How To Get Affordable State Sponsored Therapy in Massachusetts
Many people don’t realize that publicly-funded mental health services are available in their state. People looking for free or low-cost counseling often think their only options are counselors in private practice and don’t know that publicly-funded providers in their communities may also offer counseling services.
While state-based programs are not for everyone, they are often a great place to start for people who face geographic or financial barriers to therapy. Intake specialists at community mental health programs can help people learn whether they qualify for state-funded services and can refer people who don’t qualify to other low-cost programs that may be able to meet their needs.
When Should You Go to a State Mental Health Program?
Few mental health providers outside of those in the public sector are able to immediately serve people in crisis. This usually makes public mental health services the best option for anyone who is having a mental health crisis and needs help right away. The people who answer crisis lines offer caring attention and support as they help people determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.
In most cases, community mental health programs serve as alternative providers for people who lack the means to access services in the private sector. In Massachusetts, public mental health services are restrictive and admit only those people who have severe mental health conditions. Because of its unique status as the first state to establish a statewide health insurance exchange, Massachusetts expects most state residents to obtain insurance through the exchange and to access services through their insurance plans.
However, if you have a severe mental health condition, or think you may have one, you should call your local DMH site office for more information. You may be eligible for services beyond what insurance would cover. You should also always utilize the state’s crisis response system if you are in crisis. If you are not eligible for DMH services, you can also search for free or low-cost counselors on OpenCounseling.com or try affordable online counseling at BetterHelp (a sponsor).
According to Mental Health America, Massachusetts ranks 1 out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia) for access to mental health care. According to SAMHSA, 54 percent of people in Massachusetts with mental health conditions get treatment for them, a larger percentage than in many other states. However, reporting by The Boston Globe paints a different picture and shows that many people still struggle to access mental health care in Massachusetts.
If you are one of the people struggling to get the care you need, don’t give up. You can reach out to your DMH area or site office or call a local crisis or information line to learn more about how to access the care you need.
Who Is Eligible for Public Mental Health Services in Massachusetts?
On its eligibility page, the Department of Mental Health advises mental health consumers that “most mental health services, including medication and therapy, are provided through health insurance — MassHealth (Medicaid), the Massachusetts Health Connector (health insurance exchange), or through private insurance (employer-based). The Department of Mental Health provides supplemental services for people with the most serious needs. These services are beyond those supplied through health insurance and require approval by DMH.”
Like most states, Massachusetts defines people with serious mental illness as people whose conditions cause them severe distress, limit their ability to function, make it hard for them to live independently without support, and put them at risk of hospitalization. This includes people with thought disorders whose symptoms cause them to become delusional and people with mood disorders whose symptoms put them at risk of harming themselves or others or dangerously neglecting self-care. People who are having difficulty maintaining jobs due to mental health concerns may also qualify.
Massachusetts residents who do not have a severe mental illness and who do not qualify for Medicaid should strongly consider signing up for insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector during an open enrollment period and looking for mental health providers in their plan’s network. You can also use the search feature at OpenCounseling.com to search for private providers and community programs that accept self-pay and offer sliding scale fees.
How Can You Find Out More About Local Programs in Massachusetts?
In addition to five regional offices, DMH operates 27 local site offices. The functions of these site offices are to determine service eligibility, authorize services for eligible individuals, provide case management services to qualifying individuals, and oversee a system of mental health programs that includes both public and contracted private providers. Each office has a main number you can call to learn more about local mental health services as well as an associated crisis line. The locations and numbers for these offices are all listed below.
