NEWS
Renowned Speaker & Author Dr. Maria Sirois speaks to Nantucket
CSBH in conjunction with Fairwinds Counseling Center, Sharing Kindness, the Town of Nantucket Health & Human Services Department, and The Department of Mental Health was happy to sponsor and host Maria Sirois, PsyD. on September 21st.
During a heavy hitting Nor’easter, thirty hearty souls beared the wind driven rain to attend this workshop. This workshop provided resources for day to day practices to improve our resilience and functioning in a world where loss and happiness coexist. Attendees received a copy of Maria’s book “A Short Course in Happiness after Loss and other dark and difficult times”. The feedback was positive and grateful.
Click the link below to view Dr. Sirois’ slides via .pdf format
Community Naloxone Program
Community Solutions for Behavioral Health is pleased to announce that we have received approval from Mass Department of Public Health BSAS (Bureau of Substance Addiction Services) as a Community Naloxone Program Affiliate. CSBH has started collaborating with island organizations to provide training on responding to an overdose with Narcan. Narcan is an evidenced based harm reduction intervention that meets those who use drugs where they are at without judgement. Drugs, both licit and illicit, exist in society and our aim is to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use if and when they exist.
Each of the past three years there has been about 4 deaths from overdose on Nantucket reported and more than 2000 in Massachusetts. Often reported deaths are lower than actual deaths particularly when the overall number is small. There has been at least 21 deaths from overdose during the past 10 years on Nantucket. Training on responding to an overdose coupled with access to Narcan can help reduce that number to zero and that’s our goal.
Narcan as a part of any basic first aid kit makes sense, allowing emergency response to a suspected overdose. Training has been completed with Family Resource Center and they are distributing Narcan kits. Narcan is an opioid antagonist and does not cause harm when used on someone who does not have opioids in their system. Good Samaritan Laws protect a rescuer responding to an overdose situation, the goal is to save lives.
The Narcan kits have educational materials to learn about treatment, safer drug use, and overdose response and are available in English and Spanish. Any and everyone should consider carrying Narcan for emergency response. Particularly anyone who uses or has prescription or illicit opioids at home, is around people who use opioids, is around others frequently trying or using drugs.
Trainings for staff and public are also being scheduled with The Chamber of Commerce, The Atheneum, and other island organizations. If your organization is interested in having a kit on site and or being an access point for distribution, please reach in at Rmclaughlin@CSBHNantucket.org.
Get Narcan Education & Kit:
Health Imperatives: 4 Vespar Lane
Family Resource Center: 1B Freedom Square
Letters to the Editor: “May is Mental Health Awareness Month” – May 9th, 2024
We live in a rapidly changing world that can be complex to navigate. About half of Americans can remember a time when we were not constantly connected and it was easier to tune out the noise of the world, while the younger half of the population can’t imagine life without the internet.
Modern life can have a significant impact on mental health, for better or for worse. The disturbing imagery in the media we are exposed to today can be deeply unsettling. At the same time, our current technology also allows us to mobilize and provide collective support more efficiently in times of natural disasters or injustice.
And ironically, while our devices make us more connected than ever, loneliness is an increasingly serious public health concern. We are now able to have conversations with friends and family on the other side of the world in real time. However, constant connection also means that we will know if we weren’t invited to a friend’s party down the street. Recent survey data show that more than half of U.S. adults (58%) are lonely.
Finding a sense of calm and focusing on well-being when you are having mental health concerns can be daunting in our fast-paced society. It can be especially challenging to know where to start.
May is Mental Health Month and Community Solutions for Behavioral Health is raising awareness of the important role mental health plays in our lives. We are encouraging members of the community to take action toward protecting their mental health and overall well-being.
This May, follow our website and social media for ideas and resources to improve your mental health wellness. Community Solutions for Behavioral Health will focus our efforts on helping members of the community to:
LEARN how modern life affects mental health with new resources to navigate our changing world.
ACT by building a coping toolbox to manage stress, difficult emotions, and challenging situations.
ADVOCATE to improve mental health for themselves, the ones they love, and their community.
Mental Health America has created a toolkit to help individuals figure out where to start. The toolkit provides free, practical resources for addressing mental health. Go to mhanational.org/may to learn more.
If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition and are unsure of where to start, take a free, private mental health test at mhascreening.org to determine next steps.
On Nantucket additional resources for navigating mental health needs for yourself or someone you care about include the following; Call or Text, MA Behavioral Health Helpline 833-773-2445 or MA Substance Use Helpline; 800-327-5050 or Text “Hope” to 800327. For parents, Parent Information Network (PIN) is a support program designed by parents and professionals to help families who are challenged by their children’s mental, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges (ages 5 – 25). The goal of PIN is to empower families and assist them in navigating their child within the community. PIN can be reached at 508-947-8779 or their website www.pin.basmi.org
It’s important to remember that working on your mental health takes time. Change won’t happen overnight. Instead, by focusing on small changes, you can move through the stressors of modern life and develop long-term strategies to support yourself — and others — on an ongoing basis.
