Whether it’s about your visit, the care you received, or our customer service.
Fenway Health’s Behavioral Health (BH) Department would like to share some updates about the way we are able to care for the important needs of our community.
As noted in a recent Boston Globe article, there is a long wait for primary health care and health services throughout the state. This is the result of extremely high demand – fueled in no small part by the COVID-19 pandemic – coupled with a shortage of medical and behavioral health clinicians.
Fenway Health has been significantly impacted by these constraints, with our Behavioral Health team currently facing a 50% shortage in staffed positions. This has led to a significant wait list for our services.
Given these challenges, we have made the difficult decision to take steps to ensure resources are available to better meet the needs of our patients and more quickly move people off the Behavioral Health wait list into care.
We understand that these changes may be upsetting for some patients. They are unfortunately necessary given our current staffing and resource challenges. We do believe that ultimately, these changes will allow us to provide services to many more people in our community who are in desperate need of behavioral health care.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for allowing us to be your health care home. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please email Monique Willett or Frank Fleming at information@fenwayhealth.org.
Fenway Health’s Behavioral Health team operates under an Episodic Model of care. Episodic care refers to time limited treatment that encourages an individual to actively engage in therapy through dynamic movement. The focus of this movement through care is the building of skills and finding solutions. This works well for those with clear goals and high motivation.
The arc of treatment is made up of three phases:
Beginning PhaseThe beginning phase is focused on identifying clear goals of treatment. As such, treatment planning is essential because it helps the patient and provider focus care in a way that supports clear goals, movement, and resolution. In this phase, the provider works with the client to identify 1–3 areas of focus, noting that not all issues an individual comes to therapy with may be resolved within an episode. The provider outlines structure and mapping around the treatment experience, which includes the setting of a graduation goal in order to optimize sessions and time between sessions. The provider may begin treatment planning with the client by asking clear questions about their goals for care. |
Middle PhaseThe middle phase focuses on learning and implementing skills through a strengths-based approach. This evidenced based approach builds on an individual’s unique strengths and knowledge that they bring with them as experts in their own lives. As behavioral health providers, our responsibility is to support clients as they build skills, increase self-understanding, and conclude each episode of care with confidence in their ability to actively engage in living. |
Graduation PhaseWe actively support individuals to ready themselves for graduation by using active engagement in sessions and skills practice between sessions. We support and encourage our patients to increase their proficiency, confidence and test the sustainability of their efforts in order to create readiness to conclude their episode of care and return to their active living. We believe that doing intentional termination work is an essential part of therapy as often, individuals do not get to experience planned conclusions of relationships. At the time of graduation, folks are educated about their ability to return for a future episode of care if or when they need it. |
Domestic violence is prevalent in every community and affects all people regardless of age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Physical violence is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior as part of a much larger, systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and even death. The devastating consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime. (NCADV)
Domestic violence is not limited to heterosexual relationships and can affect individuals of all sexual orientations and genders. Within the LGBTQ community, intimate partner violence occurs at a rate equal to or even higher than that of the heterosexual community. LGBTQ individuals may experience unique forms of intimate partner violence as well as distinctive barriers to seeking help due to fear of discrimination or bias”(NCADV)
Share #WeAreResilient with @NCADV this October to raise awareness about domestic violence! Learn more at NCADV.org/2022DVAM
Free counseling and advocacy, specializing in services to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Fenway’s Violence Recovery Program (VRP) provides counseling, support groups, advocacy, and referrals to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, hate violence, and police misconduct. We specialize in working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals.
The Violence Recovery Program at Fenway Health exists:
7th Floor 1340 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215
4th Floor 142 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116
4th Floor 142 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116
You deserve to live a happy and healthy life free from violence and abuse. Fenway’s Violence Recovery Program provides free and confidential support for people who have experienced violence. We have specialized in working with LGBTQ communities for 30 years. We offer services to people who have experienced:
We offer counseling and advocacy in both English and Spanish. Services are offered at Fenway’s 1340 Boylston Street location, AIDS Action at 75 Amory St, the Borum at 142 Berkeley St, and at locations in Western Massachusetts, Fall River, and Cape Cod. To access our services, call 617.927.6250 or 800.834.3242 (toll-free in MA).