Metro Boston Area Mental Health Offices and Crisis Lines
- Department of Mental Health Central Office
- Location: 25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114
- Main number: (617) 626-8000
- Information and resource line voicemail box (calls are returned in 48 hours): (800) 221-0053
- Central emergency/crisis services line (enter your zip code to be routed to your local crisis line): (877) 382-1609
- DMH Metro Boston Area Main Office
- Location: 85 East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118
- Main number: (617) 626-9200
- Crisis line/emergency services: (800) 981-HELP
- Fuller/Bay Cove Site Office
- Location: 85 E. Newton Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02118
- Main number: (617) 626-8944
- Towns served: Chinatown, Dorchester, South Boston, Roxbury, South End, Mattapan
- Lindemann/Cambridge/Somerville Site Office
- Location: 25 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114
- Main number: (617) 626-8510
- Towns served: Cambridge, Charlestown, Chelsea, Downtown Boston including Beacon Hill, East Boston, Revere, Somerville, North End, Winthrop
- Massachusetts Mental Health Center
- Location: 75 Fenwood Road and 20 Vining Street, Boston, MA 02111
- Main number: (617) 626-9300
- Towns Served: Allston, Back Bay, Brighton, Brookline, Fenway, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Roxbury, West Roxbury
Northeast Massachusetts Mental Health Offices and Crisis Lines
- DMH Northeast Area Main Office
- Location: 365 East Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876
- Main number: (978) 863-5000
- Essex North (Lawrence) Site Office
- Location: 280 Merrimack Street, Third Floor, Lawrence, MA 01843
- Main number: (978) 738-4500
- Towns served: Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Byfield, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury
- Essex North emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
- North Essex Mental Health
- Location: 60 Merrimack Street, Haverhill, MA 01830
- Crisis line: (978) 521-3126 or (800) 281-3223
- Health and Education Services
- Location: 30 General Street, Lawrence, MA 01841
- Crisis line: (978) 683-3128 or (877) 255-1261
- North Essex Mental Health
- North Shore (Salem) Site Office
- Location: 45 Congress Street, Suite 4120, Salem, MA 01970
- Main number: (978) 741-7300
- Towns served: Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Marblehead, Middleton, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Topsfield, Wenham
- North Shore emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- North Shore Emergency Services
- Location: 41 Mason Street, Salem, MA 01970
- Crisis line: (978) 744-1585 or (866) 523-1216
- North Shore Emergency Services
- Lowell Site Office: Solomon Mental Health Center
- Location: 391 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854
- Main number: (978) 322-5000
- Towns served: Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford
- Lowell emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- HES
- Location: 391 Varnum Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854
- (978) 455-3397 or (800) 830-5177
- HES
- Lynn Site Office
- Location: 330 Lynnway, Suite 201, Lynn, MA 01901
- Main number: (781) 477-2070
- Towns served: Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott
- Lynn emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Eliot Community Services
- Location: 95 Pleasant Street, Lynn, MA 01901
- Crisis line: (781) 596-9222 or (800) 988-1111
- Eliot Community Services
- Metro North (Wakefield) Site Office
- Location: 200 Harvard Mill Square, Suite 410, Wakefield, MA 01880
- Main number: (781) 224-7900
- Towns served: Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield
- Metro North emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Eliot Community Human Services
- Location: 173 Chelsea Street, Everett, MA 02149
- Crisis line: (781) 581-9876
- Eliot Community Human Services
- Acton Site Office
- Location: 35 Nagog Park, Second Floor, Acton, MA 01720
- Main number: (978) 206-2100
- Towns served: Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Waltham, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn
- Acton emergency/crisis 24-hour response:
- Advocates’ Psychiatric Emergency Services East
- Location: 675 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02453
- Crisis line: (781) 893-2003 or (800) 640-5432
- Advocates’ Psychiatric Emergency Services East
Southeast Massachusetts Mental Health Offices and Crisis Lines
- DMH Southeast Area Main Office
- Location: 165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02302
- Main number: (508) 897-2000
- Brockton Site Office
- Location: 165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02303
- Main number: (508) 897-2000
- Towns served: Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Holbrook, Rockland, Stoughton, West Bridgewater, Whitman
- Brockton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Brockton Multi-Service Center
- Location: 165 Quincy Street, Brockton, MA 02302
- Crisis line: (877) 670-9957
- Brockton Multi-Service Center
- Cape Cod and the Islands Site Office
- Location: 181 North Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
- Main number: (508) 957-0900
- Towns served: Aquinnah, Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Chilmark, Cotuit, Dennis, Eastham, Edgartown, Falmouth, Gay Head, Harwich, Hyannis, Mashpee, Nantucket, Oak Bluffs, Orleans, Osterville, Provincetown, Sandwich, Tisbury, Truro, Vineyard Haven, Wellfleet, West Tisbury, Woods Hole, Yarmouth
- Cape Cod and the Islands emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
- Baycove/Cape Cod and the Islands Emergency Services:
- Location: 270 Communication Way, Hyannis, MA 02601
- Crisis line: (833) 229-2683
- Martha’s Vineyard Community Services
- Location: 111 Edgartown Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
- Crisis line: (508) 693-0032
- Location: 35 Old South Road, Nantucket, MA 02554
- Crisis line: (877) 784-6273
- Location: 111 Edgartown Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
- Baycove/Cape Cod and the Islands Emergency Services:
- Corrigan (Fall River) Site Office
- Location: 49 Hillside Street, Fall River, MA 02720
