HelpNet is the leading source of mental health and human service provider information in Massachusetts.
Our Mission
Located in Lexington, Massachusetts, HelpNet was founded in March 1995 "to advance human services through technology." We developed HelpPRO® to use computer technology to connect people to the best available resources.
Our goal is to provide affordable, easy-to-access content to consumers, mental health professionals, and human service organizations such as healthcare companies, employee assistance programs (EAPs), community and state agencies, schools, and businesses. We are currently expanding our service throughout New England and plan to become the premier source of comprehensive mental health provider information in the Nation. Back to top
Services
1. Online Information and Referral:
We describe our online service as user-driven, i.e. designed for the people who use the service, not for the providers who are listed. HelpPRO is fast and easy to use, providing in-depth information based on search criteria that are important to the user. HelpPRO reduces the time, energy, and emotion that is often spent searching for the best qualified provider. And, since it is available 24 hours a day, it is a valuable tool for quickly finding resources in a crisis situation.
We do not charge providers a fee to be listed, so our database is as inclusive as possible. For this reason, visitors to HelpPRO.com have access to information about community resources such as mutual support groups, prevention programs, hotlines, and residential schools as well as private practitioners, hospitals, state agencies, and outpatient treatment centers. No other database in Massachusetts has this scope and depth of local information.
For $15 consumers can purchase a search (three reports) of our comprehensive database of over 7,500 mental health and human service resources.
2. Telephone Information and Referral:
Anyone who calls the HelpNet Referral Line at 800-652-0155 can speak to one of our professional staff and get a referral based on his or her needs. We will search our network of providers to find three good matches based on criteria important to the caller such as location, payment options (HMO, insurance plan, MassHealth, Medicare, sliding scale), specialty, age group or population served, theoretical approach, provider gender, and language spoken. We can even find providers who offer evening or weekend hours, are on public transportation lines, can make home visits, or who can return a call within an hour.
There is no charge to callers for this service. Our telephone referral network is comprised of mental health professionals who have paid an annual fee to be part of the referral service. When making referrals, we give priority to members of the HelpNet telephone referral network. If we are unable to find an appropriate match for a caller within the telephone network, we will expand the search to include all providers in our database.
Customers
The General Public:
Consumers can purchase one search (three reports) for $15 at the site. We have launched an advertising campaign that includes ads on radio and in the printed media. Click here to listen to our radio ad.
The Business Community:
HelpPRO is also used by businesses and human service organizations. Healthcare companies, hospitals, schools and universities, employee assistance programs, professional groups, and referral services use HelpPRO to provide efficient and confidential support and referral services.
The variety within HelpNet's business customer base reflects the diverse need for mental health provider information and custom database services that the company offers. Some customers have included:
Massachusetts Department of Correction Massachusetts Psychological Association McLean Hospital City of Cambridge Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Federal EAP Lahey Clinic EAP Dearborn Academy Two Brattle Center HelpPRO’s ability to provide up-to-date, accurate, reliable data has made HelpNet a leader in the mental health and human service industry.
HelpNet Team
William L. Blout - President
Mr. Blout worked for over 25 years in mental health administration and clinical private practice before founding HelpNet in 1995. His strengths are his passion, vision, and ability to "bring the right people together to do the job."
Early in his career, Mr. Blout received clinical training at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, but his affinity for community mental health began in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he worked with high-risk groups of teens to develop youth programs during the early 1970's. Mr. Blout worked in community development for three years through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Departments of Mental Health and Public Health, before embarking on a career in clinical social work. After an internship in the Cambridge Court, he worked for three years as a social worker in the Arlington schools. For the next 16 years, he served as the Executive Director of RePlace, Inc., an adolescent and family counseling center in Lexington. The centerpiece service of RePlace was an information and referral hotline for teens and families.
It was the frustration he encountered trying to find resources using inadequate filing systems and outdated directories that led to his vision for HelpNet, Inc.
Mr. Blout received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Masters of Social Work degree from Boston College.
John S. O'Hara - Director of Technical Development
Mr. O'Hara has previously architected web sites whose content and target market range from human services to aviation analysis statistics. He performed all phases of the HelpPRO.com service development, including goal definition, requirements analysis, and planning implementation strategy. Mr. O'Hara has led large projects building financial systems and regulatory tracking systems, and networked real-time inventory systems for Fortune 500 corporations. He has managed the critical business and technical aspects of client/customer relationships.
Mr. O'Hara has worked with Chase Econometrics, Interactive Data Corporation, Sunguard International, as well as Citibank, Genetics Institute, and the U.S.Department of Transportation. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College and his Masters from Dartmouth College.
Jeanne Blauner - Director of Business Development
Ms. Blauner is a highly regarded business professional with over 22 years experience specializing in business, strategic, and new product and service development. She has over 16 years expertise in classic consumer packaged goods and over six years on her own successfully running and managing J A Blauner & Company.
Ms. Blauner has secured millions of dollars of new business for large corporations as well as smaller, more entrepreneurial clients. Her particular strength is opening new markets and developing appropriate products and services for these markets using creative problem solving techniques.
Ms. Blauner received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College and her Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School.
William J. TenHoor - Business and Marketing Consultant
Mr. TenHoor has been developing businesses, markets, products, governmental programs, and public policy initiatives for over 25 years. A writer and speaker, as well as a consultant and social enterprise developer, he has secured millions of capital and project dollars for his clients.
Mr. TenHoor developed the Nation's first mental health policy electronic bulletin board and was a key partner in the formation and development of Green Spring Health Services, now Magellan, the nation's largest behavioral health care company. As a corporate officer for sales and marketing, Mr. TenHoor grew company revenues from $3M in 1990 to over $200M in 1995.
Prior to entering the private sector, Mr. TenHoor served in management and executive positions during a 12-year career in the Federal Government, including a four-year period as the senior policy manager for mental health, aging, and human development for three successive Secretaries of HHS.
Advisory Group
Robert Cohen, LICSW, Consultant, provides business and marketing consultation. Mr. Cohen brings a wealth of experience in community mental health, criminal probate and county correctional facilities, hospital-based services, and a long-standing involvement with managed care. Mr. Cohen has had an established private practice in Arlington for over 18 years.
Michael Vickers, Ph.D., Rob Guise, M.Ed., and Jackie Gagliardi, Ph.D., Technology and Business Consultants, are partners in Family Solutions Institute. FSI operates an online human service bulletin board system - Family Solutions Online, a mental health alliance, and a teaching and training institute for post-graduate studies.
Michael Melford, Esq., Legal Consultant, has specialized in providing legal services to both technology and human service businesses for over 25 years.
HelpNet is a Massachusetts type C corporation supported by private investment and revenues generated from business and consumer use and by fees charged providers who participate in the HelpNet Referral Service.
Confidentiality and Privacy Policy: Confidentiality of data relating to individual clients and visitors, including their identity, is respected by this Web site. We undertake to honour or exceed the legal requirements of medical/health information privacy that apply in the country and state where the Web site and mirror sites are located.
We hold ourselves to high professional standards regarding customer service and respecting the individual's right to privacy. We pride ourselves on providing our customers with responsive, courteous service. We are building the company the old-fashioned way on the belief that establishing a solid reputation for quality service will bring long-term success.