About US

Proudly Serving for Over Sixty Years

Sometime in the late 1950s, members of the Nantucket community gathered to discuss the critical need for an organization that could serve as a source of hope for those islanders who were affected by mental health issues. The agency was formally incorporated under the name Family & Children’s Services of Nantucket in 1962. Since that time, we have worked tirelessly to create an organization that serves as a safe place for our clients and stands as a symbol of hope for our island.

One of a Kind Help

The people of Nantucket deserve and need a network of support for their mental, emotional, and physical health. Though outsiders may see Nantucket as a vacation destination, life’s challenges find us here, despite the idyllic beauty of our home. In fact, we all understand the unique difficulties of living 30 miles out to sea. Fairwinds provides professional, evidence-based behavioral health support to over 1000 Nantucket residents and visitors annually.

As we’ve grown, we have kept pace with the demands asked of us by a deserving island population, and expanded our service offerings to meet local needs. Throughout our history, we have always been focused on the continuing development of an experienced and dedicated professional staff to serve the mental health and substance abuse needs that affect our tiny island community. Fairwinds remains the oldest and largest non-profit mental health and substance abuse agency and counseling center on Nantucket.

We are honored to play a vital role in the resiliency and of our community. As we continue to be strategic in creating positive changes within our agency, we will have even greater opportunities to grow and expand our effectiveness and outreach within the Nantucket community. Our current reputation is one of outstanding moral character and an overall devotion to helping our fellow islanders. With strong leadership and clarity of direction, we are excited about where the fair winds will take us.