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Beth Israel Lahey Health is awarding $1.2 million to four Gateway City organizations to implement Behavioral Health Navigator Programs as part of a new initiative aimed at increasing access to mental health and substance use services and supports for community residents.
Through a competitive process, four nonprofit organizations in Haverhill, Lynn, Peabody and Quincy will receive $300,000 each from 2024 to 2027 to launch Behavioral Health Navigator Programs in their communities.
Grants pay for the hiring, training and support of community-based behavioral health navigators who will work to identify, understand and effectively connect residents experiencing mental health and substance use issues to appropriate support and assistance. The grants will also fund educational activities in the communities focused on increasing awareness of available mental health and substance use resources. Recipients will be encouraged to participate in no-cost training, provided by BILH digital health experts, on how to help individuals increase digital literacy and navigate options for mental health and well-being.
In Haverhill, Eliot Community Human Services will use the money to “enhance care coordination for the Spanish-speaking community in Haverhill,” said Jeff Franas, vice president, Eliot Behavioral Health Services Division. “With BILH’s generous partnership, we are embedding a full-time bilingual community behavioral health navigator in Haverhill, who will collaborate with key stakeholders, conduct social determinants of health screenings and provide warm referrals to essential resources and programming.”
Other recipients were Greater Lynn Senior Services, City of Peabody Department of Health and Quincy Public Schools.
“As part of our mission-driven focus, we help improve the health of historically underserved communities by providing opportunities to expand vital services and resources,” said Nancy Kasen, vice president, community benefits and community relations at Beth Israel. “Through our Behavioral Health Navigator Program, we address the needs identified and prioritized by the community by assisting residents to connect with the mental health and substance use services they need in their community.”
Based on its 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment process, working with the community, the health group identified community behavioral health access as the system priority across its Community Benefits Service Area. In the spring of 2023, it undertook a process to identify opportunities to collaboratively work with community partners to address access to behavioral health care and services.