Community Counseling of Bristol County

Community Counseling of Bristol County (CCBC) received notification that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded the agency a three year grant through the Grants to Benefit Homeless Individuals-Services in Supportive Housing (GBHI-SSH) program. CCBC is a comprehensive behavioral health center based in Taunton, serving over 12,000 clients annually, with offices also in Attleboro, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford and Plymouth.

CCBC received the support of both the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) in the development of the SAMHSA application and representatives from both agencies, along with other key stakeholders focused on ending homelessness in Southeastern Massachusetts, will participate on an Advisory Committee to support the successful delivery of the project.

The project “Safe Harbor,” will be a program open to homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals in southeastern Massachusetts who struggle with substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. The goals are stable housing and improved health, mental health, safety, and self-sufficiency incorporating medical and behavioral health care and social need case management. CCBC will employ a “Housing First” model to help individuals secure and retain permanent rental housing quickly and without time limits. Many programs require individuals with a substance use disorder to be in treatment first, or to remain substance free to maintain their housing. The “Housing First” model focuses on finding the individual housing without any requirements tied to having a permanent place to call home.

The goal of the Safe Harbor program is to decrease the number of homeless and chronically homeless veterans and non-veterans in our service area by achieving these measurable objectives: (1) Increase the number who are engaged in recovery services for mental health and substance use disorders; (2) Increase the number who are in safe and supportive housing that supports their recovery; (3) Increase the number who are gainfully employed and/or pursuing training and education to support gainful employment; and (4) Increase the number who have social support systems.

Safe Harbor will serve approximately 35 clients annually and 120 over the life of the project by providing integrated and evidence-based services, including: (1) Permanent Supportive Housing using a Housing First approach and case management services to help clients access supports, including health insurance, health and social services, education, and employment resources; (2) Screening and assessment for substance use and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders; (3) Behavioral health treatment, including the "Seeking Safety " model which will be offered to all participants to address trauma and co-occurring substance use; and (4) Peer Support to provide guidance, support, empowerment, and hope from a trained peer counselor who has struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues and who is now successful in recovery.

The program will begin on September 30, 2015 and is funded for three years at $327,314 per year to operate through 2018. For more information please contact Ellen Bruder-Moore, Vice President of Housing and Community Initiatives at CCBC by phone at 508-977-8123 or email at [email protected].

CCBC was recently awarded a contract by the Department of Public Health to provide Suicide Prevention Support Services in southeastern Massachusetts. The services began on October 1st, 2014 and provide four interventions:

For more information about Suicide Prevention Support Services, email Ellen Bruder-Moore, Vice president of Housing and Community Initiatives.

Congressman Kennedy met with local elected officials and law enforcement personnel to better understand the recent increase in lethal heroin overdoses in the region this past year and offer local communities federal support.

In addition to supporting law enforcement efforts to curtail the availability of the drug, which can cost less than a pack of cigarettes, the Congressman recognizes the need for improved access to treatment for those with an addiction.

In order to better understand the problem of addiction, the Congressman met with a number of CCBC consumers who are in recovery from opiate addiction. The individual stories of recovery were compelling and inspiring. Staff discussed with the Congressman the problem of limited access to necessary services, including detoxification services, residential treatment, and outpatient care. Staff informed the Congressman that 25% of referrals to CCBC from inpatient facilities are homeless at the time of referral. Difficulty accessing affordable housing constitutes a major barrier to recovery for many.

From The Taunton Gazette, August 5th, 2015

The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health announced Wednesday that Taunton will be among 13 police departments to share a total of $1.9 million in grant funding to implement Crisis Intervention Team training and Jail Diversion programs.

The departments of Arlington, Bedford, Boston, Brockton, Danvers, Fitchburg, Marlborough, Somerville, Taunton, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown and Worcester were selected to receive the funds over the next three years. The grants allow existing programs to continue as well as expand the number of law enforcement agencies developing jail diversion programs which strive to provide treatment instead of incarceration for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

“Intervention training for our local police departments will help individuals with mental health issues find appropriate care,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “We are proud these grants will offer the assistance, skills and resources for local law enforcement to identify those in need of mental health or substance abuse care and seek out appropriate treatment services.”

The Community Crisis Intervention Team (CCIT) is a Jail Diversion Program that was established in 2001 by the City of Taunton, Massachusetts Police Department and others for the purpose of diverting disabled individuals from probable or actual involvement with the criminal justice system. CCBC provides the leadership, coalition hub, and fiscal sponsorship for the Taunton CCIT. Since its beginnings, CCIT has partnered with CCBC for consultation and clinical leadership in the development and promotion of both the jail diversion and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programs. Click here to about CCBC's involvement with CCIT.

