Northeast Behavioral Health Corporation

THE MISSION OF NORTHEAST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CORPORATION D/B/A BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH BEHAVIORAL SERVICES' (BILHBS) MISSION IS TO PROVIDE PERSONAL, COMPASSIONATE, STATE-OF-THE-ART, INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES SERVED BY BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH AND ITS AFFILIATES.

NORTHEAST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CORPORATION D/B/A BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH BEHAVIORAL SERVICES (NBHC OR BILH BS) IS THE LARGEST NETWORK OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS, PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION TREATMENT. THIS INCLUDES A FULL CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS RANGING FROM INPATIENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES. TREATMENT OFFERINGS INCLUDE MOBILE CRISIS TEAMS FOR BEHAVIORAL AND SUBSTANCE-RELATED EMERGENCIES; INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC AND DETOXIFICATION TREATMENT; RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS; OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION CLINICS; AND MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR PERSONS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS. NORTHEAST BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CORPORATION (NBHC) HAS OVER 250 BEDS IN 9 FACILITIES FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING ACUTE PSYCHIATRIC, DETOXIFICATION AND POST-ACUTE DIVERSIONARY SERVICES. OTHER OFFERINGS INCLUDE MANY COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES SUCH AS MOBILE EMERGENCY SERVICES TEAMS, SCHOOL AND HOME-BASED COUNSELING FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. BILHBS SERVES APPROXIMATELY 17,000 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY, PROVIDING OVER 380,000 UNITS OF SERVICE, IN A VAST ARRAY OF SETTINGS BASED ON THEIR NEEDS. BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY, NBHC WAS FORCED TO RECONFIGURE ITS DELIVERY MODEL FOR MANY SERVICES. WITH MULTIPLE "BRICK AND MORTAR" SITES TEMPORARILY CLOSED DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, NBHC OUTFITTED CLINICIANS WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO OFFER TELEHEALTH SERVICES. BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, OF THE TOTAL UNITS OF SERVICE LISTED ABOVE, ALMOST 61,000 WERE DELIVERED VIA TELEHEALTH. IN ADDITION, AS OUTLINED BELOW, NBHC SUPPORTED BILH'S SYSTEM-WIDE RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC BY QUICKLY STANDING UP A SHORT-TERM STAY COMMUNITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT ON THE CAMPUS OF AN AFFILIATED ENTITY. BILH BS CONTINUES TO LEVERAGE TELEHEALTH SERVICES TO CONNECT TO COMMUNITIES SERVED ACROSS BILH. NBHC PROVIDED ADDICTION TREATMENT SERVICES WITH MORE THAN 200 INPATIENT AND RESIDENTIAL BEDS, OPERATING 24/7 FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT. ADDICTION TREATMENT INCLUDES BOTH OUTPATIENT AND INPATIENT TREATMENT AND PREVENTION. SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING AND GROUP THERAPY IS OFFERED FOR BOTH ADULTS AND TEENS, AS ARE A RANGE OF COURT-ORDERED PROGRAMS INCLUDING OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (OUI) EDUCATION AND EVALUATIONS. MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN ADDICTED TO HEROIN OR PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS IS PROVIDED AT LOCATIONS IN GLOUCESTER AND DANVERS. ACUTE TREATMENT PROGRAMS PROVIDING INPATIENT DETOXIFICATION SERVICES FROM DRUGS AND/OR ALCOHOL IN MEDICAL SETTINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT TREATMENT CENTERS IN DANVERS AND TEWKSBURY. IN FY23 THESE CENTERS SERVED APPROXIMATELY 2,600 PATIENTS. NBHC ALSO PROVIDED POST-DETOXIFICATION RESIDENTIAL SETTINGS AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS SERVING BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, INCLUDING HART HOUSE IN TEWKSBURY WHICH EXCLUSIVELY SERVES MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN. IN FY23, NBHC'S OUTPATIENT ADDICTION PROGRAMS PROVIDED 196,350 UNITS OF SERVICE, INCLUDING 5,600 VIA TELEHEALTH, WHILE INPATIENT AND RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS RECORDED 60,327 BED DAYS.

BILH BS' AMBULATORY DIVISION SERVES NEARLY 4,300 PATIENTS EVERY YEAR, DELIVERING MORE THAN 108,000 UNITS OF SERVICES IN VARIOUS SETTINGS. MORE THAN 43,000 WERE DELIVERED BY TELEHEALTH AMBULATORY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OFFERED UNDER THE CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE (CBHI) INCLUDING A BROAD RANGE OF COUNSELING AND THERAPY AS WELL AS MORE INTENSIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES. OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS IN SALEM, LAWRENCE, GLOUCESTER AND BEVERLY, AND AN OUTREACH CLINIC IN HAVERHILL, ASSIST INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THROUGH PERIODS OF STRESS AND ADJUSTMENT, PROVIDING THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, TRAUMA, BIPOLAR DISEASE, AND CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS. OUTREACH COUNSELORS OFFER SHORT AND LONG-TERM THERAPY IN HOMES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY SETTINGS. ALL THERAPY PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY MEDICATION CLINICS IF THAT IS DETERMINED TO BE AN APPROPRIATE ADJUNCT TO TREATMENT. IN FY23, NBHC DELIVERED 99,419 UNITS OF AMBULATORY SERVICES, SUPPORTED BY 8,432 PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY VISITS.

