Community Healthlink, a behavioral health center affiliated with UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, Massachusetts, is preparing for significant program transitions and an eventual organizational closure, according to an internal memo from President Gordon Benson sent on April 16.
Program Transitions Underway
Most Community Healthlink programs will transition to either Open Sky Community Services or Clinical and Support Options, pending regulatory approval. The Worcester Community Behavioral Health Clinic will be operated by Open Sky, while the Leominster clinic will move to Clinical and Support Options. All three Continuum programs—Acute Treatment Services, Clinical Stabilization Services, and Transitional Support Services—will transition to Open Sky. These programs provide inpatient detox, post-detox stabilization, and short-term recovery support for individuals with substance use disorders.
Workforce and Service Continuity
All Programs for Assertive Community Treatment services will move to either Open Sky or Clinical and Support Options depending on location, and all Adult Community Clinical Services programs will be operated by Open Sky. These include residential and support sites such as Chelsea House, Granite Street, Green House, Maria Ave, Massasoit Road, Randolph Road, Sagamore Road, and Windsor Street. Benson told staff that new operators will begin hiring processes, and Community Healthlink caregivers will be eligible to apply. The organization is working with SEIU leadership on transition planning and will support efforts to identify job opportunities within UMass Memorial Health. Exact timelines remain under finalization.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcester/community-healthlink-prepares-eventual-closure