Building strong communities requires collaboration, vision and cooperation. In order to provide the highest quality service, we believe it is essential that we are not only connected to the communities we serve, but are active participants in working together with partners to promote mental wellness throughout our service area. To this end, we work together with municipalities, police departments and other providers to design programs that increase access to services and decrease stigma associated with mental illness. Some examples are:

Community Outreach Initiative Network (COIN) Collaborative

COIN is a ten town collaboration of municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Ayer District Court (ADC) that includes the communities of Ashby, Ayer, Boxborough, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend, and Westford. The goal of the COIN Collaborative is to connect citizens affected by mental health and/or substance use disorders to available resources, and divert them from the criminal justice system. This goal is being realized through funding from a DMH grant for the implementation of an Innovative Opiate Outreach and Jail Diversion Program. Currently, Family Continuity clinicians work alongside police departments to reach out to individuals in need of services. This collaboration diverts citizens from the criminal justice system by providing them the resources and support they need to get ongoing treatment. This program is run out of our Whitinsville office. For more information call: 508-234-4181.

 Blackstone Valley Connector

Thanks to a grant from the Greater Milford Community Health Network for CHNA 6, individuals in the Blackstone Valley in need of supportive services can now go to the Blackstone Valley Connector. Promoting physical, mental and emotional health, staff at the Connector  provide jail diversion and intervention services to give vulnerable individuals support and keep them out of jail and engaged in a healthier way of life. Collaborating with five local police departments  (Blackstone, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, and Uxbridge), police and other first responders can refer individuals and families directly to the Connector. The counseling staff at the Connector will then outreach and assist individuals to address their needs. This could involve anything from enrolling in a detox program, conducting a housing search, or connecting to domestic violence services. This program is run out of our Whitinsville office. For more information call: 508-234-4181.