Services offered
Behavioral health
Mental health counseling, therapy, psychiatric medication management, and crisis support.
Dental
Cleanings, exams, restorations, extractions, and urgent dental care on a sliding scale.
Enabling services
Transportation, translation, case management, outreach, and patient navigation.
On-site pharmacy
Discounted prescription fills, often through 340B pricing.
Pediatrics
Well-child visits, immunizations, and pediatric sick care.
Primary care
Routine adult and family medicine, annual exams, chronic disease management.
Substance-use treatment
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling, and recovery support for opioid and alcohol use disorders.
Vision care
Eye exams, glasses, and referrals for advanced ophthalmology.
Hours
59.00 hrs/wk · Full-Time
About Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) located in Brighton, MA. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on household income, uninsured patients below 200% of the federal poverty line typically pay a nominal fee of $0 to $30 per visit. The center accepts Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and uninsured patients.
Community Health Centers like Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave play a critical role in serving Black families and other historically underserved populations. They are required by federal rule to accept patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and they integrate medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services in a single location.
HIV testing + PrEP at Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave or nearby
Every HRSA-funded FQHC offers confidential HIV testing and can prescribe PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). If Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave doesn't have a dedicated HIV care program, our HIV locator shows the named PrEP-prescribing clinics and testing sites across Massachusetts.
Mental health + behavioral health context
Black adults are about half as likely to receive mental-health treatment as white adults despite similar prevalence rates per SAMHSA, with cost and provider trust as the largest documented barriers. FQHC behavioral-health services like those at Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave use sliding-scale fees that make care accessible regardless of insurance status. If you're in crisis, dial or text 988 for the 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Pediatric care for Black families
Black infants in the U.S. have approximately twice the mortality rate of white infants per CDC NVSS data, preterm birth and SIDS are leading drivers. FQHC pediatric services include well-child visits, developmental screening, and Vaccines for Children (VFC) coverage for uninsured kids. Children covered by Medicaid (CHIP in some states) get all VFC vaccines at no cost.
Substance use treatment context
Black overdose deaths rose roughly 40% from 2019 to 2022 per CDC NVSS, the fastest-rising drug-overdose mortality of any U.S. demographic. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone, is the evidence-based standard of care. FQHC-based MAT addresses access barriers that disproportionately affect Black patients (DEA-waivered prescribers are more concentrated in low-income areas via FQHCs).
Coverage + benefits in Massachusetts
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave accepts Massachusetts Medicaid. FQHC certified application counselors typically cross-enroll Medicaid + WIC + SNAP at the same visit. Anyone enrolled in Medicaid is automatically income-eligible for WIC under federal adjunctive eligibility (7 CFR 246.7).
Frequently asked questions
What services does Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave offer?
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave in Brighton, Massachusetts offers Behavioral health, Dental, Enabling services, On-site pharmacy, Pediatrics, Primary care, Substance-use treatment, Vision care.
Does Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave accept Medicaid or sliding-scale fees?
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave accepts Medicaid, accepts Medicare, welcomes uninsured patients, offers sliding-scale fees based on household income.
What are the hours at Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave?
59.00 hrs/wk · Full-Time
Is Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave a federally qualified health center?
Yes. Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) funded by HRSA Section 330. FQHCs are required by federal rule to accept patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and they integrate medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.
Where is Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave located?
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave is at 495 Western Ave, Brighton, MA 02135-1007. Phone: 617-783-0500.
Please verify before visiting. Hours, services, and insurance acceptance can change. Call the center directly to confirm they're open and accepting new patients before you go. Data last verified on April 24, 2026.
Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave and the sliding-scale alternatives listed below are the right first stop. A same-day telehealth visit is self-pay and is not billed to Medicaid. If nothing nearby can see you soon:
Affiliate
Where to go next
If Charles River Community Health At 495 Western Ave is full, too far, or not the right fit, these are your closest alternatives and the coverage help that goes with them.
Nearest clinics
- Empath Brighton, MA · 1.3 mi away Sliding scale Medicaid Uninsured OK
- Element Care Pace - Chestnut Hill Ave/Brighton Brighton, MA · 1.4 mi away Sliding scale Medicaid Uninsured OK
- Charles River Community Health At Gardner School Allston, MA · 0.5 mi away Sliding scale Medicaid Uninsured OK
- Y2Y Harvard Square Cambridge, MA · 1.5 mi away Sliding scale Medicaid Uninsured OK
- Transitional Wellness Center / Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · 2.1 mi away Sliding scale Medicaid Uninsured OK