Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | May 5, 2025 | wbjournal.com PHOTO | EDD COTE Collaborating through a crisis BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer I n February, Gov. Maura Healey declared Massachusetts is facing a mental health crisis. For those in the industry, this isn't news. One in five people live with a mental health condition, accord- ing to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Central Massachusetts is struggling to keep up with the demands this places on care systems. Between March 24 and April 20, Central Massachusetts saw its behavioral health patients awaiting evaluation and boarding take up as much as 54% of its emergency department bed capacity, the highest rate of any other Massachusetts region by at least 14 percentage points, according to the Massachu- setts Health & Hospital Associ- ation. "We all should be concerned about the state of the mental health- care system in Central Mass.," said Ken Bates, president and CEO of Worcester human services nonprofit Open Sky Community Services. Collaborating on equitable program- ming, exchanging resources, and sharing institutional knowledge are all ways Central Massachusetts nonprofit leaders see the region nav- igating challenging times. ough not a solution to the systemic shortage of reserves, they believe the region still has power to drive meaningful change. "One of the best things we can do is collaborate, because there's more than enough work to go around," said Kathleen Jordan, president and CEO of Worcester nonprofit Seven Hills Foundation. Regional pain points For Jordan, the most significant challenge within the region's healthcare system is the workforce shortage. Nearly one-third of the 32 most in-de- mand occupations in Central Massachu- setts requiring an industry recognized credential are in healthcare and human services, according to the Massachusetts Department of Economic Research. e U.S. healthcare and social assistance industries are expected to experience the highest number of job openings and the greatest challenges in filling those positions to meet demand out of all sectors over the next 10 years, according to a report published in April by the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. "We have a workforce that is under- paid and undervalued in many ways, and it's a direct result of our society," said Bates. "Whether it's due to stigma or lack of understanding, we don't prioritize mental health as a society." Seven Hills works with about 100 interns at any given time who provide enormous relief to the organization's workforce strain, Jordan said. Still, those interns tend to only stay for a couple of years. ough they want to continue working with Seven Hills, some even coming to Jordan with tears in their eyes, the pay gap between nonprofits and the private sectors are indisputable. "ey can go to the state, or most like- Open Sky Community Services and Seven Hill Foundation collaborate on a workforce development program called Human Services Career Support Program. Graduates of the program (from left) Joseph Casseus and Hans Hadji Casseus; and Omo Fagboore, Open Sky career pipeline manager. Ken Bates, president and CEO of Open Sky Community Services Kathleen Jordan, president and CEO of Seven Hills Foundation More than 50% of Central Mass. emergency room beds are taken up by mental health patients waiting for treatment

• Cover