FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Victoria May
Director of Marketing and Communications
The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Use
Phone: 413.629.1247
Email: Victoria.may@briencenter.org
October 14, 2026
The Brien Center Welcomes EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah for Community Mental Health Tour
Visit highlights the role of community-based behavioral health care in Berkshire County
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (October 14, 2026) – The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Use welcomed Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, MD, to its Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) in Pittsfield today as part of his statewide Community Mental Health Tour.
The visit included a tour of the Brien Center’s CBHC at 359 Fenn Street, followed by a discussion with Brien Center leadership about the behavioral health needs of Berkshire County residents, the challenges facing community-based providers, and opportunities to sustain and strengthen access to care across the region.
With more than 100 years of service to the Berkshire County community, the Brien Center provides a broad continuum of behavioral health and substance use services for children, adults, and families. Its CBHC serves as a central access point for urgent behavioral health needs, offering assessment, treatment, and crisis services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis can call 800-252-0227 to access support and guidance.
“Community-based behavioral health providers are an essential part of the healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural regions like Berkshire County,” said Lindsay Ciepiela, Division Director of Acute Services at the Brien Center. “We appreciated the opportunity to welcome Secretary Mahaniah, share what we are seeing in our community, and discuss both the challenges and opportunities involved in ensuring people can access the care they need.”
The discussion also addressed regional challenges, including workforce recruitment and retention, the growing complexity of behavioral health needs, access to acute mental health services, and the impact of housing and transportation barriers on individuals seeking care.
The visit provided an opportunity to highlight the Brien Center’s role in connecting individuals and families to services while identifying areas where continued state partnership and investment can help sustain access to care throughout Berkshire County.
About The Brien Center: The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Use is a community-based provider serving individuals and families throughout Berkshire County. With a history spanning more than a century, the organization offers a continuum of behavioral health and substance use services for children, adults, and families, including outpatient treatment, community-based services, and emergency and crisis care.