Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Nakamoto.
Daniel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Dan Nakamoto has had a long career in human services that has spanned several state agencies as well as work in the private non-profit sector. Three years ago he took the helm of a small mental health agency in Lowell that has been serving the greater Lowell community since 1953. Mental Health Association of Greater Lowell (MHA) serves individuals whose lives have been touched by developmental disability, mental illness, or brain injury, In addition, our counselors provide therapy at our outpatient clinic and in schools across the city of Lowell. Most recently, MHA has been part of a groundbreaking partnership to bring services to children whose lives have been affected by the opiate epidemic.
While Dan has managed bigger budgets and overseen much larger programs throughout his career, stepping up to lead MHA has provided an opportunity for him to bring together his extensive work experience, knowledge of state government, social work education, and vast professional network to the service of greater Lowell. Under his leadership the agency has taken on a variety of new challenges including service expansion, building projects, electronic health record adoption, and vastly expanded coordination with other service providers in the area.
The work of MHA is related to so many of the stories of our country, including issues around healthcare, economic disparity, immigration, cultural diversity, and the obligations that individuals in a society have to one another. Every day the men and women who work at MHA “vote with their feet”, as they choose to provide service and support to vulnerable adults and children in our community, knowing that their work improves lives and strengthens this community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are many challenges to work in the behavioral healthcare sector. The challenges that MHA has faced include the financial constraints caused by reimbursement rates for outpatient services, the difficulties of operating a small agency in a world of mega providers, and the challenges in finding and retaining qualified staff who reflect the cultural and language diversity of the individuals that we support. Dan provides leadership amidst these challenges with a work ethic and commitment that is unmatched.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mental Health Association of Greater Lowell – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We provide services to individuals who might, in another day and time, have lived out their days in an institutional setting. For example, we’ve only recently opened a newly built, fully accessible home for four individuals with acquired brain injury. Until that home was completed, those individuals were living in state hospitals or nursing homes. Today, they’re living in a neighborhood, with a barbecue grill and a garden out the back door.
The common thread of all our services is that we provide the support that individuals need to live as independently and as successfully as possible, whether they have a disability, chronic mental illness, or social/emotional/behavioral issues that are affecting their relationships, school/work success, or physical health.
We are most proud of the quality of our staff, who are committed, highly trained, and compassionate.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
MHA is looking to expand in multiple ways including outreach to the Lowell Cambodian community, development of shared living services, and work with Lowell Community Health Center and Lowell House as behavior health community partners for the Medicaid program. We are also working with the National Council for Behavioral Health on a groundbreaking project to introduce research-based practice to our counseling services in a systematic way. We believe that this project will improve our ability to serve our clients and demonstrate improved outcomes to our payers. We believe strongly in the value of our services, as well as the unmet need for high quality care. It is for that reason that we seek to provide more services to a more diverse population.
Contact Info:
- Address: 99 Church Street, Lowell MA 01852
- Website: www.mhalowell.org
- Phone: 978 458-6282
- Email: dnakamoto@mhalowell.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalhealthassociationofgreaterlowell/
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