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Many people don't realize that publicly-funded mental health services are available in their state. People looking for free or low-cost counseling often think their only options are counselors in private practice and don't know that publicly-funded providers in their communities may also offer counseling services.
While state-based programs are not for everyone, they are often a great place to start for people who face geographic or financial barriers to therapy. Intake specialists at community mental health programs can help people learn whether they qualify for state-funded services and can refer people who don't qualify to other low-cost programs that may be able to meet their needs.
Few mental health providers outside of those in the public sector are able to immediately serve people in crisis. This usually makes public mental health services the best option for anyone who is having a mental health crisis and needs help right away. The people who answer crisis lines offer caring attention and support as they help people determine the best response to a crisis, whether it's inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.
In most cases, community mental health programs serve as alternative providers for people who lack the means to access services in the private sector. In Massachusetts, public mental health services are restrictive and admit only those people who have severe mental health conditions. Because of its unique status as the first state to establish a statewide health insurance exchange, Massachusetts expects most state residents to obtain insurance through the exchange and to access services through their insurance plans.
However, if you have a severe mental health condition, or think you may have one, you should call your local DMH site office for more information. You may be eligible for services beyond what insurance would cover. You should also always utilize the state's crisis response system if you are in crisis. If you are not eligible for DMH services, you can also search for free or low-cost counselors on OpenCounseling.com or try affordable online counseling at BetterHelp (a sponsor).
According to Mental Health America, Massachusetts ranks 1 out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) for access to mental health care. According to SAMHSA, 54 percent of people in Massachusetts with mental health conditions get treatment for them, a larger percentage than in many other states. However, reporting by The Boston Globe paints a different picture and shows that many people still struggle to access mental health care in Massachusetts.
If you are one of the people struggling to get the care you need, don't give up. You can reach out to your DMH area or site office or call a local crisis or information line to learn more about how to access the care you need.
On its eligibility page, the Department of Mental Health advises mental health consumers that "most mental health services, including medication and therapy, are provided through health insurance — MassHealth (Medicaid), the Massachusetts Health Connector (health insurance exchange), or through private insurance (employer-based). The Department of Mental Health provides supplemental services for people with the most serious needs. These services are beyond those supplied through health insurance and require approval by DMH."
Like most states, Massachusetts defines people with serious mental illness as people whose conditions cause them severe distress, limit their ability to function, make it hard for them to live independently without support, and put them at risk of hospitalization. This includes people with thought disorders whose symptoms cause them to become delusional and people with mood disorders whose symptoms put them at risk of harming themselves or others or dangerously neglecting self-care. People who are having difficulty maintaining jobs due to mental health concerns may also qualify.
Massachusetts residents who do not have a severe mental illness and who do not qualify for Medicaid should strongly consider signing up for insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector during an open enrollment period and looking for mental health providers in their plan's network. You can also use the search feature at OpenCounseling.com to search for private providers and community programs that accept self-pay and offer sliding scale fees.