EMERGENCY SERVICES THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DIVISION OFFERS EMERGENCY PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES AND INCLUDES THE EMERGENCY SERVICES PROGRAM (ESP) AND COMMUNITY CRISIS STABILIZATION (CCS) INPATIENT PROGRAM. ESP PROVIDES EMERGENCY PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENTS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 24/7 IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS, INCLUDING HOMES, SCHOOLS, OUTPATIENT CLINICS AND HOSPITALS. ESP SERVICES ARE PROVIDED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WITHIN 10 HOSPITALS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS (ED) THROUGHOUT THE NORTH SHORE, CAPE ANN AND MERRIMACK VALLEY, INCLUDING 6 NON-BILH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS. BILH BS' EMERGENCY PSYCHIATRIC AND MOBILE RESPONSE TEAMS IN LAWRENCE, SALEM AND LOWELL ARE AVAILABLE AROUND THE CLOCK, PROVIDING PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENTS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IN VARIOUS SETTINGS. NBHC PROVIDES THESE SERVICES IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF AREA HOSPITALS, INCLUDING FACILITIES OUTSIDE OF THE BILH UMBRELLA. MOBILE CRISIS CLINICIANS ALSO RESPOND TO SCHOOLS, HOMES AND OUTPATIENT CLINICS, AND NBHC ALSO PROVIDES WALK-IN SERVICES AT THE THREE TEAM LOCATIONS. IN ADDITION TO EMERGENCY EVALUATION, TEAM MEMBERS PROVIDE ONGOING CRISIS COUNSELING UNTIL THE PATIENT IS STABLE AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE ESTABLISHED WITH LONGER-TERM CARE PROVIDERS. THE LAWRENCE AND SALEM LOCATIONS ALSO HOUSE 8-BED COMMUNITY CRISIS STABILIZATION UNITS, WHICH OFFER SHORT-TERM (3-5 DAY) CRISIS BEDS IN LIEU OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR MASSHEALTH, MEDICARE, AND UNINSURED CLIENTS. IN JANUARY 2023, THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS IMPLEMENTED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REDESIGN, WHICH SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES TEAMS. BILH BS WAS AWARDED ONE COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER (CBHC), LOCATED IN LAWRENCE. THE SERVICE AREAS FOR SALEM AND LOWELL WERE TRANSITIONED TO A DIFFERENT VENDOR. HOWEVER, THIS ALLOWED OUR SALEM AND LOWELL TEAMS TO PIVOT INWARD TO SERVICE THE BILH SYSTEM NEEDS. DURING THE FISCAL PERIOD COVERED BY THIS FILING, EMERGENCY SERVICE PROGRAMS HAD 13,502 ENCOUNTERS, 1,895 OF WHICH WERE DONE REMOTELY, AND THE CCS PROGRAMS RECORDED 2,546 BED DAYS. NBHC IS ALSO ON THE FOREFRONT OF EXPANDING TREATMENT FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD). SEVERAL BILH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ENHANCE CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) WHO PRESENT IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY AS THESE PATIENTS TRANSITION FROM THE HOSPITAL TO A LONG-TERM TREATMENT PROGRAM. THE NBHC BRIDGE CLINIC IN GLOUCESTER ACCEPTS PATIENTS REFERRED FROM THE NORTHEAST HOSPITAL CORP (NHC) EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AT BOTH BEVERLY HOSPITAL AND ADDISON GILBERT HOSPITAL AND OFFERS CONTINUATION OF MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT AND SUPPORT FROM RECOVERY COACHES. BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS HOSPITAL PLYMOUTH (BID-PLYMOUTH) TREATS PATIENTS WITH OUD THROUGH MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, AND THE HOSPITAL WORKS CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT TO PATIENTS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE SIMILAR TO SERVICES AT MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL WHICH ALSO OFFERS MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT IN ITS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. PATIENTS CAN THEN BE REFERRED TO THE BRIDGE CLINIC AT MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL OR BID-PLYMOUTH FOR CONTINUED OR ADDITIONAL TREATMENT. NORTHEAST HOSPITAL CORPORATION, BID-PLYMOUTH AND MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITALS ARE ALL PART OF THE BETH ISRAEL LAHEY HEALTH NETWORK AND SISTER ENTITIES TO NBHC.