Just by the nature of its name, ‘Inspire’ Counseling and Support Center, (located at 29 Main St. in Leominster) sounds like the right place to go for individuals in need of a wide range of behavioral health services. It opened its doors in June of 2021, with a leadership team of 9 and 8 onsite full-time employees.
Offering such a wide range of during the heart of the COVID 19 pandemic at a time when more people than ever can use assistance has been especially important, according to Chief Operating Office Jennifer R. Dellasanta.
“We have learned a lot in the past couple of years,” she said. “One of the most important is that people are recognizing more and more the significance of mental wellness. This past 2 years affected everyone and whether someone wants to come in just to vent, a lot of times talking something out to another person just gives us a sense of release, or to gain some guidance on coping skills, or come in for a group to see that they are not alone and there are other support systems out there, is so important and we are here to provide that.”
“We have learned is how to be flexible,” she added, “we offer telehealth because you don’t have to physically be here to get the help you need. Our entire team understands we need to be flexible and that we are here to help. We have become more united than ever and have kept our mission up front, as well as truly being employee centered, so that we have healthy and happy team members so that we can provide the best quality services to others.”
The Center’s mission is to “inspire brighter and healthier lives.” It is part of a network of centers located in five states including Florida, Tennessee, Indiana and Kansas in addition to Massachusetts. As for doing business in North Central Massachusetts, Dellasanta notes: “Most of our team either live in Leominster or somewhere in North Central MA, so we really care about the services we are providing and truly promote our mission. These communities have welcomed us with open arms and we are utilizing their suggestions to give back and provide the services that they need.”
“We did our research before opening up in Leominster, she added, “by talking with community members and other community providers about what the need was in Leominster. We found there were resources lacking for children, adolescents, substance use and mental health. We are open later in the evening until 7pm so that working families and kids in school have a resource to not interrupt their work/school day. We offer both in person and telehealth groups, counseling, case management, family/couples counseling and medication management. We are very involved in supporting the community, because we live here and want to see our community thrive.”
Dellasanta describes Inspire’s workplace culture as “employee centered – meaning we focus on making sure that our mission not only applies to our clients and communities, it also extends to our team. We all need to be more focused on wellness in all areas.”
In promoting the Center’s services, Dellasanta credits their Marketing Director, as well as social media and being “face to face with people to let them know what we are offering and if there are other suggestions that they feel would benefit the community.”
“We pride ourselves on having someone always pick up the phone when you call us, no automated recording, if we are not available and you leave a voicemail someone calls you back within 24 hours,” she added.
Dellasanta credits much of the Center’s success to CEO Melissa Lucas who she says “has been an amazing source of strength for us since she took over and has completely overhauled how we function as a team. We would not have the amazing team we have right now if it were not for her leadership.”
