Community Listening Sessions: You Spoke. We’re Listening.

October 8, 2026

At BHN, we believe the people who live and work in our communities have a voice in shaping behavioral health care. That’s why we’ve been holding listening sessions in Springfield and Worcester, bringing together community members, partners and stakeholders to talk openly about behavioral health needs, barriers to care, success stories, and what they want to see in the future.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared their experiences and offered their perspective. What we heard is helping us in our ongoing efforts to make care easier to find, easier to access and more responsive to the needs of the people and communities we serve. Here are some of the themes we heard, and how BHN is responding.

You want providers to listen to what communities actually need.

What you told us: Too often, providers think they know what a community needs without asking or listening to the people who live there.

What we’re doing:

Making listening sessions and feedback gathering a regular part of our work throughout the year.
Engaging community members when designing and developing new programs to ensure they most effectively address their needs.
Maintaining opportunities for people receiving services to provide feedback through our Consumer Advisory Board. If you are interested, you can contact us at info@bhninc.org to join.

You want it to be easier to know what help is available.

What you told us: Many people don’t know what behavioral health services are available, when to seek support or how to get connected.

What we’re doing:

Developing a network of community ambassadors who understand available services, when they may be helpful and how people can access them. If you are interested in being a mental health ambassador in your community, you can contact us at info@bhninc.org.
Expanding our outreach across multiple channels and formats so information reaches people where they are.

You want behavioral health care to be easier to navigate.

What you told us: Behavioral health systems can feel complicated and disconnected. Long wait lists, insurance challenges and providers working in silos can make it even harder to access care.

What we’re doing:

Working collaboratively with behavioral health providers in our regions to share information about wait lists, access pathways and specialty services.
Ensuring our providers have the time and tools to collaborate with other members of an individual's treatment team.
Working toward a single front door and “no wrong door” approach, so individuals and families can get connected to the right support regardless of where they start.
Strengthening partnerships with organizations addressing needs such as housing and childcare to make connections between service providers easier.

You identified areas where more support is needed.

What you told us: Communities want greater attention to prevention as well as services designed for transitional-age youth.

What we’re doing:

Collaborating with prevention-focused organizations, including the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, community-based organizations and state entities such as Massachusetts Department of Public Health, to advocate for and collaborate on prevention efforts.
Exploring additional specialty services and outreach for young adults ages 18 to 25, including connecting with them in the places they already spend time.

Keep the Conversation Going

These listening sessions are just one part of an ongoing conversation. We want to continue hearing from you about what is working, what is missing and what could make behavioral health care better in your community.

Stay tuned for future opportunities to share your voice. You can also reach us anytime at info@bhninc.org.

Thank you for helping us build a stronger, more responsive behavioral health system, together.

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