For Our Partners
For Our Partners – It’s All About Connection!
As community partners, you are an integral part of our mission to serve individuals, families and communities through prevention, treatment and recovery services, ensuring that help today leads to a better tomorrow.
Volunteer Behavioral Health is a multi-disciplinary system of care designed to meet the mental health and substance use needs of our community. Through quality, compassionate care, we support individuals of all backgrounds who are struggling in the communities we serve. We strive to improve outcomes by providing a wide range of services tailored to fit the unique needs of each individual and their families, but we also will make referrals to any service provider that will help to meet a wide variety of needs. “Client voice and choice” means we support client- and family-driven care. We are dedicated to increasing access to services with community partners, and walking side-by-side with our clients on their journey toward wellness and recovery.
How we help school partners
Children’s Behavioral Health Safety Net (Children’s BHSN)
VBH offers the Children’s BHSN, providing outpatient mental health services for uninsured or underinsured Tennesseans aged three to 17, with eligibility not restricted by family income. This service is available at all VBH locations.
School-Based Behavioral Health Liaisons (SBBHLs)
Our SBBHLs deliver mental health counseling within schools, offering individual therapy, family consultation, and staff support in specific counties served by VBH.
Project BASIC
Project BASIC, a grant-funded initiative, focuses on early intervention and prevention in elementary schools, targeting students from kindergarten to third grade. Child Development Specialists provide identification, intervention, teacher consultation, and programming to promote positive attitudes and mental health. Families with high-risk students are connected to community and treatment services.
Positive Action
Positive Action, is an evidence-based substance abuse prevention initiative for ages nine to 18, addressing social, behavioral, and academic aspects. Prevention Specialists conduct programming in schools, community settings, and court-based groups across several counties, with funding from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), making services free to participants.
How we help hospitals
Behavioral Health Liaisons (BHLs)
Our BHLs serve as crucial points of contact between various departments, providers, and families to coordinate care for clients facing mental health conditions or crises. Operating in crisis stabilization units, state and local hospitals, and walk-in clinics, BHLs are trained in crisis and case management, bridging the gap between those in crisis and the necessary level of service. Often, individuals in mental health crises end up in hospital emergency departments (EDs), facing barriers to care due to ED boarding constraints. BHLs address this issue by acting as a liaison, connecting clients to appropriate inpatient and outpatient services, including crisis stabilization and substance-use treatment. This not only benefits the clients but also reduces the burden on hospital resources, minimizing the need for mental health transports, law enforcement, and medical personnel. Beyond crisis intervention, BHLs continue to follow up with clients, ensuring they receive ongoing services and re-engaging when necessary.
How we help law enforcement
VBH provides Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) services, fostering connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, emergency services, and individuals with mental illness and their families. CIT, facilitated through collaborative community partnerships and intensive training, enhances communication, identifies mental health resources for those in crisis, and prioritizes officer and community safety.
Additionally, VBH offers Mental Health Co-Responder assistance, exemplified by our partnership with the Murfreesboro Police Department. Our co-responders assist officers in responding to mental health calls, conducting evaluations, and assessments of mental health consumers. This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and mental health, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health in the community. Furthermore, VBH’s Green on the Scene Mental Health Awareness Training program educates first responder personnel, equipping them with tools to respond effectively to individuals with mental illness symptoms. These initiatives demonstrate VBH’s commitment to fostering cooperation between law enforcement and mental health professionals to address the challenges presented by mental health crises in the community.
How we help judicial systems
To support the judicial systems, VBH offers a comprehensive set of programs. These initiatives collectively contribute to the holistic support of individuals within the judicial system, addressing both juvenile justice and addiction challenges.
The Juvenile Justice Reform (JJR) program
The JJR program focuses on providing in-home and community-based services to youth in the juvenile justice system, prioritizing family and youth voices through a modified wraparound team model. Operating in 22 counties, including Macon, Clay, Pickett, Jackson, and others, JJR adopts an individualized approach, offering family, peer, and education support as needed, and working collaboratively with families for six to nine months to achieve lasting change. This program is funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and is free for youth and families involved in the justice system.
The Addiction Recovery Program
VBH addresses addiction-related challenges within the judicial system through various programs. The Addiction Recovery Program provides recovery-oriented support for individuals with addiction or co-occurring disorders, offering individual and group formats for relapse prevention and recovery skills development.
The Community Treatment Collaborative
The Community Treatment Collaborative delivers addiction treatment services to individuals within the criminal justice system, accepting referrals from forensic social workers. Supervised Probation Offender Treatment is a contracted service providing addiction treatment for individuals on probation, and the ADAT program offers DUI-related treatment resources referred via the court system.