Pam Bolarinho is Awarded the Association for Behavioral Health’s Robert Dorwart, M.D. Award for Mental Health

ABH Salute to Excellence Awards

This year’s Association for Behavioral Health’s (ABH) Salute to Excellence Award Night was one to remember. Child & Family Services’ (CFS) Vice President of Acute Care Services, Pam Bolarinho, received the Robert Dorwart, M.D. Award for Mental Health. This prestigious honor is awarded annually to an individual who has demonstrated a personal long-term commitment to the goals of ABH and who has provided leadership and support to the association, its staff members, and staff around mental health issues.

Pam was nominated due to her inspirational and unwavering support of excellence in behavioral health care- her energy often inspires others to rise to the challenge with her. She was presented with the award by CFS’ Chief Executive Officer, Wendy Botelho, and joined by her colleagues in celebration.

Chief Operating Officer, Chanda Coutinho said “Pam is known to her CFS family for her bold leadership, tireless advocacy, and visionary contributions to the behavioral health crisis response in our community. She is an outside-the-box thinker who never stops asking: ‘How can we do this better for the people we serve?”.

A standout example of Pam’s impact is her creation of the co-response ride-along program with the local police departments in New Bedford, Fall River, and Plymouth. This initiative pairs master’s-level behavioral health clinicians with law enforcement officers, ensuring that individuals in crisis receive skilled, compassionate care on the spot. Pam recently led the development and funding of two mobile crisis vans, which will serve New Bedford, Fall River and Plymouth communities. The vans are another example of Pam’s creative way to make behavioral health more attainable to our community.

Her vision is about reimagining access altogether. She is committed to creating a behavioral health system that is accessible, responsive, and rooted in human connection. She has already begun expanding the co-response model to include EMS ride-a-longs, widening the safety net even further.

During her acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Pam stated “My upbringing shaped who I am and why I fight to be a voice for those who need it most —breaking barriers and showing up for people. I am so proud of my team and grateful for their dedication every single day. Thank you, ABH, for this honor.”