About

Behavioral Health Network, Inc. (BHN) is a regional provider of comprehensive behavioral health services for adults, children and families. Since its origins in the Child Guidance Clinic of 1938, BHN has grown into the largest behavioral health service provider in Western Massachusetts.


BHN serves those with life challenges due to mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Across all programs, BHN offers support, guidance and tools that help individuals make positive changes and live fulfilling lives.


Today, BHN serves over 45,000 individuals annually at 40 locations across Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Suffolk, and Berkshire counties, and employs over 2,600 people. 

Mission

BHN’s mission is to help individuals, families and communities improve the quality of life for those with behavioral and developmental challenges.


All BHN programs offer support, guidance and tools that help individuals make positive, life-altering changes. Whether a person has intellectual or physical disabilities, struggles with drug or alcohol addiction, or is challenged by mental illness, BHN helps people develop more fulfilling lives. 


History

A series of mergers throughout the 20th century culminated in 1992 when four entities came together under the name Behavioral Health Network, Inc. These organizations were the Agawam Counseling Center (Est. 1971), the Child Guidance Clinic (Est. 1938), Community Care Mental Health Center (Est. 1968), and Hampden District Mental Health Clinic (Est. 1953).


The Carson Center (including legacy Valley Human Services) merged with BHN in 2015, deepening BHN’s service offerings and expanding geographic reach from the Westfield catchment in the west to the Ware and Quaboag Hills region in the east. BHN’s rapidly expanding addiction and recovery division established services in Franklin County in 2016 and, through the acquisition of Phoenix House of Massachusetts programs, began operating services in Suffolk County in 2021. 


As new needs arise and methods of delivering services constantly evolve, BHN is continuously working to collaborate and innovate while at the same time sustaining programs that have a history of positive impact on our participants and the communities of Massachusetts.


Value Statement

These core values represent the guiding principles for how we wish to provide services and interact with one another. All people connected to BHN are asked to take responsibility for applying these core values in all settings and interactions.


Individual Worth
We recognize and affirm the unique and intrinsic worth of each individual.


Compassion and Kindness
We consistently treat each other with compassion and kindness.


Empowerment
BHN staff supports those we serve to be in the ‘driver’s seat’ of their lives and to state clearly their needs, wants, hopes, and dreams.


Individual Focus
We shape our interactions and services offered based on the unique needs and wants of each individual.


Freedom From Stigma and Discrimination
We believe that all people have the right to exist free of stigma and discrimination.


Diversity
We promote and value diversity throughout the bhn community and shape our services and interactions with respect to one another’s culture and personal preferences.


Honesty, Integrity and Fairness
We act with honesty, integrity and fairness in our interactions with one another and the way we live our lives.


Respect
We respect and treat equally all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or income level.


Value Each Other
We value each other as individuals and pledge to treat one another with respect and dignity.


Teamwork
We consistently strive to work as a team and support one another, regardless of our different roles.


Continuous Improvement
We aspire to be a community that is constantly learning from one another and our broader environment and remain open to opportunities to improve and grow.

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