In addition to five regional offices, DMH operates 27 local site offices. The functions of these site offices are to determine service eligibility, authorize services for eligible individuals, provide case management services to qualifying individuals, and oversee a system of mental health programs that includes both public and contracted private providers. Each office has a main number you can call to learn more about local mental health services as well as an associated crisis line:
Department of Mental Health Central Office
25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114
Main number: (617) 626-8000
Information and resource line voicemail box (calls are returned in 48 hours): (800) 221-0053
Central emergency/crisis services line (enter your zip code to be routed to your local crisis line): (877) 382-1609
DMH Metro Boston Area Main Office
85 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118
Main number: (617) 626-9200
Crisis line/emergency services: (800) 981-HELP
Fuller/Bay Cove Site Office
85 E. Newton Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02118
Main number: (617) 626-8944
Towns served: Chinatown, Dorchester, South Boston, Roxbury, South End, Mattapan
Lindemann/Cambridge/Somerville Site Office
25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114
Main number: (617) 626-8510
Towns served: Cambridge, Charlestown, Chelsea, Downtown Boston including Beacon Hill, East Boston, Revere, Somerville, North End, Winthrop
Massachusetts Mental Health Center
75 Fenwood Road and 20 Vining Street, Boston, MA 02111
Main number: (617) 626-9300
Towns Served: Allston, Back Bay, Brighton, Brookline, Fenway, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury
Northeast Massachusetts
DMH Northeast Area Main Office
365 East Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876
Main number: (978) 863-5000
Essex North (Lawrence) Site Office
280 Merrimack Street, Third Floor, Lawrence, MA 01843
Main number: (978) 738-4500
Towns served: Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Byfield, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury
Essex North emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
North Essex Mental Health
60 Merrimack Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
Crisis line: (978) 521-3126 or (800) 281-3223
Health and Education Services
30 General Street, Lawrence, MA 01841
Crisis line: (978) 683-3128 or (877) 255-1261
North Shore (Salem) Site Office
45 Congress Street, Suite 4120, Salem, MA 01970
Main number: (978) 741-7300
Towns served: Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Marblehead, Middleton, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Topsfield, Wenham
North Shore emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
North Shore Emergency Services
41 Mason Street, Salem, MA 01970
Crisis line: (978) 744-1585 or (866) 523-1216
Lowell Site Office
Solomon Mental Health Center
391 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854
Main number: (978) 322-5000
Towns served: Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford
Lowell emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
HES, 391 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854
(978) 455-3397 or (800) 830-5177
Lynn Site Office
330 Lynnway, Suite 201, Lynn, MA 01901
Main number: (781) 477-2070
Towns served: Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott
Lynn emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Eliot Community Services
95 Pleasant Street, Lynn, MA 01901
Crisis line: (781) 596-9222 or (800) 988-1111
Metro North (Wakefield) Site Office
200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 410, Wakefield, MA 01880
Main number: (781) 224-7900
Towns served: Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield
Metro North emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Eliot Community Human Services
173 Chelsea Street, Everett, MA 02149
Crisis line: (781) 581-9876
Acton Site Office
35 Nagog Park, Second Floor, Acton, MA 01720
Main number: (978) 206-2100
Towns served: Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Waltham, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn
Acton emergency/crisis 24-hour response:
Advocates' Psychiatric Emergency Services East
675 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Crisis line: (781) 893-2003 or (800) 640-5432
Southeast Massachusetts
DMH Southeast Area Main Office
165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02302
Main number: (508) 897-2000
Brockton Site Office
165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02303
Main number: (508) 897-2000
Towns served: Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Holbrook, Rockland, Stoughton, West Bridgewater, Whitman
Brockton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Brockton Multi-Service Center
165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02302
Crisis line: (877) 670-9957
Cape Cod and the Islands Site Office
181 North Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
Main number: (508) 957-0900
Towns served: Aquinnah, Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Chilmark, Cotuit, Dennis, Eastham, Edgartown, Falmouth, Gay Head, Harwich, Hyannis, Mashpee, Nantucket, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Osterville, Provincetown, Sandwich, Tisbury, Truro, Vineyard Haven, Wellfleet, West Tisbury, Woods Hole, Yarmouth
Cape Cod and the Islands emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
Baycove/Cape Cod and the Islands Emergency Services:
270 Communication Way, Hyannis, MA 02601
Crisis line: (833) 229-2683
Martha's Vineyard Community Services
111 Edgartown Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
Crisis line: (508) 693-0032
35 Old South Road, Nantucket, MA 02554
Crisis line: (877) 784-6273
Corrigan (Fall River) Site Office
49 Hillside Street, Fall River, MA 02720
Main number: (800) 981-4357
Towns served: Fall River, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, Westport
Fall River emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Corrigan Mental Health Center
49 Hillside Street, Fall River, MA 02720
Crisis line: (508) 235-7200 or (877) 425-0048
New Bedford Site Office
888 Purchase Street, Suite 213, New Bedford, MA 02740
Main number: (508) 996-7900
Towns served: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Gosnold, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Onset, Rochester, Wareham
