Kathy Mague on Building & Investing in Community with the Chamber
Western Massachusetts has a long history of dedicated nonprofit organizations serving our community, and the Behavioral Health Network (BHN) is one of the biggest in terms of employees, revenue, and impact.
BHN was founded back in 1992 when four community clinics came together to pool resources to better serve our community, and since then have become our region’s largest behavioral health provider, with over 2600 employees across many disciplines. The organization’s $186.5 million in annual revenue is spent largely on BHN’s most important resource – their people – with 88.3% of expenses allocated to program personnel and administration.
BHN’s role in the community has changed over time. When Senior Vice President Katherine Mague joined as a staff psychologist 23 years ago, the organization was almost singularly focused on serving their clients through therapy appointments scheduled at regular intervals. Much has changed in the intervening years, both in her role and the size, scope and diversity of BHN services and geographic footprint. Over time, behavioral health treatment has become less siloed, and BHN staff of many disciplines work on teams internally and externally with medical providers, schools, housing providers, and many other community-based resources. BHN sees huge value in Springfield Regional Chamber membership as an avenue to connect with other organizations to better serve their clients and the community. Kathy says that the Springfield Regional Chamber’s Rise and Shine Breakfasts in particular are a great opportunity to connect with potential partners.
Even as her role at BHN has changed over time, Kathy has made sure to stay connected to her community and epitomizes what a Springfield Regional Chamber Ambassador should be. Always finding time in her demanding schedule, you’ll regularly find her out of the office at community events, listening to the needs of our communities and connecting with others to provide the best possible resources for BHN’s clients. If you happen to be on Main Street in the early morning or late afternoon, make sure to give Kathy a wave when she passes you on her bike!
Somewhat paradoxically, nonprofits are a big part of the business community in the Greater Springfield Region, and the Chamber is proud to support these organizations just like we would any other business. If you’re interested in finding what the Springfield Regional Chamber can do to support and grow your organization, check out our website, and please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns!