Mayor Gary Christenson and the City of Malden Health Department led by Director Chris Webb are collaborating with the William James College INTERFACE Referral Service to bring a free outpatient mental health referral service. The initiative was launched in February and provides access to an outpatient mental health resource and referral helpline to help residents and/or public-school students become connected with outpatient mental health providers.
“There is no doubt that COVID-19 has affected the mental health and well-being of many individuals and families,” said Mayor Christenson. “Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the pandemic, it has become especially difficult to access outpatient mental health services. This helpline will hopefully take down some of the barriers that exist and assist callers so that they can secure the mental health resources that they need.”
The referral service process consists of an intake with a resource and referral counselor who will match the caller with a provider that accommodates their needs. There is also a follow-up once the referral is made. This service is available to Malden residents and/or public school students only, though non-residents may be able to take advantage of the service if their community is one of the over 60 communities contracted to offer the service, please check out the website to see the other communities that are eligible: https://interface.williamjames.edu/communities
The service is available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9AM-5PM and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8AM-6PM and can be accessed by calling 888-244-6843. Visit https://interface.williamjames.edu/community/malden to view a helpful flyer about the process or view other resources available in our region.
Please note that the referral service is not a mental health hotline. Anyone in need of immediate assistance should call 911.