Child & Family Services is Now a SouthCoast Leader in Mental Health Support

The South Coast Health Community Spotlight lit up Child & Family Services this week as we had an enlightening conversation with VP of Acute Care Services Pam Bolarinho.

Nearly Two Centuries of Service

Child & Family Services has been around for over 182 years  Starting as an orphanage, it is the oldest non-profit organization in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Child & Family Services has developed into so much more over the years. Today, Child & Family Services is one of the leading mental health agencies on the SouthCoast, seeing kids and adults alike.

"It's more about mental health these days than kids," says Bolarinho. "We still have our youth programs, including adoption, school-based initiatives, and our mentor program, but I would say close to 70% of our work through Child & Family is focused on mental health and substance abuse—mental health being the primary one."

LISTEN:  Child and Family Services on the MGM Show

Expansion of Child & Family Services

Child & Family Services has always had a presence in New Bedford and Fall River, but its reach expanded to Plymouth several years ago. The specialty in Plymouth? Their Mobile Crisis Team—a team that visits individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse to perform psychiatric assessments.

In 2023, when Massachusetts launched its Community Behavioral Health Centers initiative, Child & Family Services was awarded two-plus Community Behavioral Health Centers.

"It's something that I wish I could just scream on billboards for people to understand what it is because when people hear about it, they're like, 'Wow, really?'" said Bolarinho. "When Governor Baker kicked off this initiative, the idea was 'no wrong door.' If someone is struggling with mental health or substance abuse, they can walk into Child & Family or any Community Behavioral Health Center in the state, 24/7, and be greeted and seen by a clinician immediately."

Reducing ER Visits for Mental Health Care

The goal is to shift 70% of individuals who would typically go to the emergency room toward Community Behavioral Health Centers, with only about 30% still requiring hospital care. Some individuals still need emergency room assistance due to mental health or substance abuse concerns that cannot be managed within the community.

"We have the ability to see individuals in the community, assess them for safety, and if we determine they are unsafe to remain in the community, we can send them directly to a psychiatric hospital without ever stepping foot in the emergency room," said Bolarinho. "We always say, 'Don't worry about it—we will figure it out.'"

Award Winning

Back in October, Child and Family Services was awarded the "Mental Health Organization of the Year" Award from the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association.

Call, Text, or Chat for Help

The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) is available 24/7 to connect you to mental health care. Call, text, or chat, and a licensed professional will answer immediately, assess your situation, and connect you directly to the help you need—all for free.

📞 Call or text: 833-773-2445