Dear Friends:

It's official! The WarmLines Board of Directors has voted unanimously to accept the invitation to become part of a larger non-profit organization: The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.

MSPP has been a highly respected Boston institution of higher education for over thirty-five years, fulfilling its mission "to be a preeminent school of psychology that integrates rigorous academic instruction with extensive field education and close attention to professional development…" WarmLines will work most closely with MSPP's Freedman Center for Child and Family Development, directed by Margaret Hannah. The Center "strives to connect children and families with appropriate information, resources and each other in order to serve their mental health needs." Please visit mspp.edu to learn more.

WarmLines and MSPP have been collaborating successfully in various ways over the past three years. We are key partners in the important work of Project INTERFACE, a local mental health initiative focusing on children and families. Graduate students from MSPP have received supervised training within WarmLines support groups. Both organizations have worked cooperatively to promote one another's community education programs.

In our new relationship, WarmLines will maintain its own non-profit status, its well-known name, and its current location within the Newton Cultural Center. Beth Basnight will continue as Director, with Jane Hobbs as Community Services Coordinator and Diana Simon as Corporate Services Coordinator. WarmLines will advance the goals of Project INTERFACE and offer parent education programs, such as New Moms and New Parents groups, with the help of MSPP faculty and graduate students. WarmLines Speaker Services will join MSPP's Continuing Education Program. In addition, the staff of MSPP will assume many WarmLines administrative and organizational functions.

WarmLines and MSPP have been in active discussion of this merger for some time, so we are delighted to finally announce that we are moving on - together.

For more information please read the article from New England Psychologist at nepsy.com "Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology acquires WarmLines"