September 2020
Open Sky Community Services has announced the appointment of its new Director of Training and Professional Development, Suzy Langevin. As part of her new role, Langevin, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in behavioral health, will also lead the Bridge Training Institute, replacing long-time employee and recent retiree Stephen Murphy.
“2020 has brought unique challenges for the individuals we serve and our staff needhigh quality, up-to-date training. Suzy is the right person for that important job,” said Ken Bates, President and CEO of Open Sky Community Services. “COVID-19 may have started as simply a health crisis, but it has morphed over the past several months into a mental health crisis as well. In order to help the individuals we serve, our Clinicians and Direct Care staff, we will be looking to Suzy to strengthen our collective skill sets.”
For years, the Bridge Training Institute had hosted workshops at an off-site hotel, but these types of large gatherings have been suspended due to COVID-19. Langevin sees this suspension as a growth opportunity rather than a barrier.
“Having worked with Steve Murphy for years, I have a strong understanding of what the Bridge Institute was, and I’m excited to expand its offerings. Having to innovate where and when we provide workshops is a real opportunity to broaden our audience beyond our core here in Central Massachusetts,” said Langevin. “Reducing barriers like time and travel to make training opportunities accessible to as many professionals as we can will exponentially help more people and expand the training opportunities we currently provide from Open Sky.”
Open Sky Community Services is an affiliation of The Bridge of Central Massachusetts and Alternatives Unlimited, Inc., which came together in 2018. Langevin previously served as Director of Dual Diagnosis Services, where she developed a model for services for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. She also previously worked to implement and supervise the provision of Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) services, and was instrumental in the development and opening of The Bridge Counseling Center, Open Sky’s outpatient division. As a consultant and trainer, she specializes in Motivational Interviewing, and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). She was recently named to the Leadership Worcester Class of 2021.