Credit: Mental Health America
Rosemary McLaughlin, Executive Director, Community Solutions for Behavioral Health
Debra Demuth, Director of Community Services; Rosemary McLaughlin, CSBH Executive Director; Alexis Romanow, CYF Director; Ellie Robinson, CYF Service Authorization; Danielle Pendleton, CYF Supervisor
Press Release: January 26th, 2024: CSBH welcomes The Department of Mental Health to Nantucket
Nantucket - On January 25th Community Solutions for Behavioral Health (CSBH) coordinated an event at Nantucket Cottage Hospital with The Department of Mental Health (DMH) Southeast Area (SEA). As the State’s mental health authority, representatives from DMH’s Child, Youth, and Family Services (CYF) and Adult Divisions offered access, application, and program updates. They also discussed the Department’s responsibility for delivering supplemental services for those with the most serious behavioral health needs.
Twenty-five attendees from organizations including Fairwinds, A Safe Place, ASAP, NAMI, Nantucket Public Schools, NCH, Our House, VNA of Cape Cod, Family Resource Center, and Youth Villages participated in this two-hour session and engaged with DMH staff. Likewise, DMH appreciated the opportunity to hear the community concerns and better understand its challenges. DMH staff were able to tour the emergency department and med-surg floor and connect with nursing leaders in person for the first time.
Alexis Romanow, Director of CYF, DMH SEA, tells us that, “In the past year, we have appreciated being part of several events in the community and learning about the strengths and resources on Nantucket. We appreciate Community Solutions for Behavioral Health in coordinating and promoting this event – it’s inspiring to see the collaboration in the community and how it can foster advocacy, health promotion and access to services.”
Rosemary McLaughlin, Executive Director of CSBH, reports she was eager to facilitate this event between a state agency and local organizations to ensure providers understand the services available for clients. “Principle to CSBH’s mission is connecting organizations for collaboration and promoting access to behavioral health systems. Access is the starting point for the specialized services provided by DMH, and we are happy to promote and encourage all service options available through collaborative discussions and community engagement. An on-island presence is needed and now we will have that.” Moving forward, DMH will be on island monthly for office hours to facilitate access to services and to build relationships with the community.
Holly McGowan, CSBH Board Member, was in attendance and appreciated the opportunity to have the full attention of DMH to answer questions and support advocacy for services needed on island.
According to Debra Demuth, Director of Community Services DMH SEA, “DMH is excited for the opportunity to meet with this group of community leaders and stakeholders. We know that mental health awareness is a top priority for Nantucket and appreciate the partnerships we have and hope that this presentation will allow for better understanding of DMH’s services and roles. In addition to providing specialized services in connection with our contracted on-island providers, Fairwinds and Vinfen, DMH has been able to support mental health service delivery through the Behavioral Health Help Line and support of the CBHC model of care. We want to ensure the community is aware of how to access DMH and are aware that we have staff members who have dedicated roles covering Cape and Islands.”
Press Release: Nantucket, September 20, 2023
Community Solutions for Behavioral Health Announces Hiring of Executive Director
Nantucket Island, MA – Community Solutions for Behavioral Health (CSBH), a coalition of providers, community members, and key stakeholders dedicated to improving behavioral health for the residents on Nantucket, is excited to announce the hiring of Rosemary McLaughlin as its first Executive Director. McLaughlin comes with over 20 years of providing successful quality care delivery, most recently at Integritus Healthcare (formerly Berkshire Healthcare Systems), which is the largest long-term care nonprofit service provider in Massachusetts. In her most recent position, McLaughlin served as Regional Director of Operations of 5 skilled nursing facilities and hospice providers. A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Rosemary obtained her MBA from Babson College.
CSBH, an independent nonprofit, is the result of the Nantucket Behavioral Health Initiative that began in 2021. It is governed by a board of directors that includes leaders from Fairwinds Counseling Center, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, the Community Foundation for Nantucket, Nantucket Public Schools, the Town of Nantucket, and NAMI of Cape Cod and the Islands, as well as an independent therapist and a community representative.
Margaretta Andrews, former Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Nantucket commented, “The Nantucket Behavioral Health Initiative has worked tirelessly over the past 3 years to determine the best way to help coordinate and enhance the behavioral health system on the Island. The creation of Community Solutions for Behavioral Health was a major step forward on this journey, and we welcome Rosemary McLaughlin as our first Executive Director. Rosemary brings years of experience as a healthcare leader for vulnerable populations, as well as nonprofit and for-profit management, and we are thrilled to have her on board.”
