WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – For the western Massachusetts men and women needing treatment for brain injuries, there is now a community health center close to home to meet their needs. 22News was there for the grand opening of this vital facility in the heart of Westfield Friday.

People like Frankie Borrero whose early treatment at the temporary community health center gives him hope for the future, “Since I’ve been here, I like the part of the program where you take initiative, you come up with an idea and they help you carry it through.”

The Brain Injury Community Center has the facilities to help more than 1,000 men and women overcome their disabilities in Westfield and their home office in the Berkshires. The concept and the opportunities took root just a few years ago.

Maryann Hyatt, the President and CEO of the Berkshire County Arc said, “We are thrilled and excited to be here today. A little over two years ago a grant from Maxwell rehabilitation commission came across my desk to establish a brain injury community center.”

Berkshire County Arc jumped at the opportunity to establish the community health center in Westfield that formally opened Friday, helping people with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and Autism throughout Hampden and Berkshire counties. The only facilities of its kind here in western Massachusetts.