Our Vision for Mental Health Care
Improving Mental Health Care in Massachusetts
The CHA Department of Psychiatry is a recognized leader in patient care and research and plays a key role in supporting the mental health of Massachusetts. We are continuously working to improve our mental health and addiction services, which have seen surging demand spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studies show that many Massachusetts residents with mental illness do not receive the treatment they need, an issue that is even more pronounced in the communities CHA serves. At the same time, treatment options for mental health and substance use have evolved, and it is essential that we adapt our services to meet patient needs.
What we are doing
To achieve these goals, CHA has launched new initiatives to provide more access and improve our care:
Partnering with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on a major expansion of inpatient psychiatry services to help address the statewide shortage of beds and the record levels of emergency department boarding.
Expanding and diversifying our treatment options with national, evidence-based best practices which are backed by scientific research and proven to help patients. These changes align with the Commonwealth’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform. Our goal is to serve more people in need, particularly the most marginalized.
Revising our academic programs to teach trainees about contemporary treatment methods and help them succeed - whether they choose careers in hospital care, outpatient care, public health, research or education.
Timeframe of this work
Transforming our mental health services is a multi-year effort, and the COVID pandemic has brought new challenges. For example, staffing shortages (which have affected hospitals across the U.S.) have temporarily reduced access in some areas. The good news is that CHA has been highly successful in recruiting new providers. To date, we have filled 85 percent of open positions for therapists and continue to attract applicants from across the nation. This is allowing us to continue making progress in our efforts.
Thank you to our staff
The CHA Department of Psychiatry has a longstanding commitment to excellent, research-based care, and we are proud of our staff’s dedication to our patients. We appreciate their continued involvement and support as we work together to achieve greater access and health equity in our communities, which is the heart of CHA’s mission.
CHA Psychiatry in the News
CHA Opens new Hospital Services in Somerville: GBH News covered the opening of the CHA Center for Inpatient Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, highlighting our expanded capacity for children in need. The opening comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing mental health crisis and psychiatric bed shortages.
CHA's Trauma Informed Care Highlighted in the Boston Globe: The Boston Globe recently ran a sponsored article highlighting our committment to trauma infomed care in Child Psychiatry. This piece discusses the value of this approach as it relates to young children who have experienced all forms of trauma, such as violence.
ADHD in the COVID era: The journal Psychiatric Times highlighted the work of CHA psychiatrist Margaret Weiss, MD, PhD, on the connections between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and COVID-19. Dr. Weiss shared research demonstrating that ADHD is a specific risk factor for acquiring COVID-19, becoming symptomatic and hospitalization. Poor attention, hyperactivity, poor sense of social space, inability to follow instructions and opposition to rules or mandates may partially explain this risk.
Shortage of acute care psychiatry beds: CHA was featured by WBUR on the crisis facing patients as they wait for mental health beds in Massachusetts. The story, entitled "No Vacancy: How A Shortage Of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs" features a patient who was able to access care at CHA and includes an interview with child psychiatrist Linsey Koruthu, MD.
Value-based care and behavioral health: The journal Psychiatric Services highlighted the advantages of transitioning from a fee-for-service payment model to a value-based care model. Co-authors Colleen O’Brien, PsyD, Miriam Tepper, MD, and Andrew Hyatt, MD, shared opportunities to integrate, expand and improve mental health and addictions care. The column aims to inspire other healthcare providers to prioritize behavioral health as a key component of system transformation.
Advice for youth mental health issues: CHA psychiatrist Meredith Gansner, MD, and faculty member Nancy Rappaport, MD, shared advice for struggling parents and children in a commentary posted on WBUR’s Cognoscenti which explored concerns about a rise in youth suicides.