The Town of Northborough Board of Health on March 11 introduced Caitlin Mitchell, a licensed social worker who has been on the job about six weeks and will begin weekly drop-in social work hours April 8 at the town library from 3 to 5 p.m.

The introduction came during the board's regular meeting as Chairman Glenn French called the session to order and staff reviewed new-program plans. "I am a licensed social worker," Caitlin Mitchell said, describing her 2023 degree from Salem State University and prior work at Riverside Community Care and as a community resource specialist for pediatric practices.

The board and Mitchell discussed immediate outreach items: a self-help book club called "Words to Wellness" planned for next month, walk-in drop-in social work hours at the library starting April 8 from 3-5 p.m., school outreach with Northborough elementary schools, and plans for short-term counseling services. Mitchell said she has been compiling a resource list and coordinating with schools and recreation to develop youth programming, including after-school or teen-focused groups.

Mitchell noted the department's referral contract that helps residents access clinicians more quickly: "we basically pay in. Northborough residents can call the phone number and then get hooked with a mental health clinician within, like, they say, 2 to 3 weeks," she told the board, referring to the ongoing family-service contract administered through Interface and William James College. Board members and staff said the town will continue emphasizing warm handoffs and insurance matching as part of that contract.

Board members discussed service limits and goals. Mitchell said the department aims to offer short-term counseling in town but emphasized that the core public-health mission is community-wide programming rather than indefinite one-on-one therapy: "our mission of this department is really public health, so really community driven. So spending all of our time doing 1 on 1 counseling doesn't really, meet our mission."

The board directed staff to continue planning outreach and programming and to report back with draft schedules and materials. The meeting record notes no public comment was taken during the session.

The Board of Health set its next regular meeting for April 8.