It’s important to know that people who have experienced violence may have a range of feelings and reactions. While each person is different, many survivors feel frightened, overwhelmed, angry, numb, depressed, or irritable. Some have difficulty sleeping, are afraid to go out, or can’t stop thinking about the violence or abuse. We provide short-term individual counseling to survivors to help survivors cope with and reduce their symptoms. Many survivors find talking about their experiences with a counselor to be an important part of recovering.
Interpersonal violence, in any of its forms, can be a very isolating experience. For this reason, the act of giving and getting support with others with similar experiences can be a powerful part of healing. Groups also offer a chance to learn information and explore skills that can help to better cope. For more information about any of the groups listed below, please call the Violence Recovery Program at 617.927.6250 or 800.834.3242.
Trauma Education Group |
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The Trauma Education Group is a free, 9-week group for LGBT people who have experienced abuse, violence or other trauma. Discussions will focus on the effects and symptoms of trauma in general, as opposed to each individual’s traumatic story or memories. Groups are run two to three times a year at Fenway’s 1340 Boylston Street location. |
Male Survivor Group |
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Independence House and The Violence Recovery Program of Fenway Health are joining together to offer a support group for all individuals who identify as men, live on Cape Cod, and are survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. This is a 9-week group which gives participants information on healthy boundaries, self-care, safety, red flags and developing healthy relationships. This group is offered at the VRP’s Cape Cod Office. |
Asylum Seekers Group |
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The Asylum Seekers group is for LGBT people who have come to the United States seeking asylum due to identity-based persecution in their home country. The group will give participants a chance to share resources and knowledge about the Asylum process. Participants can be anywhere in the asylum process. This group is offered at Fenway’s 1340 Boylston Street location. |
BIPOC LGBTQ+ Community Space |
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This is a safe(r), encouraging, drop-in, support group for BIPOC LGBTQ+ survivors of trauma who are interested in building community and connection with others who hold shared identities and/or experiences. This is a semi-structured, ongoing group that centers BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals and acknowledges the impacts of identity-based oppression on one’s healing journey. This group is not intended to be used as a space to process details of one’s individual trauma, but is intended to offer space for individuals to practice building healthy and supportive relationships with people who have similar experiences. The drop-in group will be running on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 5 pm – 6 pm. This space will be offered on an ongoing basis. Participants will be able to sign up for 6-session cycles and are able to sign up for multiple cycles if they are interested. This group is online via Zoom. |
BIPOC Joy Group |
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This is a 12-week virtual support group for people that are seeking an intentional space to create more joy and resilience in their lives while building connections with others. Clients will be invited to participate in weekly group discussions centered on different topics and will be encouraged to participate in practices and activities on their own between sessions. The group will be Thursdays from 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM starting October 7th. Please note, this is a closed group. |
Men’s Group for Survivors of Sexual Violence |
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This a 10-week virtual psychoeducational group for self-identified men who are survivors of sexual violence. The group focuses on understanding the various ways sexual trauma impacts men physically, psychologically, and socially; and offers coping strategies to address the harm caused by sexual violence. |
VRP advocates offer support around various areas related to survivor’s needs. Advocates offer information on your options and offer support. Advocates do not offer advice and will not pressure you to use legal systems. Advocates can help offer information and support around:
The Violence Recovery Program is committed to raising awareness of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and LGBTQ domestic violence. We compile statewide statistics on rates of violence and abuse in LGBTQ communities so we can more accurately reflect the magnitude and nature of these crimes and how they affect our communities. You can help by calling us and anonymously reporting any incident you face or witness, regardless of whether or not you want to access our services. In collaboration with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, we release annual reports based on these statistics.
Why report?
To anonymously report hate crime or same-sex domestic violence, call the VRP at 1.800.834.3242.
We also partner with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.
The Violence Recovery program is committed to providing training and consultation to help organizations, providers, and community groups understand and respond to the needs of LGBTQ individuals affected by violence.
Training topics include:
We may be able to customize trainings for your group. To discuss or schedule a training, call 617.927.6250.
Images from the TOD@S #QTPOClove campaign
Whether it’s about your visit, the care you received, or our customer service.
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