health, meet regularly to make recommendations on effective legislation, evidence-based practices to support student mental health, staff training and professional development, and effective school-family collaboration practices. The Safe and Supportive Schools Commission identifies overall strategies to increase schools’ capacity to implement comprehensive behavioral health services.
Highlights: Check out the Safe and Supportive Schools Self-Reflection Tool to aid schools in reflecting on and improving behavioral health supports for students!
Learn More & Get Involved:
- The public is welcome to attend meetings!
- To learn more about other tools, resources, and recommendations for schools please click HERE
BRYT
About: BRYT, a program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, is a network of school-based Bridge programs that support students who have missed extensive amounts of learning due to serious mental health and/or medical challenges transition back to school. Bridge programs provide intensive, short-term academic and clinical case management as students gradually return to class, catch up academically, and re-integrate with their peers. With over 130 programs across Massachusetts, BRYT-model Bridge programs are rapidly becoming the norm for Massachusetts secondary schools.
Highlights:
- In schools that implement BRYT-model Bridge programs, 85-90% of students served successfully complete the school year on track for graduation
- Among students hospitalized before entering Bridge, ≤20% are re-hospitalized
- School support staff devote more time to the general school population, and school districts save money by decreasing out-of-district placements
Learn More & Get Involved:
- Please contact Sarah Nemetz, Junior Program Specialist, if you are interested in learning more about how to start a Bridge program at your school!
- To learn more about BRYT please visit the BRYT Website
Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium
About: Comprised of 125 districts across MA, MASMHC convenes monthly state-wide and regional meetings for school mental health professionals (guidance counselors, school adjustment counselors, school psychologists, etc.). Past agenda topics have included best practices for mental health screening, quality mental health teaming, and threat assessment, as well as presentations by community partners.
Highlights:
- MASMHC now hold meetings in Western Massachusetts!
Learn More & Get Involved:
- The best way to get involved is to attend a meeting! Check the calendar HERE
- To learn more about MASMHC and ways to get involved please click HERE
- Follow MASMHC on Twitter (@MassSMHC) to learn about events, resources, and news regarding student mental health in Massachusetts
MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Office of Student and Family Supports (SFS)
About: SFS works with Massachusetts K-12 schools to support healthy and safe learning environments for students. Current SFS priorities include: 1) Early Learning, 2) Educational Stability, 3) Extended Learning Opportunities, 4) Adolescent HIV/STD Prevention, 5) Safe & Healthy Learning Environments, and 6) Service Learning. SFS provides resources, information, self-assessment/implementation tools, and grants to promote best practices in within these areas.
Highlights:
- Learn more about the McKinney Vento Homelessness Education Assistance Act
Learn More & Get Involved:
- Click HERE to learn more about all SFS programs, initiatives, and opportunities for your school
- Please contact Rachelle Engler Bennett, Associate Commissioner, to learn more
Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships – Training & Access Projects
About: The Training and Access Project (TAP) provides consultation and professional development to support Boston schools in addressing student social, emotional, and behavioral health needs. TAP establishes two-year partnerships with five new schools every year at no cost to schools. In addition, TAP provides free online trainings for all school professionals.
Learn More & Get Involved:
- Visit the TAP website to learn more!
- Register for free online training HERE
Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)
In response to the Rosie D. class action lawsuit, MassHealth Office of Behavioral Health established the CBHI, a community-based system of care to support MassHealth eligible children with social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
CBHI partners with Community Service Agencies (CSA) across Massachusetts to provide an array of services to children and families including:
- In home therapy and behavioral services
- Family support and training
- Intensive care coordination
- Therapeutic mentoring
- Mobile crisis intervention
Learn More & Get Involved:
- A more extensive description of services and eligibility, as well as comprehensive list of CSA locations can be found HERE.
- The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Access Website (HERE) is a great resource for finding CBHI providers.
- Attend System of Care meeting hosted by your local CSA!
MassHealth School-Based Medicaid Programs (SBMP)
As of July 1, 2019, an expanded array of services provided in schools will be eligible for reimbursement from MassHealth. Reimbursements will be made to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) (i.e. public board of education). For most school/districts, this means that the reimbursement will go to the city/town. For charter schools, regional school districts, and vocational/technical schools, the reimbursement will go directly to the school/district.
Learn More & Get Involved:
- To learn more, please click HERE
Massachusetts Organization of Education Collaboratives (MOEC)
According Massachusetts legislation, school districts may form collaboratives to address the special education needs of their students. These collaboratives, represented by MOEC, provide specialized therapeutic and educational programs and services.
Learn More & Get Involved:
- To learn more about MOEC, please click HERE
- To find programs/services provided by the collaboratives, please click HERE
- To learn more about how to form/amend a collaborative, please click HERE
Massachusetts Family Resource Centers (FRC)
The FRCs across Massachusetts, funded by Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families, provide free support groups, parenting programs, early childhood services, information and referral resources, and education for families with children from birth to 18 years old.
- Learn More & Get Involved:
- Find your local FRC HERE!
Network of Care Massachusetts
Network of Care Massachusetts includes a directory of over 5,000 programs and organizations across the Commonwealth, searchable by keyword and zip code and categorized according to type of support.
- To learn more, please click HERE!
Please subscribe to our mailing list HERE.