At the latest meeting of the Marblehead Board of Health, Chair Dr. Tom Massaro delivered an ambitious report charting progress across several community health initiatives and outlining a new grant proposal aimed at expanding behavioral health services.
Massaro opened by updating the Board on the Town’s Community Assessment of Health and Wellbeing (CAHM) survey, which has gathered over 1,500 responses to date — a solid start but short of the Board’s target. To bolster participation before the Nov. 11 deadline, the Board is launching a final outreach push that includes:
- Advertisements in local newspapers
- A rolling billboard at the Marblehead High School Halloween football game
- Table cards in restaurants and flyers at drive-throughs
He emphasized the importance of stronger representation from younger residents (ages 18-40) to ensure statistically valid results across age groups.
“We’d love to reach 2,000 responses — maybe even 3,000,” he said, noting that higher participation lends greater legitimacy to the data for analysis by UMass Boston.
Massaro next reflected on the evolution of the Marblehead Mental Health Task Force, a Board initiative formed during the pandemic to address the town’s emotional well-being under stay-at-home restrictions.
Originally conceived as a think tank and outreach group — will be hosting discussions to combat stigma — the Task Force is now transitioning to new leadership under the Marblehead Counseling Center, rebranding as “Marblehead Cares.”
“Given their direct engagement with residents and clinical expertise, the Counseling Center is well positioned to carry this work forward,” Massaro said.
The Board unanimously voted to deactivate the Task Force as a formal town committee, with future efforts to be coordinated through the Counseling Center and the developing Marblehead Cares website.
A major portion of the Chair’s report focused on a new state grant opportunity issued by the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention (OBHPP) — part of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. The program will fund community-based efforts to promote behavioral wellness, reduce stigma, and prevent mental health crises.
Massaro proposed that Marblehead apply under Tier A, a category supporting emerging local programs with awards of $100,000–$150,000.
“We may be at the baby-step level,” he said, “but with an active Board, a strong wellness program, and engaged schools, we’re building the foundation.”
The application — due Nov. 17 — would commit the Town to:
- Conducting a local needs assessment
- Forming community partnerships
- Designing a small-scale pilot intervention
- Sharing early evaluation data with the state
Though competition is steep, Massaro believes the effort is valuable regardless of the outcome. “Even if we’re not funded this round, we’ll gain a blueprint for future public health initiatives,” he said.
In outlining Marblehead’s proposed grant concept, Massaro highlighted early intervention with youth and young adults as a priority — aligning with OBHPP’s focus on prevention and education. He suggested a creative approach modeled after the “mini-med school” concept, offering residents a brief, engaging introduction to public mental health science.
“This could be a ‘micro’ or ‘nano’ public health program — 12 hours that change how people think about community wellness,” he said.
With additional Board meetings planned in early November to finalize the grant proposal, Dr. Massaro expressed optimism about the Board’s direction and renewed community energy.
“We’ve already changed the tone of public health in Marblehead,” he concluded. “Now we have a chance to turn that momentum into sustainable impact.”
