Facilities for at-risk kids in Mass. spared from shut downs

Massachusetts, like so many other states, is struggling with a behavioral health crisis. A staff shortage, lack of psychiatric beds, and emergency room boarding are among its issues.
Then, in January, Governor Maura Healey’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget slashed funding, notably approximately $20 million in mental healthcare for children and adolescents. Backlash ensured, including about proposed cuts to three facilities that care for these age groups.
The cuts would see two 15-bed residential treatment programs for adolescents in the Westborough area shut down. Also shuttered would be a clinically intensive residential treatment program in Bel...