Community Services Institute

Community Services Institute, also called CSI, is a mental health organization that was developed in response to the deinstitutionalization movement in the early 1980s. As psychiatric hospitals were replaced with community mental health services, they began operating in a variety of settings in Western Massachusetts and greater Boston. This location is in Springfield, Massachusetts, a city located along the Connecticut River.

Springfield is the third largest city in the state, well known as the birthplace of basketball and the first U.S. gasoline powered automobile.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment

Although CSI doesn’t provide a structured substance use disorder treatment program, they offer a variety of outpatient individual and group therapy programs that address mental health conditions commonly associated with substance use disorders and addiction. They treat people of all ages using multiple evidence-based modalities.

This effectively provides treatment for individuals in recovery and children whose families have been affected by addiction to receive mental health support that addresses trauma and promotes long term sobriety. Psychiatry and medication services are also available and all psychotherapy is provided under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team.

Therapeutic Gaming Program for Youth

CSI has a unique video gaming program for teens ages 10 to 17. Therapists use specific games as a tool to improve social emotional well-being and strengthen family relationships. This therapeutic gaming model and group therapy program was developed by Dr. Frank Sacco, who has experience in multiple countries treating complex trauma and reaching alienated youth. This experience helped him develop this unique approach to treating children and youth who’ve experienced trauma or are otherwise emotionally difficult to reach.