- Main number: (800) 981-4357
- Towns served: Fall River, Freetown, Somerset, Swansea, Westport
- Fall River emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Corrigan Mental Health Center
- Location: 49 Hillside Street, Fall River, MA 02720
- Crisis line: (508) 235-7200 or (877) 425-0048
- Corrigan Mental Health Center
- New Bedford Site Office
- Location: 888 Purchase Street, Suite 213, New Bedford, MA 02740
- Main number: (508) 996-7900
- Towns served: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Gosnold, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Onset, Rochester, Wareham
- New Bedford emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Child and Family Services of New Bedford
- Location: 543 North Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
- Crisis line: (508) 996-3154 or (877) 996-3154
- Child and Family Services of New Bedford
- Plymouth Site Office
- Location: 38 Industrial Park Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
- Main number: (508) 732-3000
- Towns served: Carver, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton
- Plymouth emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Child and Family Services
- Location: 118 Long Pond Road, Suite 102, Plymouth, MA 02360
- Crisis line: (800) 469-9888
- Child and Family Services
- Taunton Site Office
- Location: 60 Hodges Ave, Taunton, MA 02780
- Main number: (508) 977-3150
- Towns served: Attleboro, Berkley, Dighton, Lakeville, Mansfield, Middleboro, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Taunton
- Taunton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Community Counseling of Bristol County
- Location: 108 West Main Street, Norton, MA 02766
- Crisis line: (800) 660-4300
- Community Counseling of Bristol County
- Quincy Site Office: Quincy Mental Health Center
- Location: 460 Quincy Avenue, Quincy, MA 02169
- Main number: (617) 984-1000
- Towns served: Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, Milton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Scituate, Weymouth
- Quincy emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- South Shore Mental Health Crisis Team
- Location: 460 Quincy Avenue, Quincy, MA 02169
- Crisis line: (617) 774-6036 or (800) 528-4890
- South Shore Mental Health Crisis Team
Central Massachusetts Mental Health Offices and Crisis Lines
- DMH Central Massachusetts Area Main Office
- Location: 361 Plantation Street, First Floor, Worcester, MA 01605
- Main number: (774) 420-3140
- North County Site Office: EHS Center
- Location: 49 Nursery Lane, Fitchburg, MA 01420
- Main number: (978) 353-4400
- Towns served: Ashburnham, Ashby, Ayer, Barre, Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Gilbertville, Groton, Hardwick, Harvard, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, New Braintree, Oakham, Pepperell, Princeton, Rutland, Shirley, Sterling, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster, Winchendon
- North County emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Community Health Link/Lipton Center
- Location: 40 Spruce Street, Leominster, MA 01453
- Crisis line: (800) 977-5555
- Community Health Link/Lipton Center
- South County Site Office
- Location: 40 Institute Road, Oaks “B” Building, No. Grafton, MA 01536
- Main number: (508) 887-1100
- Towns served: Bellingham, Blackstone, Brimfield, Brookfield, Charlton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Franklin, Grafton, Holland, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, North Brookfield, Oxford, Southbridge, Spencer, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Wales, Warren, Webster, West Brookfield, Whitinsville
- South County emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
- Blackstone Valley Emergency Services
- Location: Riverside Community Care, 32 Hamilton Street, Milford, MA 01757
- Crisis line: (508) 634-3420 or (800) 294-4665
- Harrington Memorial Hospital
- Location: 100 South Street, Southbridge, MA 01550
- Crisis line: (508) 765-3035 or (877) 750-3127
- Blackstone Valley Emergency Services
- Worcester County Site Office
- Location: 361 Plantation Street, Second Floor, Worcester, MA 01605
- Main number: (774) 420-3100
- Towns served: Auburn, Boylston, Holden, Leicester, Paxton, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Worcester
- Worcester emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- U Mass Medical Center Emergency Mental Health Services
- Location: 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01605
- Crisis line: (508) 334-3562 or (866) 549-2142
- U Mass Medical Center Emergency Mental Health Services
- Westborough Site Office
- Location: Hadley Building, 167 Lyman Street, Westborough, MA 01581
- Main number: (508) 616-2801
- Towns served: Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough
- Westborough emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Advocates’ Psychiatric Emergency Services West
- Location: 354 Waverly Street, Framingham, MA 01702
- Crisis line: (508) 872-3333 or (800) 640-5432
- Advocates’ Psychiatric Emergency Services West
- Canton Site Office: Massachusetts Hospital School
- Location: Donovan Building, Second Floor, 5 Randolph Street, Canton, MA 02021
- Main number: (781) 401-9700
- Towns served: Canton, Dedham, Foxboro, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Wrentham
- Canton emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Riverside Crisis Team
- Location: 100 Lenox Street, Norwood, MA 02062
- Crisis line: (781) 769-8674 or (800) 529-5077
- Riverside Crisis Team
Western Massachusetts Mental Health Offices and Crisis Lines
- DMH Western Massachusetts Area Main Office
- Location: 1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
- Main number: (413) 587-6200
- Berkshires Site Office
- Location: 333 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
- Main number: (413) 395-2000
- Towns served: Adams, Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesboro, Lee, Lenox, Monroe, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Ashford, New Marlboro, North Adams, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Windsor
- Berkshires emergency/crisis 24-hour response teams:
- The Brien Center
