Since then, CHD has grown and expanded its base to include additional geographical areas of the Commonwealth, including the cities and towns of Fitchburg, Framingham, Leominster, Quincy, Wakefield, Weymouth, and Winchendon.

In addition, CHD administers several public health and incarcerated women's health programs throughout the six states that comprise the New England region.

The Center for Health and Development, Inc. has a fifteen-year history of alleviating human suffering through our work with individuals who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness. In addition, CHD was recently awarded the “new provider” status by the commonwealth's Department of Mental Retardation.

It is commonly known that individuals with severe mental illness experience disturbing symptoms that can make it difficult to hold a job, attend school, relate to others, or cope with ordinary life demands. In most societies mental illness carries with it a substantial stigma. Families often hide or over-protect members with mental illness or reject them entirely.

Our goal at CHD is to help these individuals to attain their highest level of functioning through a process called psychosocial rehabilitation. Direct care staff work side-by-side with consumers and the consumer's treatment team (comprised of a therapist, a state Department of Mental Health case manager, direct care staff, and other necessary treatment specialists) to create an individualized specifically tailored treatment plan. The consumer's involvement in his or her own treatment is essential to his/her compliance with the plan.

CHD currently operates six residential programs, two clubhouse programs, a day rehabilitation program, and a forensic mental health services program at various sites located throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Our residential programs serve approximately 100 consumers in 27 different communities through a recovery-oriented rehabilitation model emphasizing:

• consumer choice;
• active client involvement and partnership in rehabilitation;
• flexible supports, life planning including vocational and educational goal setting; and
• assistance in obtaining safe, stable and affordable housing when transitioning into a community setting.

Our clubhouse programs are based on the Fountain House model,  the very first clubhouse established in New York City in 1955. Our clubhouses serve over 680 consumers in 14 different communities.

Each clubhouse operates on a work-ordered day format whereby consumers and staff work together to operate and support the clubhouse. Clubhouse operations include: keeping membership statistics, producing a daily and monthly newsletter, making balanced lunches, maintaining a clean and safe environment, and determining the social events. Decision making for all major and minor decisions is achieved through the consensus concept. Open meetings are held in which pertinent issues are presented, discussed and brought to a conclusion.

One of the greatest strengths of the clubhouse concept is its transitional and supported employment focus. Consumers seeking employment after being out of work for an extended period of time are assisted in locating transitional employment. While working in this transitional position, staff is available to assist the consumer in a variety of ways, including covering the position if the consumer is unable to work due to illness, etc.

Transitional positions are generally six months in length and allow the consumer to learn or relearn appropriate work behaviors as well as receive training for the future. Once this phase of employment has been completed, the consumer may move on to supported employment where the consumer holds the position alone. Staff support the consumer in adjusting to the position as much as possible.

Once a consumer has successfully mastered a supported employment position and feels ready, the final step is independent employment whereby consumers search for and interviews for the job alone. Staff lend support in helping the consumer prepare a resume, choose appropriate clothing for the interview, practice interviewing, and are emotionally supportive. Independent employment is a huge success for a consumer who may have lost a position previously due to their mental illness, and is now again able to function in the workforce successfully.

CHD's Quincy-based clubhouse facility has incorporated a senior center as part of its service delivery system. The center serves mentally ill adults over the age of fifty-five who are no longer interested in job placement. The focus of the senior center is primarily social, although members are expected to participate in maintaining a clean and safe environment.

Another program operated from Quincy is “The Family Project”.  Through this project, Section 8 housing certificates are allocated to homeless families in which one of the parents is mentally ill, yet still retains custody of the children to assist in meeting their hosing needs. The project allows families to make a new beginning and to break free from the cycle and stigma associated with homelessness.

CHD's day rehabilitation program serves 47 consumers in four different urban communities. This program provides services to consumers who are coping with the effects of major mental illnesses. Services include:

• focus group counseling sessions;
• individualized counseling;
• team approaches to skills development;
• pre-vocational/vocational rehabilitation;
• educational planning;
• dual diagnosis supports; and
• community outings.

Consumers also receive certificates of completion upon graduation from the program (usually 12-18 months).

CHD's forensic mental health program serves the District and Superior Courts in central Massachusetts and assists over 560 consumers annually. The psychologists involved with this program evaluate an individual ability when a judge questions their competency to stand trial. Our psychologists are also involved in determining whether an individual needs hospitalization for treatment.

In many ways the staff that serve these consumers make extraordinary contributions toward alleviating the sufferings of these individuals. Many consumers who have been hospitalized repeatedly and face constant rejection and humiliation due to the stigma associated with mental illness.

Once a consumer is placed into one or more of these programs, the rate of hospitalization drops significantly. Often individuals, who spent a good portion of their adult years hospitalized, enter a residential program and will remain in the community for years without repeat hospitalization. Individuals who come to a day program generally start out unable to communicate or associate with other consumers and staff, but through acceptance and empowerment are able to fully participate in the programming provided over time.