In October each year the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH), a statewide organization representing over 80 community-based behavioral healthcare provider organizations, recognizes individuals and groups who have made impressive contributions to the field of mental health and addiction treatment. We are proud to announce that CCBC’s Taunton/Attleboro Continuum of Care was the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Best Practices award.

On behalf of ABH, we want to thank all of today's award recipients for the important work that they do, said Vic DiGravio, CEO and President of ABH. The dedication of everyone in this room to individuals and families struggling with substance use and mental health disorders is truly making a difference in our communities, and we salute you for your life-changing work.

The Taunton/Attleboro Continuum of Care is a group that represents a network of organizations whose mission is to decrease homelessness and increase of affordable housing in the community. This housing network has promoted internal and external connections within the network of organizations in order to meet the needs of clients in various ways such as housing, behavioral health, physical health, employment, education, and socialization.

The Taunton/Attleboro Continuum of Care, along with the 10 other awardees, was recognized at a ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Waltham.

Celebrating the Community Mental Health Act of 1963

The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 (CMHA) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This groundbreaking legislation was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on 10/31/63, and authorized federal funding for community mental health centers in the United States.

On November 1, 2013 CCBC staff, community partners, providers, elected officials, clients, and friends gathered at CCBC’s One Washington Street location to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historic event.

The evening was highlighted by a video debut of CCBC Client Stories in Recovery, a recognition award to Representative Patricia Haddad, a speech by Phil Shea, Fifty Years Later, The Vision, the Promise, and the Challenge, and remarks by Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy, III. Artwork from CCBC’s elder partial and day treatment client art show Connections was on display in the atrium and program storyboards were displayed in the hallways leading to the atrium. Guests were able to about each program and chat with program staff as they walked through.

It was a remarkable evening as we came together to commemorate such important legislation.

First hand experiences of CCBC clients show that treatment can get you on the path to recovery.

After difficult diagnoses, Pathways helped me get my life back.

Through Pathways I discovered a way out of my depression.

The Dr. Robert Smith House provided the support I needed in early sobriety.

I don’t know where I’d be without the PACT Team. They’ve helped me get better and get back to a normal life.

Pathways has helped me learn the coping skills that I need in the real world.

The Community Support Program offered me a second chance at life.

The Partial Hospitalization program has given me the tools to express my feelings.

CSP pulled me back from the edge. They gave me total support and helped me with everything that I needed.

Our vision: Provide behavioral healthcare solutions to improve lives and strengthen our community.

The purpose and mission of Community Counseling of Bristol County, Inc. (CCBC) is to develop and deliver compassionate, responsive, culturally competent, and quality mental health and substance abuse services to meet the prevention, education, treatment, rehabilitation and recovery needs of those in our community. These services are based on the latest evidence-based approaches to respond to the complex needs of children, adolescents, adults, elders and families as part of a locally integrated health-care delivery system linked to regional and statewide delivery systems.

CCBC's goal is to create a continuum of care that allows our clients to receive the level of care that best meets their needs and assist them in achieving their goals. We seek to accomplish this for each individual in our care by: conveying respect and affirming the dignity of those we serve, delivering treatment based upon current evidence based practices, utilizing a strength-based person-centered approach, focusing on recovery, and maintaining a commitment to continuous quality improvement.

If you are having an emergency, or have any thoughts of harming yourself, please call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.

Primary Focus of the Provider

• Mental Health Treatment Services

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Type of Care

• Substance abuse treatment
• Naltrexone (oral)
• Do not treat opiod addiction

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Facility Type

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Treatment Approaches

• Cognitive/behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavioral therapy
• Substance abuse counseling approach
• Trauma-related counseling

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Facility Smoking Policy

• Smoking permitted in designated area

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Service Setting (e.g., Outpatient, Residential, etc.)

• Outpatient
• Regular outpatient treatment

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Facility Operation (e.g. Private, Public)

• Private organization
• State substance abuse agency
• State mental health department
• State department of health

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Payment/Insurance Accepted

• Cash or self-payment
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• State financed health insurance plan other than Medicaid
• Private health insurance

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Emergency Mental Health Services

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Payment Assistance Available

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Language Services

• Spanish
• Other languages(excluding Spanish)

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Special Programs/Groups Offered

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Ancillary Services

• Individual counseling offered
• Group counseling offered
• Family counseling offered
• Marital/couples counseling offered
• 12-step faciltitation approach
• Brief intervention approach
• Motivational interviewing
• Anger management
• Relapse prevention

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Age Groups Accepted

• Children/adolescents
• Young adults
• Adults

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Gender Accepted

• Female
• Male

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Exclusive Services

• DUI/DWI clients

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