- Location: 66 West Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
- Crisis line: (413) 499-0412
- The Brien Center
- Location: 359 Fenn Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
- Crisis line: (800) 252-0227
- The Brien Center
- Franklin/North Quabbin Site Office
- Location: 13 Prospect Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
- Main number: (413) 772-5600
- Towns served: Ashfield, Athol, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Rowe, Royalston, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Turners Falls, Warwick, Wendell, Whately
- Franklin/North Quabbin emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Clinical and Support Options
- Location: 140 High Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
- Crisis line: (413) 774-5411 or (800) 562-0112
- Clinical and Support Options
- Hampshire Site Office
- Location: 1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
- Main number: (413) 587-6200
- Towns served: Amherst, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Middlefield, Northampton, Pelham, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington
- Hampshire emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Clinical and Support Options
- Location: 29 North Main Street, Florence, MA 01062
- Crisis line: (413) 586-5555 or (844) 788-6470
- Clinical and Support Options
- Holyoke/Chicopee Site Office
- Location: 140 High Street, Suite 525, Fifth Floor, Springfield, MA 01105
- Main number: (413) 452-2300 or (877) 352-3881
- Towns served: Belchertown, Bondsville, Chicopee, Granby Holyoke, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, South Hadley, Southampton, Thorndike, Three Rivers, Ware
- Holyoke/Chicopee emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Behavioral Health Network Inc.
- Location: 417 Liberty Street, Springfield, MA 01104
- Crisis line: (413) 733-6661 or (800) 437-5922
- Behavioral Health Network Inc.
- Springfield Site Office
- Location: 140 High Street, Suite 525, Fifth Floor, Springfield, MA 01105
- Main number: (413) 452-2300 or (877) 352-3881
- Towns served: East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Springfield, Wilbraham
- Springfield emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Behavioral Health Network Inc.
- Location: 417 Liberty Street, Springfield, MA 01104
- Crisis line: (413) 733-6661 or (800) 437-5922
- Behavioral Health Network Inc.
- Westfield Site Office
- Location: 1 Prince Street, Northampton, MA 01060
- Main number: (413) 587-6200
- Towns served: Agawam, Blandford, Chester, Granville, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, Westfield, West Springfield
- Westfield emergency/crisis 24-hour response team:
- Location: 77 Mill Street at Crane Pond, Westfield, MA 01085
- Crisis line: (413) 568-6386
Federally Qualified Health Centers
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another option for public mental health care in Massachusetts. These federally-funded programs provide medical and mental health services to people in underserved communities. Their goal is to deliver high-quality coordinated care to people with complex needs and to link behavioral healthcare with primary medical care. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers sliding scale fees to people without insurance. You can search for FQHCs using the online search tool on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also find more information about FQHCs in Massachusetts by visiting the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers’ website.
How Does Massachusetts' Public Mental Health System Work?
In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about how to treat mental health conditions. New laws required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. These programs would provide the resources people needed to manage their conditions while living at home. Many states’ public mental health programs trace their origins back to this period.
Massachusetts is no exception. The state enacted its own community mental health law in 1966, which authorized the construction of community mental health programs across the state. With the support of the public, legislators passed laws expanding the state’s community mental health program in 1978 and 1986. By 1989, Massachusetts had established a statewide network of community mental health programs that directly provided case management, day treatment, outpatient care, crisis intervention, and other services.
Unlike most other states, Massachusetts’ mental health system is not county-based. Instead, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) oversees five regional offices which in turn manage several site offices. Each site office is assigned to a specific set of towns instead of to a set of counties.
Another thing that makes Massachusetts’ public mental health system different is that fewer outpatient services are associated with it. In the past, DMH directly provided some mental health services to clients and contracted with private agencies to provide others. This changed after the state’s healthcare reform law was passed in 2006.
This law, which served as the precursor to the national Affordable Care Act, created a statewide insurance exchange where people could sign up for healthcare coverage if they did not have an employer-based plan and did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. As a result, most people seeking therapy or other outpatient mental health services in Massachusetts are directed to sign up for insurance using the Massachusetts Health Connector and find providers in their network.
Now that this law has made health insurance more accessible in Massachusetts, the role of DMH has been heavily restricted. Today, the stated purpose of DMH is to focus on individuals with the most severe forms of mental illness who need services not covered by regular insurance. As in most states, anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis can use the public mental health crisis response system and hotlines in Massachusetts. However, to access all other public mental health care, people must submit an application and meet strict eligibility requirements.