On her acceptance of this new position, Rosemary McLaughlin stated, “I was impressed that the Nantucket Community had identified the need to collaboratively address behavioral health and wellness. Behavioral Health is a crisis everywhere, but not every community is as committed to improving the quality, access, and outcomes for those in need and those who care about them. When individuals struggle, we all experience the consequences.” She went on to say, “I look forward to working with all stakeholders who have invested in improving the full spectrum of services offered for prevention, intervention, recovery, and treatment of behavioral health. A healthy community must include getting and staying well both physically and mentally. Leading Community Solutions for Behavioral Health is an opportunity and a privilege. I look forward to making a difference.”
Press Release: Nantucket, May 15, 2023
New Behavioral Health Non-Profit Launched
The Nantucket Behavioral Health Initiative announced today that it is forming a new organization to continue to improve the behavioral health system and create a healthy community on Nantucket. The new non-profit, named Community Solutions for Behavioral Health, has filed to be an independent non-profit, 501c3 organization, and has begun a search for an executive director.
Since 2021, the Nantucket Behavioral Health Initiative has operated as a collaboration of public and private stakeholders focused on behavioral health wellness and transforming the system of care on the island. The collaborative began by commissioning an assessment of the island’s behavioral health needs. The resulting report which can be found HERE, identified 15 gaps in the island’s continuum of behavioral healthcare including 5 “system enablers” which when addressed will allow the system to function better as a whole.
Since that time the collaborative has worked to address gaps identified in the assessment including those around recruiting and retaining the island-wide behavioral health workforce, and around the response to those in a mental health crisis. In January of 2023, Fairwinds and Nantucket Cottage Hospital launched a new integrated approach to those in behavioral health crisis that provides for better care coordination in a timely manner to all who need it. The new crisis model was enabled in a large part by Fairwinds seeking and receiving designation
Jason Bridges, Executive Director of Fairwinds, said, “we have learned a lot over the past two years about what can be accomplished when we work collaboratively. Taking this next step will ensure that we have a sustainable system for addressing issues that are bigger than any individual organization can solve.”
The new organization will be governed by a board of directors that initially includes leaders from Fairwinds, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, The Community Foundation for Nantucket, Nantucket Public Schools, The Town of Nantucket, and NAMI of Cape Cod and the Islands, as well as an independent therapist and a community representative. In addition to start-up funding provided by the Community Foundation for Nantucket and Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Community Solutions for Behavioral Health has received a three-year grant from the Peter and Elizabeth Tower Foundation to fund operations.
“The town has been an advocate for some time for greater collaboration to address the community’s biggest health and human services challenges,” said C. Elizabeth Gibson, Nantucket Town Manager, “the level of engagement on this initiative has been impressive and we are looking forward to the next phase of this public/private partnership.”
Press Release: Nantucket, January 3, 2023
Nantucket Cottage Hospital and Fairwinds to Launch Integrated System of Mental Health Crisis Response
On Tuesday, January 3, Nantucket Cottage Hospital and Fairwinds will launch a new integrated system of community-wide mental health crisis response. The collaboration, which has been in development for months, grew out of the work of the Nantucket Community Behavioral Health Initiative which identified the fragmented system of mental health crisis response to be one of the key gaps in its 2021 assessment of behavioral health systems on the island.
As of 12AM on January 3, the new island-wide mental health crisis number is 508-221-3315. Fairwinds, which has been designated the Community Behavioral Health Center and Crisis Responder for Nantucket by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will respond to crisis calls 24/7 365 days a year. In addition to addressing crisis calls in the community and in the schools, Fairwinds clinicians will provide crisis evaluations in the hospital emergency department and provide consultation for treatment of patients waiting for discharge to on-island outpatient services or transfer to an off-island in-patient facility.
“When the state came up with its new approach to community crisis response we were well positioned because we were already at the table working collaboratively to make it better,” said Amy Lee, President of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “When Fairwinds applied for and was selected to be the CBHC (Community Behavioral Health Center) for Nantucket – which was a big step and a huge commitment – it just made sense for the community for it to be one integrated system that we all commit to support.”
While the state’s guidelines and contracts only apply to Mass Health patients, the new system on Nantucket will be “payer blind” giving every person access to the same system regardless of insurance status. Patients who need in-patient care will get placement in an off-island facility through Mass General Brigham’s central access program which provides a single team to manage all behavioral health inpatient placement throughout the MGB system and beyond.
Jason Bridges, Executive Director of Fairwinds, added “This collaboration between Fairwinds and the Nantucket Cottage Hospital will provide better care for those in crisis while significantly improving the overall behavioral health care for our island. Driving towards one integrated system with first responders, the schools, human services organizations, and the broader community will put people first and improve our overall level of care and well-being,”