05/21/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2026
Mayor Beauregard Announces New Planned Partnership with Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services to Save and Upgrade Crisis Response and Behavioral Health Services in Methuen
METHUEN, MA – Mayor D.J. Beauregard today announced that the City of Methuen is taking steps to preserve and expand critical behavioral health and crisis response services through a new partnership with Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services, one of the largest and most comprehensive behavioral healthcare networks in Massachusetts.
Pending City Council approval of program funding in the FY27 budget, the proposed collaboration will build upon the goals and successes of Methuen’s existing co-response efforts through the PATH program while providing residents, first responders, and families with access to a significantly broader continuum of care, expanded clinical resources, and long-term program sustainability.
“For years, Methuen has worked hard to strengthen the connection between public safety and behavioral healthcare,” said Mayor Beauregard. “This partnership represents the next evolution of that work. Rather than scaling services back, we are working to expand and modernize them in a way that ensures residents have access not only to local co-response support, but to an entire regional network of crisis care, stabilization services, addiction treatment, psychiatric services, and specialized behavioral healthcare.”
Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services provides mental health and substance use disorder services to approximately 43,000 individuals annually across eastern Massachusetts and operates nearly 500 behavioral health beds across 20 facilities. The organization delivers a full continuum of care, including inpatient psychiatric treatment, detoxification services, outpatient care, community-based services, school- and home-based counseling, medication-assisted treatment, and 24/7 mobile crisis intervention.
Under the proposed partnership, Methuen residents would gain direct access to:
• Dedicated Jail Diversion Program clinicians assigned specifically to the Methuen Police Department
• 24/7 Mobile Crisis Intervention services through the Lawrence Community Behavioral Health Center
• Community Crisis Stabilization services as an alternative to emergency room boarding or inpatient hospitalization when clinically appropriate
• Expanded access to addiction treatment, mental health services, outpatient care, and regional specialty providers
• Real-time consultation support from licensed clinicians, psychiatry on-call services, and experienced behavioral health supervisors
• Ongoing follow-up care coordination and linkage to long-term services and supports
• Enhanced training and field support for law enforcement officers responding to behavioral health crises
Unlike standalone co-response models that rely heavily on a single clinician position, the Beth Israel Lahey Health partnership would integrate Methuen into a much larger and more sustainable behavioral healthcare infrastructure with built-in clinical supervision, mobile crisis coverage, escalation pathways, and continuity of care.
Importantly, the proposed model would ensure continuous, round-the-clock crisis support even outside scheduled clinician hours through Beth Israel Lahey Health’s established 24/7 Mobile Crisis Intervention system.
The transition also comes as the federal grant funding structure supporting the current PATH program approaches its conclusion.
“As the current grant funding sunsets, we have a responsibility to ensure these critical services remain sustainable for the long term while providing Methuen residents with unprecedented access to a world-renowned network of specialists,” Mayor Beauregard said. “The question before us is not whether behavioral health services matter – they absolutely do. The question is how we build a system that can continue serving residents not just for one more year, but for many years into the future.”
Mayor Beauregard emphasized that the proposal is intended to strengthen partnerships between behavioral health professionals and law enforcement while expanding the City’s ability to connect residents with immediate and ongoing care.
The proposed collaboration would also align Methuen with a growing number of Massachusetts communities already partnering with Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services on jail diversion and co-response initiatives, including Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Haverhill, Salem, Ipswich, Georgetown, Marblehead, and several other municipalities across the region.
“Our officers encounter mental health and substance use crises every single day,” Mayor Beauregard added. “They deserve access to strong clinical partners, and our residents deserve access to the highest level of care possible. This partnership would help us accomplish both.”
