“They say it takes a village,” Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) director Julie Fay said. “I say it takes an Island.”
A crowd gathered Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the new headquarters for the MVCS Island Intervention Center and the suboxone program. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was made possible by members of the community, the MVCS, and the Massachusetts Department on Mental Health, which offered $380,000 in funding for the Island Intervention Center. The suboxone program is supported by third-party reimbursement through insurance, as well as through donations.
The Island Intervention Center provides a triage system for urgent care services related to mental health and substance abuse. It is an immediate step for people who need higher levels of care, but not necessarily hospitalization. The program began July 1 of last year, but had substandard quarters, according to Fay. Island native David Araujo is the program director.
The suboxone program is brand-new, and kicked off Tuesday with the opening of its new facility. The suboxone program offers medical-assisted treatment (MAT) specifically for opioid addiction. Janet Constantino will be the director of this program.
The new building is located on the MVCS campus in Oak Bluffs in Building C — the one after the Children’s Programing Center and office administration. The space was previously owned and occupied by MVRHS and used for administrative offices. Fay thanked Superintendent Matt D’Andrea, assistant superintendent Richie Smith, and MVRHS principal Sara Dingledy for recognizing the need to house these services on the MVCS campus.
“Location is so important,” Fay said. “We’re at the center of the Island, on the bus route, and right across the street from the high school.”