New Bedford emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Child and Family Services of New Bedford
543 North Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
Crisis line: (508) 996-3154 or (877) 996-3154
Plymouth Site Office
38 Industrial Park Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Main number: (508) 732-3000
Towns served: Carver, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton
Plymouth emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Child and Family Services
118 Long Pond Road, Suite 102, Plymouth, MA 02360
Crisis line: (800) 469-9888
Taunton Site Office
60 Hodges Ave, Taunton, MA 02780
Main number: (508) 977-3150
Towns served: Attleboro, Berkley, Dighton, Lakeville, Mansfield, Middleboro, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Taunton
Taunton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Community Counseling of Bristol County
108 West Main Street, Norton, MA 02766
Crisis line: (800) 660-4300
Quincy Site Office
Quincy Mental Health Center
460 Quincy Avenue, Quincy, MA 02169
Main number: (617) 984-1000
Towns served: Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Scituate, Weymouth
Quincy emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
South Shore Mental Health Crisis Team
460 Quincy Avenue, Quincy, MA 02169
Crisis line: (617) 774-6036 or (800) 528-4890
Central Massachusetts
DMH Central Massachusetts Area Main Office
361 Plantation Street, First Floor, Worcester, MA 01605
Main number: (774) 420-3140
North County Site Office
EHS Center, 49 Nursery Lane, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Main number: (978) 353-4400
Towns served: Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Barre, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Gilbertville, Groton, Hardwick, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, New Braintree, Oakham, Pepperell, Princeton, Rutland, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, Winchendon
North County emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Community Health Link/Lipton Center
40 Spruce Street, Leominster, MA 01453
Crisis line: (800) 977-5555
South County Site Office
40 Institute Road, Oaks "B" Building, No. Grafton, MA 01536
Main number: (508) 887-1100
Towns served: Bellingham, Blackstone, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Franklin, Grafton, Holland, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, North Brookfield, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Wales, Warren, Webster, West Brookfield, Whitinsville
South County emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
Blackstone Valley Emergency Services
Riverside Community Care, 32 Hamilton Street, Milford, MA 01757
Crisis line: (508) 634-3420 or (800) 294-4665
Harrington Memorial Hospital
100 South Street, Southbridge, MA 01550
Crisis line: (508) 765-3035 or (877) 750-3127
Worcester County Site Office
361 Plantation Street, Second Floor, Worcester, MA 01605
Main number: (774) 420-3100
Towns served: Auburn, Boylston, Holden, Leicester, Paxton, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Worcester
Worcester emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
U Mass Medical Center
Emergency Mental Health Services
55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01605
Crisis line: (508) 334-3562 or (866) 549-2142
Westborough Site Office
Hadley Building, 167 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581
Main number: (508) 616-2801
Towns served: Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough
Westborough emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Advocates' Psychiatric Emergency Services West
354 Waverly Street, Framingham, MA 01702
Crisis line: (508) 872-3333 or (800) 640-5432
Canton Site Office
Massachusetts Hospital School
Donovan Building, Second Floor
5 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021
Main number: (781) 401-9700
Towns served: Canton, Dedham, Foxboro, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Wrentham
Canton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Riverside Crisis Team
100 Lenox Street, Norwood, MA 02062
Crisis line: (781) 769-8674 or (800) 529-5077
Western Massachusetts
DMH Western Massachusetts Area Main Office
1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
Main number: (413) 587-6200
Berkshires Site Office
333 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Main number: (413) 395-2000
Towns served: Adams, Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Monroe, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Ashford, New Marlboro, North Adams, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Windsor
Berkshires emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
66 West Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Crisis line: (413) 499-0412
The Brien Center
359 Fenn Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Crisis line: (800) 252-0227
Franklin/North Quabbin Site Office
13 Prospect Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Main number: (413) 772-5600
Towns served: Ashfield, Athol, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Rowe, Royalston, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Turners Falls, Warwick, Wendell, Whately
Franklin/North Quabbin emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Clinical and Support Options
140 High Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Crisis line: (413) 774-5411 or (800) 562-0112
Hampshire Site Office
1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
Main number: (413) 587-6200
Towns served: Amherst, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Middlefield, Northampton, Pelham, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington
Hampshire emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Clinical and Support Options
29 North Main Street, Florence, MA 01062
Crisis line: (413) 586-5555 or (844) 788-6470
Holyoke/Chicopee Site Office
140 High Street, Suite 525, Fifth Floor, Springfield, MA 01105
Main number: (413) 452-2300 or (877) 352-3881
Towns served: Belchertown, Bondsville, Chicopee, Granby Holyoke, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, South Hadley, Southampton, Thorndike, Three Rivers, Ware
Holyoke/Chicopee emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Behavioral Health Network Inc.
