In its arsenal of tools for identifying and addressing students’ mental health needs, Westborough High School’s universal ninth-grade screening is perhaps the most telling. 

For the first time in the 13 years that Chris White has served as the head of Road To Responsibility in Marshfield, the multi-service provider is putting people on waitlists to get into programs that serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The issue stems from what sector leaders from across New England describe as an industry in peril amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges associated with paying competitive wages and retaining staff members have made it difficult to fill complex jobs.