Great Barrington — According to an email obtained by The Berkshire Edge, The Brien Center will shut down its office at 60 Cottage Street on January 30, 2026.
According to the organization’s website, The Brien Center is Berkshire County’s largest provider of health and addiction services, employing 500 people who work at 25 locations in the county, including locations in Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and North Adams.
The Brien Center provides adult services for mental health issues and addiction use, along with other child and adolescent services, acute care, and community services.
The email, written by Brien Center President and CEO Diana Knaebe, states that all in-person services at the Great Barrington location will be consolidated into the organization’s East Street location in Pittsfield by January 31, 2026.
“Behavioral health organizations across Massachusetts and the country – including the Brien Center – are experiencing unanticipated financial pressures,” Knaebe wrote in her email. “Reimbursements have not kept pace with rising costs, and shifts in payer mix, utilization, and fixed expenses are creating significant strain. To ensure our long-term sustainability and continued ability to serve our community, we must reduce operational costs while maintaining high-quality care.”
Knaebe wrote that “This change will allow us to achieve savings on building overhead and redirect resources toward client care.”
“We are finalizing a continuity plan to ensure clients experience minimal disruption,” she wrote. “Telehealth services will continue to be available for clients. However, all in-person intakes at Cottage Street will end effective Wednesday, October 29.”
The Berkshire Edge has reached out to Brien Center representatives for comment.