417 Liberty Street, Springfield, MA 01104
Crisis line: (413) 733-6661 or (800) 437-5922
Springfield Site Office
140 High Street, Suite 525, Fifth Floor, Springfield, MA 01105
Main number: (413) 452-2300 or (877) 352-3881
Towns served: East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Springfield, Wilbraham
Springfield emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
Behavioral Health Network Inc.
417 Liberty Street, Springfield, MA 01104
Crisis line: (413) 733-6661 or (800) 437-5922
Westfield Site Office
1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
Main number: (413) 587-6200
Towns served: Agawam, Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, Westfield, West Springfield
Westfield emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
77 Mill Street at Crane Pond, Westfield, MA 01085
Crisis line: (413) 568-6386
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another option for public mental health care in Massachusetts. These federally-funded programs provide medical and mental health services to people in underserved communities. Their goal is to deliver high-quality coordinated care to people with complex needs and to link behavioral healthcare with primary medical care. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers sliding scale fees to people without insurance. You can search for FQHCs using the online search tool on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also find more information about FQHCs in Massachusetts by visiting the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers' website.
In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about how to treat mental health conditions. New laws required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. These programs would provide the resources people needed to manage their conditions while living at home. Many states' public mental health programs trace their origins back to this period.
Massachusetts is no exception. The state enacted its own community mental health law in 1966, which authorized the construction of community mental health programs across the state. With the support of the public, legislators passed laws expanding the state's community mental health program in 1978 and 1986. By 1989, Massachusetts had established a statewide network of community mental health programs that directly provided case management, day treatment, outpatient care, crisis intervention, and other services.
Unlike most other states, Massachusetts' mental health system is not county-based. Instead, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) oversees five regional offices which in turn manage several site offices. Each site office is assigned to a specific set of towns instead of to a set of counties.
Another thing that makes Massachusetts' public mental health system different is that fewer outpatient services are associated with it. In the past, DMH directly provided some mental health services to clients and contracted with private agencies to provide others. This changed after the state's healthcare reform law was passed in 2006.
This law, which served as the precursor to the national Affordable Care Act, created a statewide insurance exchange where people could sign up for healthcare coverage if they did not have an employer-based plan and did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. As a result, most people seeking therapy or other outpatient mental health services in Massachusetts are directed to sign up for insurance using the Massachusetts Health Connector and find providers in their network.
Now that this law has made health insurance more accessible in Massachusetts, the role of DMH has been heavily restricted. Today, the stated purpose of DMH is to focus on individuals with the most severe forms of mental illness who need services not covered by regular insurance. As in most states, anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis can use the public mental health crisis response system and hotlines in Massachusetts. However, to access all other public mental health care, people must submit an application and meet strict eligibility requirements.