MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – After a series of cuts and closures to inpatient psychiatric care, Washington County Mental Health Services is expanding community-based services through a new federal designation.<\/p>\n
Last month, the state cut four inpatient beds at the Vermont Psychiatric Hospital in Berlin. In January 2025, Central Vermont Medical Center closed its inpatient unit, and recently replaced some mental health technician positions with licensed nursing assistants.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, knows firsthand how hard it is to access care in the area. She was treated at Central Vermont Medical Center\u2019s unit before it closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no access to inpatient care anywhere close to home, and as anybody knows, if you need to go to the hospital for care, you want to be close to home. In mental health care, you want to be close to family and friends who can help you,\u201d Donahue said.<\/p>\n
Now, Washington County Mental Health Services is expanding community-based care through a new federal designation: a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, or CCBHC. CEO Beth Sightler says the goal is to connect people with help earlier through one access point, instead of separate departments for different needs. \u201cWhat we don\u2019t want is for people to have to understand the entire mental health system in order to get good services,\u201d Sightler said.<\/p>\n
The Vermont Department of Mental Health says CCBHCs now cover nearly 80% of the state. Washington County Mental Health Services is now filling the gap in Central Vermont.<\/p>\n
The program does not replace inpatient care. Instead, mental health officials say the agency is focusing on earlier, community-based support, though some people will still need hospital-level care.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a one-stop shop where folks can come through the door; they can get their needs met. And there\u2019s also really a significant focus on coordinating with other providers, so that folks don\u2019t have to tell their story to multiple people,\u201d said Cheryl Wilcox with the Vermont Department of Mental Health.<\/p>\n
To staff the expansion, Washington County Mental Health Services posted 40 job openings. Sightler also sees an opportunity to attract people affected by recent health care layoffs. \u201cThere\u2019s been some movement, some changes in health care, a lot of people that are looking around and curious about what other work they can do,\u201d Sightler said.<\/p>\n
While mental health advocates like Donahue agree that preventative care matters, she says crisis-level care is sometimes unavoidable and must be accounted for. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t take away the need in some situations for that highest level of inpatient care, no matter what your health care crisis is,\u201d Donahue said.<\/p>\n
The federal designation also sets higher standards for care: CCBHCs must provide 24\/7 crisis access and can\u2019t maintain waitlists or turn people away because they lack insurance.<\/p>\n
Washington County Mental Health Services recently broke ground on a new mental health urgent care in Montpelier. The agency is pursuing a community needs assessment to determine where gaps remain.<\/p>\n
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