Great Barrington Family Resource Center

07/31/2025

There are SO MANY good things for families to do this week with the Family Resource Center.

They're all *FREE* to any family with children.

Check out the calendar to see what looks fun, informative, or supportive to you!

06/27/2025

Each month, the Family Resource Center offers free activities, groups, and activities for families with children.
Here's the calendar for July. Hope to see you soon!

06/27/2025

As Pride Month winds down, our CCS/Respite team in Greenfield snapped this photo yesterday outside our Federal St. location.

It served as a reminder to all that CSO's community-based emergency services program is proud to offer 24/7/365 mobile and walk-in access to crisis intervention services.

Hampshire County (Northampton): 413.586.5555

Franklin County (Greenfield): 413.774.5411

N. Quabbin (Athol): 978.249.3141

Northern Worcester County (Gardner): 978.488.8888

06/26/2025

The US Senate is expected to vote soon on a budget reconciliation bill that includes provisions affecting Medicaid and mental health services.

The Senate's reconciliation bill is expected to include more substantial cuts to Medicaid than the House-passed bill.

Tell your friends — especially those in "swing" states — to contact their Senators in opposition to the proposed Medicare changes.

The proposed cuts along with additional so-called "work requirements" would result in fewer Medicaid enrollments, increased disenrollments, fewer covered services, and reduce overall access to both physical/medical and behavioral health care.

All questions and comments regarding public policy issues, legislation, or requests for personal assistance should be directed to the senators from your state. Please be aware that as a matter of professional courtesy, many senators will acknowledge, but not respond to, a message from another senato...

06/25/2025

The US Senate is deciding whether to approve massive cuts to Medicaid as part of its budget reconciliation.

Call and email Senators today to ask them to consider the real-life impacts of limiting access and enrollment:

➡ 21% of the US population is currently enrolled in Medicaid.

➡ 1 in 3 adult Medicaid enrollees suffered a mental illness in 2024.

➡ 7.2% of Medicaid enrollees were diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2024 alone.

➡ Medicaid is the largest payer of US behavioral health services.

Let your Senator know you value Medicaid coverage and access to medical and behavioral health care.

06/03/2025

Grateful for all our community partners, families, and colleagues who came out to 'The Bridge' Amherst Family Resource Center for its 10th Anniversary Celebration (Amherst FRC) 🎈🎉.

Special to thanks to Mindy Domb, State Representative, who read a proclamation from the Legislature, honoring our FRC and the work it has done in offering free supports to any local family with children.

Thanks, too, to the Amherst Police Department (Official) and UMass Amherst Police Dept. for bringing their dogs Auggie and Alec.

05/30/2025

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀!

All Family Resource Center activities are totally *FREE* to any family in the area with children (ages 0-18). No intakes or qualifiers or need for insurance.

Come visit us to find the family supports (or FUN!) you need.

05/28/2025

Each month, our locations offer free supports, activities, and support groups for families.

In the , families are served by the Great Barrington Family Resource Center

In , it's the Gardner Family Resource Center.

In , our Amherst Family Resource Center is your go-to stop.

Follow their pages today to learn about their events and offerings!

➡ https://www.facebook.com/greatbarringtonFRC

➡ https://www.facebook.com/gardnerFRC

➡ https://www.facebook.com/amherstFRC

Send a message to learn more

05/27/2025

Thanks to all who helped make the 23rd Annual Mental Health & Wellness Fair a success last week.

Together, we're helping to end the stigma associated with behavioral health challenges, and we're supporting a more trauma-informed community.

GREENFIELD — The region’s behavioral health and wellness resources were on display last week as part of the 23rd Mental Health & Wellness Fair at Energy Park.

05/23/2025

The 23rd Annual Mental Health & Wellness Fair helped bring together the community.

The theme, "Kindness Is the Path to " resonated, as community partners and citizens alike learned about the local and resources available for themselves and for their friends and neighbors.

Thanks to all the many organizations to helped make this Clubhouse program possible.

Congratulations to the Green River House of and the Quabbin House of .

05/22/2025

Our Athol outpatient team was proud to join North Quabbin Community Coalition and others at the Munch n Move event earlier this week.

05/07/2025

Did you know that half of all people who will have a mental health condition start showing signs by the time they turn 14?

Today is , and Mental Health America has created a page of youth mental health resources: https://mhanational.org/youth-mental-health/

05/04/2025

CSO's Director of Community Education Chase Giroux, LMHC, along with trainer David Kieval, PsyD, BCBA, facilitated a Vicarious Trauma training for the Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan's office this week.

If you have a group or organization is interested in learning more about mental wellness or vicarious trauma, send an inquiry email to CSO's Director of Community Education Chase Giroux, LMHC, at CGiroux@csoinc.org.

05/01/2025

Family participants at CSO's Family Resource Centers in Amherst, Gardner, and Great Barrington will have access to free toiletries, thanks to a generous donation from Hope & Comfort (including toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, soap bars, toothbrushes, laundry sheets, and menstrual pads).

If you're a family with children (ages 0 to 18) in the Southern Berkshires, Great Gardner, or Hampshire County areas and would like to learn more about our FRC offerings and supports, visit CSO's Locations page and call the numbers listed:
https://www.csoinc.org/locations

04/25/2025

CSO's successful co-response programs (embedding trained clinicians within local Police Departments) have resulted in significant arrest and jail diversions throughout our region.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 and to support in the Commonwealth by asking your Representative to co-sponsor the following amendments filed to the House of Representative’s Committee on Ways & Means (HWM) FY26 state budget proposal:

➤ DMH Jail Diversion (Amendment #1597) filed by Rep. Manny Cruz seeking to fully fund all approved applications to the DMH Jail and Arrest Diversion Grant Program at $21.5 million. (line item 5046-0000)

➤ DMH Adult Services (Amendment #1433) filed by Rep. James O’Day seeking to restore $16.3 million to the DMH Adult Community Services line item to maintain current service levels for Respite services, Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS), Clubhouses, and the Program for Assertive Community Treatment. Even with the significant increases over the FY25 budget proposed by the Governor, planned expansions to ACCS and the Adult Respite program were expected to be scaled back. The decrease proposed to this line item in the HWM budget will result in the reduction of direct services. (line item 5046-0000)

➤ DMH Children’s CIRT/IRTP (Amendment #1259) filed by Reps. Decker and Domb to completely restore funding for DMH CIRT/IRTP programs. Funding for children’s services was almost entirely restored in the HWM budget except for $5.5M for these secure programs (line items 5042-5000, 5095-0015). /Respond

Please act now to support behavioral health in the Commonwealth by asking your Representative to co-sponsor the following amendments filed to the House of Representative’s Committee on Ways & Means (HWM) FY26 state budget proposal. These...