Needham

Mental Health Services

The town of Needham is home to many support services for families seeking mental health resources. Select a topic below for resources and organizations relevant to the topic in the Needham area.

Mental Health Services for Children and Families

Mental Health Services for Adults and Older Adults

For resources pertaining specifically to elderly issues, select from the topics below. In addition, see our page on Caregiver Resources.

Other Services

Choose a category below to find resources not directly related to mental health.

Youth Services

Adult and Older Adult Services

Health Services

The AARP Doughnut Hole Calculator guides visitors through their prescription drug options using localized information about their plans and prescriptions to determine if or when they will fall into the coverage gap. In about 15 minutes, visitors can view a graph of their out-of-pocket spending by month, look up lower cost drugs for their conditions, create a Personal Medication Record and print out personalized letters to their doctors to help start a conversation about safely switching prescriptions.

The Courtesy Van operates on Tuesdays and Fridays, providing Needham residents with door-to-door service within the Town of Needham. Seniors who would normally be shut-ins, unable to drive on their own, use the Van to visit the library, have their hair done, do their banking or visit a friend. Also weekday rides to area medical facilities are provided by West Suburban Elder Services and the Needham Community Council.
Advance appointments are necessary for both the transportation programs, and should be made through the Council office.

Grocery delivery is offered for those disabled or elderly without transportation. Clients receive food, paper goods, bread and pastry. The Food Pantry is the Council's only program that requires a client's income eligibility either from the Needham Housing Authority or the Needham Board of Health.

The Needham Council on Aging is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of residents of all ages and acts as a gateway to information, services and programming that support and enable a multigenerational group (ages randing from 60 to over 100) to maintain health, independence, optimal level of functioning, wherever the person resides. Offerings are designed to help maximize quality of life based on individual interests and needs. The professional staff offers individually tailored counseling and case management in a variety of settings, and can provide an array of information, resources and referrals to a variety of services. The Needham Council on Aging provides rides at no cost between a resident's home and the Senior Center. The Council on Aging Shopper Bus, sponsored by Roche Bros., takes seniors grocery shopping on Wednesday mornings. A Dial-A-Ride service, operates on Saturdays for residents ages 65 and over, offering service to destinations within Needham and to the Newton Highlands and Waban MBTA stations and Dedham Medical Associates.

The Public Health Nurses provide confidential counseling and referrals for all ages. You can make an appointment by contacting any of the Public Health Nurses in the Needham Health Department.

A Public Health Nurse conducts health and wellness clinics to all Needham residents, (open to all ages) and can include the following health issues; blood pressure screening, B12 injections and other immunizations, consultation regarding medical issues, review of medications, counseling and referrals. This service is free, no appointment is necessary. Locations and times: Needham Town Hall, Monday-Thursday 8:00am-9:30am; Seabed’s Way Community Room, first Wednesday of each month from 10:30am-12:00 noon; Chambers Street Community Room, fourth Wednesday of each month from 10:30 am - 12:00 noon. Call the Health Department for questions.

The Needham Public Health Nurses oversee and provide a wide range of services and programs; including communicable diseases investigations, immunizations, wellness clinics, home visits to elders (Senior SAFTE Program), consultation regarding assistance programs and counseling /referrals for all ages. Consult the web site for a full listing or call the Health Department for more information.

Providing substance abuse informational programs, educational resources and confidential support services for Needham youth, adults and seniors. Contact Carol Read for inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling and peer support resources regarding substance abuse, addiction and chemical dependency.

Books-by-Mail service is available to registered Needham Public Library borrowers who are prevented from using the Library's facilities due to medical disabilities. Library materials are sent to the homebound via the U.S. Postal Service in sturdy canvas bags. Books-by-Mail service may be requested by a recipient or by a caregiver, by telephone or in writing. Call for more information.

SHINE is a volunteer network of health benefits counselors, who provide current information on prescription drug coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap insurance, HMO’s long term care and other health insurance issues. SHINE counselor volunteers are trained by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and are located at the Stephen Palmer Senior Center. Call to schedule a personal appointment. There is no cost for this service.

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Community Websites

• Town of Needham
• Needham Health Department
• Needham Public Schools
• Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention and NEEDHAM ACTS
• Needham Youth Services
• Needham Council on Aging
• Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SPED-PAC)
• Needham Community Resource Guide
• Needham Veterans Services

Can't find what you need or need a referral to a mental health practitioner? Call 617-332-3666 x 411. For more information about the service and terms of confidentiality, please click here.