The mission of Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (Kennedy CHC) is to "help people live healthier lives." We believe that everyone has a right to accessible, high quality, comprehensive, integrated and compassionate health care. As a community health center, Kennedy CHC has always provided comprehensive care to its patients, who are at disparate risk for chronic disease and poor health outcomes.
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Services Offered
Services provided for adults, adolescents, and children include: outpatient counseling for individuals, couples, and families; psychiatric evaluation and ongoing medication management; and culturally competent behavioral health treatment for non-English speaking patients, including refugees and immigrants.
Behavioral Health services are also integrated into our primary care practice to provide for a comprehensive and holistic approach to health care. In all of our medical sites, BH clinicians are located in close physical proximity to primary care providers and are available for "warm hand-offs" and short term intervention. Generally, these clinicians are different than those who are providing longer term behavioral health treatment so that they can be more available to the primary care team.
Services for patients include psycho-social assessment, crisis intervention, domestic violence screening and intervention, advocacy, and transportation.
Fees and Payment
Private Insurance, MassHealth, Medicaid, and Self Pay (Sliding Fee Scale) are accepted for all services.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual LGBTQ
Payment: Sliding Scale Medicaid
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Qualifying for assistance from Massachusetts' program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to Massachusetts' program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.