To the editor:
In Berkshire County, we pride ourselves on being a community that looks out for one another. But right now, that spirit of care is being tested. Recent cuts to mental health and addiction treatment funding threaten the stability of services that thousands of our neighbors rely on every day.
Local organizations like The Brien Center are stretched thin. Responding to record demand for counseling, crisis intervention, and addiction recovery—yet they are doing so with shrinking budgets and increasing costs. If these cuts continue, it will mean longer wait times, fewer clinicians, and, in some cases, the closure of vital programs that keep people safe and connected.
These are not abstract numbers. They are the students struggling in silence, the parents trying to find help for a child in crisis, the older adults facing depression or addiction alone. When we underfund behavioral health, we shift the burden onto hospitals, police, and families who are already overwhelmed.
Let’s choose prevention over neglect. Let’s make sure the Berkshires remains a place where people can find help before it’s too late. With steady funding and community commitment, we can build a behavioral health system that reflects the resilience and kindness for which this region is known.
Linda Febles
Board Chair, The Brien Center
Lenox
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