HYANNIS – Children and families living on the Lower Cape struggling with mental health issues will have more opportunities for care through Child & Family Services, Inc. The agency was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation to open an office on the Lower Cape.
“We are so excited about this grant and so very grateful to the Tower Foundation. It is their commitment to improving mental health services that is moving this project forward,” said Gail Dietrick, Site Director for Child & Family Services of Cape Cod.
The Tower Foundation’s objective for this grant initiative was to prevent or alleviate psychological disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults to age 26.
Child & Family Services has operated an office in Hyannis since 1995. Adding an additional site on the Lower Cape will make it easier for that area’s families to access services.
“We understand that one of the key factors in receiving treatment is accessibility,” Ms. Dietrick, said. “Whenever possible, we work to remove barriers to service. This is particularly important when working with those families already struggling with socio-economic factors that make their day to day lives challenging. Families living in the towns located on lower Cape Cod have limited options when it comes to comprehensive mental health treatment. This grant will change that.”
The Lower Cape has been identified for many years as being underserved in the provision of mental health services.
Susan Landers, MSW, LICSW will be the Outreach Clinician for this new Lower Cape office. She, along with Ms. Dietrick are in the process of laying the groundwork to get the project up and running. This includes meeting with Lower Cape Community leaders, social services and allied health providers, schools and daycare programs, religious and family care service providers, and other service centers where the mental health concerns of its community members are recognized in the hope of generating referrals.
“It is my hope that all residents of the Lower Cape Communities will now have access to Mental Health Services that have been out of reach for them,” stated Mrs. Dietrick. “Establishing an office in the Lower Cape area will also support the staff of Child & Family Services who have attempted to serve clients from that region, providing a base from which to increase frequency, consistency, and outreach to more families in need of services.”
We offer more than 20 programs and serve more than 18,000 people each year in Eastern Massachusetts.
