Psychiatry Specialty Services

Violence impacts people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Victims of violence or abuse sometimes feel isolated and alone, reluctant to reach out. You may feel fear, numbness or shock, helplessness, anger, anxiety, depression and even guilt or self-blame. You may have questions about how to cope with physical injuries, how to heal from the emotional impact of your experiences, how to file a police report and what the court process would be like for you. Or you may just want to talk to someone who understands. CHA has programs that can help.

Center for Homicide Bereavement

617-591-6123

Since 2002, the Center for Homicide Bereavement has served hundreds of parents, siblings, children, extended family, friends and witnesses of homicide victims. We offer a wide range of services including crisis intervention, ongoing traumatic grief counseling, psychiatric triage, homicide bereavement groups and community commemorative forums.

Trauma Resource and Support Program

617-665-2992

We provide support for you and your loved ones. We assist with safety planning and needs assessment for people and families. We make appropriate referrals to health, legal and other community services to ensure that each client gets the best possible care, advice and support.

CHA's Center for Mindfulness and Compassion (CMC) works to enhance health and well-being through mindfulness and compassion training and services. We are committed to inclusivity, accessibility and diversity.

Learn more about the center.

The Health Integration Program (HIP) or Behavioral Health Home is a long-term service that provides daily activities and treatment for people with chronic or serious mental illness (SMI).

Since 2015 the HIP program has worked to improve health care and outcomes for those who need more support. People at need find integrated medical services and care management within a mental health clinic. This provides more comprehensive, team-based care. The core idea is that mental health clinics may be a more comfortable and effective "medical home" for people with SMI than traditional primary care centers.

Location

Located within CHA Outpatient Psychiatry at the CHA Central Street Care Center in Somerville, MA.

Services

• State-of-the-art psychiatric and therapeutic services
• On-site integrated medical care
• Evidence-based groups for First Episode Psychosis (Recovery in Shared Experiences)
• Health promotion activities, such as wellness groups, interventions to reduce smoking, nutrition workshops, and exclusive yoga classes
• Close coordination with all providers, with special focus on coordinating with primary care
• Routine screenings to identify or prevent medical conditions
• Frequent coordination with Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) teams and other key service providers outside CHA
• Advanced use of health information technology to proactively identify gaps in care
• Community-building social events and group activities

More About the Program

CHA is evaluating Behavioral Health Home program outcomes in partnership with the Health Equity Research Lab. Early program results were published in August 2017 (see abstract).

The CHA Behavioral Health Home was made possible through the MassHealth Delivery System Transformation Initiatives – part of Massachusetts’s Section 1115 Medicaid waiver. HIP has also appreciated ongoing support from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (Cambridge/Middlesex) and Cambridge Community Foundation to offer important health promotion and community-building activities.

What is RISE

We are a multidisciplinary team providing comprehensive, recovery-oriented services to adolescents and adults experiencing a FIRST EPISODE of psychosis, and their families.

Who do we see?

We consider referrals of adolescents and adults up to age 30 who have had a first episode of psychosis within the last 3 years.

Families of RISE members

If in doubt, reach out! We recognize that sometimes the earliest signs of psychotic illnesses are difficult to identify.

We will provide appropriate referrals if needed.

Get connected

To learn more about RISE, please contact Lynn E. DeLisi, MD, our Program Director, at 617-575-5820 or via email.

You can also speak with the individual's CHA primary care team about a referral to RISE.

Services are provided via telehealth or at the CHA Central Street Care Center.

Program goals

• Improve timely access to evidence-based treatment for psychosis
• Provide comprehensive evaluation, treatment, and coordination with families and providers
• Foster hope and connection among young adults and families in recovery
• Guide young adults with psychosis toward greater resiliency and health
• Develop skills needed to improve educational, occupational, and social functioning
• Improve long-term clinical and functional outcomes for people living with psychosis

What services do we offer?

• Comprehensive intake/diagnostic assessment
• Psychopharmacology
• Evidence-based individual therapy (Individualized Resiliency Training-IRT/CBTp)
• Family therapy, family support, and multifamily group
• Peer support
• Supported Employment/Education
• Group therapy
• Structured assessment every 6 months to monitor progress

Why do we offer these services?

Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) is an research-supported model for enhancing recovery from an initial episode of psychosis to improve long-term outcomes and promote recovery. Our goal is to decrease the Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP)--research shows that shorter DUP improves long term outcomes.

Essentials of the program

Participation in all aspects of the program leads to best outcomes. We encourage RISE members to take advantage of all elements of RISE so they get the “full dose” of therapeutic intervention.

Making a connection with both a RISE psychiatrist and therapist are the first, essential steps to engagement in the program.

Family involvement is a key element for recovery and supporting RISE participants in treatment. Our expectation is that RISE participant’s families are involved in treatment.

All RISE members participate in both baseline and 6-month follow up assessments to track treatment progress and program engagement.

Learn more

To learn more about the Coordinated Specialty Care model used to develop RISE services, please visit: http://navigateconsultants.org.

Neuropsychology is a specialty within CHA’s Department of Psychiatry that works to understand the relationships between the brain and behavior. Our team of neuropsychologists and trainees see patients with a variety of neurological, medical, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders to understand their health issues and help them function better in their daily lives. 

If you need an appointment

Please talk to your primary care provider who will place an order for referral. Referrals can also be made through your mental health provider. Once a referral is placed, someone from our team will contact you to schedule an appointment.

Learn more about Neuropsychology