Lynn Community Health Center Opens School-Based Behavioral Health Center at Pickering Middle School

Lynn, MA — November 19, 2024 

Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) is proud to announce the opening of its newest School-Based Health Center at Pickering Middle School, providing vital behavioral health supports to students. This initiative underscores LCHC’s commitment to delivering preventative and accessible care to young people where they need it most—right in their schools.

Maylene Collado-Wulff, Behavioral Health Manager, leads the center’s operations, with Jennifer Peterson providing psychopharmacology services. Together, they aim to meet the behavioral health needs of Pickering students, offering crucial support to address mental health challenges and foster emotional well-being.

The center’s current focus on behavioral health is just the beginning. Plans are already in place to expand services significantly when the new Pickering School building is completed in 2026. At that time, the School-Based Health Center will provide fully integrated care, including both behavioral health and primary care, ensuring comprehensive support for students.

School-Based Health Centers provide students with immediate access to care that removes barriers such as transportation and scheduling challenges. Investing in behavioral health services today equips children with the tools they need to thrive academically and emotionally. Research shows that early and accessible behavioral health care can make a profound difference in students’ lives, reducing absenteeism, improving academic performance, and fostering a positive school climate. LCHC’s School-Based Health Centers are mini-health hubs embedded within schools, offering the full resources and expertise of LCHC to students and their families.

Addressing behavioral health needs early helps students succeed in the present while also building a healthier community for the future. LCHC’s expansion into schools reflects its mission to ensure every member of the Lynn community has access to the care they need. The Pickering Middle School Behavioral Health Center is another step forward in realizing that vision.

For more information about Lynn Community Health Center’s School-Based Health Centers and other services, please visit LCHC’s website.