Haverhill city officials are making strides in their ongoing efforts to enhance the accessibility of substance abuse and mental health services within the community by establishing a local hub.
While the state had previously designated Eliot Community Human Services, based in Danvers, to serve Haverhill, city councilors have been advocating for a city-based center since April. In recent developments, Mayoral Chief of Staff Christine Lindberg reported that Eliot has been actively collaborating with the city to enhance service delivery.
Lindberg elaborated, stating that “Eliot staff members have been meeting with the Lahey at the Haverhill Police Department and talking to the Department of Mental Health and the Holy Family Hospital.” Together, they have decided to initiate a monthly hub at-risk meeting specifically catering to individuals in Haverhill requiring behavioral health services.
Eliot Community Human Services operates one of the community behavioral health centers designed to provide around-the-clock urgent mental health and substance abuse treatments for both children and adults.
In April, the City Council had called upon Mayor James J. Fiorentini, alongside state and federal representatives, to explore funding options for a local mental health crisis center. The objective was to offer immediate mental health and substance abuse treatments for children and adults within the community.
Council Vice President John A. Michitson acknowledged the significant role played by the Northeastern Family Institute of Haverhill (NFI) in providing essential services to the city. However, he emphasized that the issue at hand exceeds the capacity of a single agency.
“NFI is providing much-needed addiction prevention and treatment services for the city, and I think that we probably need more of those services. As far as opioid overdose calls in the last 12 months, there’s been 197. Over the last 10 years or so, deaths resulting from overdoses have averaged 25 to 30 per year,” Michitson stated.
Regarding funding, Michitson pointed to available resources such as the Cannabis Excise Tax and the Opioid Settlement Account as potential sources to combat the issue.
NFI Division Director of Outpatient Services, Kim Boisselle, raised the challenge of recruiting staff clinicians, particularly a program director. Although a $75,000 salary was offered, Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan deemed it insufficient.
“Seventy-five is not a lot of money to do that job. I’m going to suggest you increase that salary by $15,000 at least because I don’t think you’re going to find one for under $90,000,” Sullivan asserted.
In response, Lindberg acknowledged the concern and pledged to convey it to the mayor, indicating that it was evident the position could not be filled for less.
With a sense of progress in the right direction, councilors also lent their support to a proposal put forth by Councilor Melissa J. Lewandowski. Her proposal seeks an additional $20,000 in funding from the mayor to conduct a youth survey, aimed at gathering more comprehensive data regarding drug use among school-age youth. The motion passed unanimously.
