Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) announced this week that it has opened a Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) at its Malden Care Center. CHA operates another CBHC in Cambridge.

The Community Behavioral Health Centers, along with the 24/7 Behavioral Health Help Line (833-773-2445) are key components of the state’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform, which seeks to make it easier for people to get mental health services quickly and closer to home.

CHA’s Malden site, like its Cambridge site and other CBHC’s, provides behavioral health urgent care, with same-day evaluation and referral to treatment. It also provides outpatient services in person and through video visits, and its own 24-hour phone line (833-222-2030) for people in crisis. CHA provides 24/7 mobile crisis services in individuals’ homes, schools, or other community locations throughout Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Everett, and Medford.

Since January 2023, there have been more than 6,500 visits by individuals in crisis at the Cambridge CBHC site.

“The CBHC has increased access to timely behavioral health services, providing care when individuals need it most, providing a safe and effective alternative to utilizing emergency departments for treatment of routine and urgent behavioral health problems and improving access to needed ongoing services,” said Carl Fulwiler, M.D., interim chair and chief of psychiatry at CHA.