Organizational History, Background, and Structure
The foundation of Eliot Community Human Services, Inc. (Eliot) dates back to 1957, when the agency was known as Mystic Valley Mental Health Center, rooted in community based services for adults living with mental illness. In 1992, a merger took place with Eliot Mental Health, forming the current Eliot. In the mid-1990s Eliot diversified its services by providing services to children and adolescents funded by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and the Department of Social Services (now DCF).
Eliot has expanded from an organization with a total budget of less than five million dollars in 1994, to one of 130 million dollars in 2017. Today Eliot serves close to 50,000 individuals and families in 150 programs across the Commonwealth. We are an organization that “thinks big” about achieving our mission and staying true to our values of providing high quality services to some of the most vulnerable citizens in Massachusetts. Eliot has never shied away from a programmatic challenge, and has successfully combined sophisticated business practices, critical and strategic thinking with sound clinical judgment to provide superior services. Eliot is passionate about providing innovative services that are integrated, promoting hope and recovery to those we serve.
Eliot’s capacity to pioneer new services and systems of care has been demonstrated again and again. Undertaking new challenges and venturing into new territory characterizes Eliot’s growth and development over the past 25 years. For example, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) recently joined the Agency under the Eliot umbrella. This merger combines two solid mission focused agencies while preserving the unique strengths of each organization. It is because of the exceptionally stable and solid base of operations, robust administrative infrastructure, combined with the diversity of services, skill of our managerial leadership and dedication of our employees that we are able to seamlessly forge into new territory creating innovative and exceptional systems of care.
While Eliot has significantly grown in size, our fundamental philosophy and core values have remained the same. Eliot’s executive and senior staff have all risen from direct care positions which has led to an atmosphere where teamwork is emphasized, new ideas and solutions are cultivated, and client care is central. Armed with sophisticated business practices and technological systems, Eliot's administrative departments (Human Resources, Finance, Quality Assurance, Information Technology, Compliance, Facilities, and Legal) are designed to further support our core mission and values.
In an environment that fosters curiosity and critical thinking, Eliot has created an organization with a facilitative style that listens to and encourages employee and client participation in meaningful ways. This environment extends to its partnerships with other providers, community and state organizations and funding sources. Eliot values its partnerships with funding sources and assists them in serving difficult cases, changing and developing new service models and ensuring solid relationships within the community. The programs within the Eliot network provide a multifaceted continuum of care that is deeply rooted in care coordination and case management. Eliot’s programs collaborate with one another, other treatment providers, service linkages and community resources to provide the highest standard of quality services to the people we serve.
Five Year Plan
Eliot’s Children, Youth and Families Division has addressed its needs through a comprehensive Strategic Plan that formally identifies areas of growth, while highlighting responsibilities and aggressive timeframes for completion through tiered one, three and five year models. Current, short-term and long-term goals of Eliot’s Strategic Plan include the recruitment of bicultural and bilingual staff, the development of additional IT systems to support outcomes of ICC services and collaboration with pediatric primary care providers and the sustainable implementation of additional evidence-based practices through several Intensive Learning Communities. Eliot’s CBHI Leadership Team has worked diligently to ensure objectives are being managed and goals being met. All goals align with Eliot’s mission of improving the quality of life for its engaged members.
Constantly striving to improve, Eliot’s Community Service Agency (CSA) efforts toward meeting goals established in its Development Plan have been proven successful. Since January 2017, the CSA has met the two goals of increasing family and youth voice on care plan teams and demonstrating increased effective teamwork. Although much progress has been made on the Development Plan’s goals, there is more to be done in areas critical to solidifying a full complement of staff that will ensure timely access to all services for all youth. Eliot has developed project goals which clearly outline those areas which need to be addressed, identified aggressive timelines for completion over the next five years, created strong measures and outcomes for success and presented a sustainable model that will remain in place far beyond the duration of DSRIP funding. Eliot firmly believes that funding to increase infrastructure and capacity building within the CSA will further advance these efforts and build upon a strong foundation of services.
The five year implementation plan focuses on ongoing projects targeting workforce development, enhanced technology and operational infrastructure. Early investment in software development and hardware development, will support and equip an expanding workforce to meet increasing demand for behavioral health services for children and families in partnership with ACO, MCO and PCO entities. The addition of a Community Integration and Outreach Coordinator and dedicated time and responsibility of the Project Team, and a focus on recruitment and retention of staff, will ensure timely and seamless access for referred children, youth and families, and a support a sustainable strategy for continued growth and development.
Purpose of DSRIP Investments
The Agency is passionate about Intensive Care Coordination and Family Support and Training and understands the role its services have in ensuring children, youth and families have supports and resources that promote sustained success. With the support of DSRIP funding, Eliot is eager and excited to expand its partnerships with pediatric primary care practices, build capacity to serve more children, youth and families, and increase fidelity to wraparound principles