PAWTUCKET – A new multicultural behavioral health center serving children from multicultural backgrounds has opened in Pawtucket.
Tides Family Services Inc. and Community Care Alliance held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 9 to celebrate the opening of the NEXO Center for Mental and Behavioral Health (NEXO Centro de Salud Mental y de la Conducta), a new behavioral health center designed to serve multicultural communities. The center, located at 242 Dexter St. in Pawtucket, delivers community-based and outpatient mental health services to children, regardless of insurance status.
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“We are excited to provide a community-based approach that addresses the unique needs of families and the community,” said Beth Lemme-Bixby, CEO of Tides Family Services. “This approach is critical to reducing health disparities and moving toward health equity. Our goal is to go beyond traditional psychiatry and outpatient care to deliver services centered around trust.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Tides on this important initiative,” said Ben Lessing, CEO and president of Community Care Alliance. “Collectively, our objective is to develop a more multicultural behavioral health system that is accessible and responsive to the needs of children and families. The team that will comprise this program will be instrumental in moving this vision forward.”
The center, which received funding from the June Rockwell Levy Foundation and the Pappitto Opportunity Connection, uses evidence-based treatments to provide integrated care that addresses chronic and toxic stress.
“This support allows us to offer more-sustainable opportunities for individuals in communities previously overlooked and under-resourced,” Lemme-Bixby said. “We will consider social determinants of health in developing programs designed to eliminate the barriers that hinder access to care.”
The clinical team, led by board-certified pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Ornella Potter, includes a director of people of color behavioral health and a team of promotores de salud (community health workers) who will provide health education and outreach services in Spanish-speaking communities.
“We know that receiving health information from trusted messengers within the community helps clients navigate the language and cultural barriers they may face in accessing services,” Potter said. “Our goal is to be there for families in times of crisis, to provide timely treatment and to empower individuals to make commitments that preserve families.”
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
This is wonderful! Congratulations all