It depends on your specific program. Transitions to BHN will take place between September and October 2026. Until your program's scheduled transition date, services will continue through CHL as usual. We do not anticipate any interruption in services. Please check the Program Status section of this page regularly for updates.

While we will make every effort for clients to maintain care by the same teams, in some cases this may not be possible. Additional information will be given to you by your provider and care team as a transition move forward. 

Go to your appointment at CHL. While our organizations have formally committed to this transition, it will take time to make the transition happen. CHL services are continuing as usual until BHN programs open. You will be notified well in advance of the transition for your specific services, with details on anything you may need to do.  

Continue to refill your medications as you currently do. Should you have any questions about your medication during the transition, please reach out to your prescriber or CHL leadership at 508-860-1000. 

BHN uses the same PT1 transportation protocol that CHL uses. If you have PT1 services through CHL, we will apply for those same transportation services through BHN. Please make sure to talk with your provider about this to ensure there is no gap in transportation. 

Yes, go to the same CHL location for your appointments. While locations may shift slightly during this transition, it will impact a limited number of clients and staff. You will be notified well in advance of any change in location. 

Yes. BHN programs will be operated out of the same Jacques St., Queen St. and Chandler St. facilities that has housed CHL programs.

BHN provides a wide range of ambulatory and residential treatment options for children, youth, adults and families struggling with mental health and/or substance use challenges as well as those living with intellectual and development disabilities and those who support them. 

For more information on BHN services, please visit our website.

BHN is contracted with all major private insurance carriers as well as Medicaid (MassHealth) and Medicare.  

BHN supports individuals who are eligible enroll in MassHealth and offers a sliding scale self-pay option for those who are not eligible for insurance coverage. For more information, visit our Insurance, Payment & Financial Assistance page.

Make sure you have legal authorization to communicate with CHL about the care of the client you support.  

If you are a legal guardian, make sure CHL has your information and a copy of your guardianship papers in the medical record for the client.  

Phone Contact: Call the Community Healthlink Health Information Management Department at 508-860-1042.

 In-Person Inquiry: Visit a primary Community Healthlink walk-in site or office location to check status directly with staff.  

Online Portal: Log into the affiliated UMass Memorial Health myChart system using established proxy rights to view active authorizations and shared medical permissions. 

If you are not a legal guardian, ensure the client or their legal guardian has signed an Authorization to Release Information form, granting you authorization to share and receive information to/ from BHN.  Contact CHL medical records, as above, for more information or to confirm there is an active Authorization to Release Information on file for you.  

Contact the client’s provider to make sure the provider is aware of your involvement in the client’s care and share any concerns/ questions you have about the transition and client care.  

BHN has a wide range of services in Worcester county and throughout the state that you might access via telehealth from your home. View program listings on our website or call 413-301-WELL (9355) for more information on our services in Worcester County and throughout Massachusetts. 

Services and programs will continue under CHL operation until transitioned to BHN between September – October 2026. 

During this time, we expect all CHL clients to have continuity of their care. Estimated dates of the transition are provided here and will be updated accordingly.  

All clients and guardians will be contacted directly, well in advance regarding the transition of their specific services.  

BHN currently operates a range of child and family services in Worcester County which you may access at any time. Our Together for Families partnership is open and accepting referrals now. Contact us at 413-301-9355 to learn more about these programs. 

We are so glad to hear of this positive feedback about the experience with your care team! 

While we will make every effort for clients to maintain care by the same teams, in some cases this may not be possible. Additional information will be given to you from the provider and care team as the transition move forward.  

BHN offers support through regular and on-going consultation with providers and participation as a member of care teams. 

In some programs, peer partners are available to help those caring for clients navigate the challenging and important work of caring for loved ones.  

BHN is contracted with a broad range of private insurance carriers, in addition to Medicaid (MassHealth) and Medicare. 

BHN can assist eligible individuals with enrolling in MassHealth and offers a sliding scale self-pay option for those who do not qualify for insurance coverage.

You may fill out a referral form here Referral form or contact our central access line at 413-301-WELL (9355).

Our Community Behavioral Health Center (BHN Wellbeing - Worcester) functions as the One Front Door to most of BHN services in Greater Worcester.

BHN Wellbeing - Worcester accepts walk-in or call-in contacts from new clients Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm and weekends (Saturday and Sunday) from 9am-5pm. 

Your client/patient will participate in an initial screening of presenting need, followed by a comprehensive assessment and the development of a treatment plan to appropriaely respond to their need.  

For a behavioral health crisis, BHN’s mobile crisis intervention (a component of BHNWellbeing  - Worcester) responds 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  

BHN provides a wide range of ambulatory and residential treatment options for children, youth, adults and families struggling with mental health and/or substance use challenges as well as those living with intellectual and development disabilities and their caregivers. You can learn more about our offering on our website.

Under the direction of medical directors Dr. Ruth Potee and Dr. Ari Kriegsman, BHN is on the forefront of innovation in addiction medicine nationally. 

Under their leadership, BHN provides treatment and recovery support for all addictive substances via residential, ambulatory and community peer modalities. 

With recent advances in addiction medicine, most people with substance addictions can remove toxic substances from their bodies (‘detox’) safely and comfortably without needing to obtain care in a traditional ‘detox’ facility.  

BHN’s model of addiction care is oriented towards providing safe and comfortable withdrawal from substances in the right setting with the right support. 

Our first step is to conduct a comprehensive assessment based on the ASAM criteria, to determine what level of care is indicated.

Based on the information obtained in the assessment (for example, type of substance, duration and severity of addiction, health status, housing status, social support) , the plan of care may include residential treatment, home-based treatment and nurse care management, medication assisted ambulatory care following a brief residential induction, or many other options.   

If the assessment determines a client needs an ASAM 3.7 or 4.0 level of care, we have partnerships with those providers and will ensure safe warm handoff of the client to one of our partner providers.   

Yes, with appropriate consent. Collaboration is a hallmark of BHN’s model of care. We understand that our role in an individual or family’s wellbeing is one piece of a larger system of support. Our goal is to contact referring providers at the point we receive the referral and throughout the course of our involvement with the individual/family.  

HIPAA and 42 CFR regulations require that, except in emergency situations, our client or their legal guardian has signed an Authorization for Release of Information which outlines the specifics of our communication with anyone beyond our BHN treatment team. We encourage all clients/ guardians to sign this authorization to share information with other providers, and we invite you to also have that conversation with those whom you refer to us.